1983 Gen 2 Honda Prelude Goes For a Drive

[@paulphillipson2378]

It's beautiful because it's designed by an engineer not a robot was the advert on our reception at Street Lane Honda where I was a mechanic 😊

[@hendrikwagner5957]

The 4 LEDs are no LED, they show the position of the tilt steering wheel. It could be tilted to 4 positions.

[@motortraction]

Thank you!

[@mpersad]

Top lad Hendrik!

[@daddymulk]

Ah, excellent..

[@lawrencetaylor5407]

I miss the 80s Hondas; light, efficient, simple and basic. You felt connected to the road. Yes, today's Hondas are "better" in pretty much every way, but there was something great about the endearing character of the older ones, especially driving them as a teenager.

[@flightpath22]

Certainly, this has been mentioned by now… but for what it’s worth. The ‘indicator’ strip to which you refer is actually the ‘maintenance minder’ feature. Not LED, not sure they’re even illuminated, but brightly colored and each is to help remind the owner of some aspect of the required maintenance being due. Usually resettable nearby using simply the tip of the key. While my familiarity with this model is based on a U.S. spec model owned by my mother’s boyfriend at the time, there were many features at that time that I recall fondly. I’ve had several Civics (75, 77 wagon, 82 wagon, 90, and 91) a couple Accords (79 and 86), and a couple Integras (92 and 96). While I would dearly love to still have all of them, alas I only have the 1992 Integra LS. It is a 3-owner, 3-door 5 speed, mostly stock but on performance springs with a Supertrapp equipped exhaust. Handles like it’s on rails and 32-ish MPG all day long. Fabulous cars in their heyday, and still wonderful if no longer groundbreaking.

[@anonnation5049]

That random clip near the driver's side electric windows is to clip under a car park ticket so it does not get lost.

[@jonathanfrankel6787]

This reminds me of a good friend sadly no longer with us, and many great Saturday nights out in the early 90’s. He had an identical one to this, it really got a lot of attention back then.

[@claytonroyston4846]

I have owned this car for 1.5 years it's really a great car the engine durability is unbelievable very overbuilt engine reliability not to mention the suspension is out of this world very very comfortable to drive this car smooth driving not a lot of power but does the job I think u do feel the torque kick in at 2500 rpm the road noise in cabin is so welcoming it feels like you wanna fly with this car the double wishbone suspension u don't get cars with this suspension any more ja poeple will tell u today's McPherson suspension is better if u feel how this double wish bone suspension drives u will be shock truly a great car just wish I can find tail light for it cheap because they're pretty pricey

[@paulbennell3313]

I think this was the best looking version of the Prelude. I worked with a guy who had a Hondamatic equipped Prelude and I quite often blagged a lift to the railway staion in this car. It was reasonably quiet unless he pressed on (which he did quite a lot) and it appeared to be very well nailed together. It's a very long time since I saw a Prelude in the condition of the car in the vid. Probably one of the best remaining cars in the UK.

[@boomhaueroo8703]

Had a 1986 N. American Prelude 2.0 Si. So much great about that car. But possibly my favorite thing was the "spongy" material that made up the "spoiler" on the trunk/boot. Finally sold it in 1996. It had 285,000 miles. And I still miss it.

[@gosportjamie]

It is worth noting that, with a passenger side mirror not being a legal requirement on UK cars until 1986, this era of Prelude got the internally adjustable door mirrors on both sides as standard equipment, which was a pretty big thing on what was a not massively expensive car. It is also worth saying that these were available with factory ABS, factory air conditioning was available which was a very rare thing on a British market car at the time and the slightly later 2.0 injection cars with the rather famous B20 twin-cam engine were also available with four-wheel steering too... It's also worth saying, regarding the steering, it is very light at low speeds to make manoeuvring and parking easy, but this was one of the first cars to have variable rate power steering assistance and the system does work very well as the steering does weight up very nicely at higher speeds... And, cars with factory front fog lights did have a setting that would allow the front fog lights to act as daytime running lights, which only Volvo and SAAB in the UK had... Having had one in the past, I can say that these are fantastic cars, especially with the lovely, sweet-changing 5-speed manual gearbox. You can really keep what seems like a fairly uninteresting engine on song and cover ground far faster than the performance figures would suggest. Unfortunately, it was the sheer drivability of these cars that rather contributed to their low survival rate. People just kept on using them as regular transport long after a lot of the rivals would have been relegated to very much second or third line transport. Although not as bad as a number of cars from this period, rust was still a problem and a lot of these continued in regular use until a massive MoT failure on corrosion and a simply unaffordable potential repair bill sent them to the scrap yard. It's really not hard to see It's really not hard to see why these just kept being used over long periods, they were one of not many coupes, and maybe the only one of the ear, that managed the trick of being comfortable and cossetting like a luxury car when you weren't driving hard, and yet composed and flowing when you were really getting a wriggle on. The Honda 4-wheel independent suspension with double wishbones at the front was incredibly well thought out and worked superbly. And those bucket-style seats, oh my, I don't think anyone has put better seats in a car before or since, they feel nice and soft and comfortable, but they support you everywhere you need supporting. I never got back ache from driving, or being a passenger, in mine, despite having had back problems from a pretty young age due to playing rugby. It's pretty much no car seats that don't give me any niggles in my back while driving but these managed it, all the more surprising when you consider the car had over 200,000 miles on it and the driver's seat was commensurately tired. Every enthusiast should own one of these at least once in their lives...

[@neilduncan8657]

I had a 1980 Civic (loved it) but I lusted for a prelude hondas best cars in my opinion where in the 80's and 90's

[@alexanderstefanov6474]

I can't believe it's from 1983, almost as old as me, but so much more sophisticated and better finished than the mainstream European cars from that period.

[@tinniswood2577]

An absolute beauty, I wish they still made cars like this today with a few modern subtle touches. Proper tyres too for comfort.

[@spicytuna62]

"Comfortable grand tourer with a hint of sportiness." I like this description a lot. I had a fifth generation Prelude back in my days in university. I lived a 3 hours' drive away from my parents, and I'd visit them several times a year. My car had 200 horsepower and it felt _really_ good to get it into the middle and high end of the powerband. But if you wanted something you could kick back in, the car was indeed very comfortable on long drives. At highway speed, the engine sat around 3,000-4,000 RPM, but you'd never hear it drone. It was also a very quiet ride overall. The steering was just so tight and precise. It drove like something that was so much more expensive than it really was. I also loved the way that car looked. It looked like nothing else on the road, even in its time. Any time I took it to a Honda place to be serviced, the guys there would comment that you just don't see Preludes in the wild anymore. I finally had to sell the car in 2015. I had mechanical faults coming up on it all the time, and it was getting too expensive to keep fixing. I was single and had just got my first job out of university. I wasn't making much money at all and I needed something newer and a little more dependable to commute to work. I had moved to a city where living expenses were funnily enough much higher than where I had attended university. I had the double whammy of increased housing costs and losing my roommate. To this day, one of my greatest regrets in life is having to let that car go. I got basically nothing for it when I traded it in. It was daily driven and beat to hell with 200,000 miles on it. It meant so much more to me than the pittance I received for it. But it was an awesome car, and I'm happy to have ever had the chance to daily drive it. One of these days, if I ever have a garage, I'd love to get my hands on another as a weekend driver.

[@brianrocks7277]

Love the retro Japanese cars! How did we not recognise their greatness at the time!

[@arevee9429]

Actually, a lot of people did recognize the greatness. That's why the queue to get a new Prelude was very long.

[@daddymulk]

Says in my old Magazine on CRX mk1 review there was a waiting list, they were selling above list price because people wanted them, trouble was they only allowed to import so many each year, cost of import tax put on them because they were cheaper and far better at time than British cars we lost out on more equipment and excellent options like Digital Dash. Old Top Gear says Honda NSX was something like £35,000 in Japan and over here it was £60,000 something around those figs anyway

[@gaboaaa23]

@@arevee9429 most of the people didnt saw it for the same reason they dont see it now a days! Its called "Prestige" and dumbness.

[@jimmythe5aint]

The push button for the headlights was to open them in winter so they didnt freeze shut if you needed them in the morning. And the power steering should be speed sensitive, mine was very light when parking but got stiffer as you sped up...wish I still had this car

[@davidhall7744]

Honda in the 80’s and 90’s were the masters of quality, understated style 🇯🇵😀👍 A far cry from the absolute mess of a design that the current Civic is 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@mescko]

I love my '93 Accord EX.

[@bryanmower2703]

Aerodecks ftw

[@mescko]

@@bryanmower2703 The USA didn't get the Aerodeck.

[@julienbee3467]

@@bryanmower2703 i love the Aerodeck mk1

[@arevee9429]

Yes, the current gen Civic is hideous, but they still sell very well and the car itself is quite good. But it is an ugly mess of creases. Honda seems to get it either very right or . . . very wrong.

[@loveisall5520]

You know what I noticed immediately when these cars came out? Like the rest of the Honda range in the eighties, and particularly in the 2-door Civics, the ultra-low hood and amazing amount of airy glass. Today's little tanks are much more like looking out slits for windows, unfortunately, and cowl heights are higher.

[@repton_3]

So happy to see this car again. Mine was this exact model. 'C' reg, white, automatic, black and orange seats to match the dash illumination. I ran it into the ground until it was no longer economical to repair it for MOT. I forgot about the 'real bell' lights on reminder, which was odd considering the electronics in the car. I had another 2 Preludes after this, a gen 3 with AWS (horrible car) and a gen 4 (which I loved and also ran into the ground).

[@heikkiremes5661]

One of those cars I've lusted after since my childhood. It's just a wonderful looking car.

[@markotango54]

My mate's sister had one back in the early 90's, fantastic motor

[@munnsie100]

What a beautiful example. The original owners clearly loved it, you don't often see cars that are that well cared for. Hats off to them. I hope the new owners love it just as much.

[@troyboy83]

That was my first car! 84' though but the same in every way. Oh, the memories.

[@ischul]

Great video! I am enjoying your enthusiasm for this Prelude and your insights and explanation abouit particulars of the car. Those alloys are GORGEOUS!!! and the single front wiper and rear wiper are awesome. Here in the US, our 2nd gen Prelude had only dual front wipers. That's interesting amazing and different, like the 1st gen CR-X rear wiper, and unique enough you're sure to remember! Keep on putting out the wonderful videos!

[@BungleBare]

Picture yourself in a parallel universe where this car was also sold as an MG, with the 2 litre turbo as used in the MG Montego, and red seatbelts. Or, for those of more discerning taste, badged as a Triumph, with some wood trim and Honda engines. How awesome would that have been? Repeat the trick with the CRX, and MG and/or Triumph would have had a ready made range of sports cars in the mid ‘80s.

[@timbutton4990]

Nice idea, but unfortunately once Honda had Swindon up and running, they were not all that interested in collaborating in joint platform development any longer. So I've been told by some one there at the time. Honda took a large cut of the retail price of every R8 that Austin/Rover sold.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

The nearest we got was the Honda Legend based Rover 800 Coupe. A lovely looking and utterly glorious car, but even as a died in the wool Rover fan, I will concede that it wasn't quite the car it should have been. It's a great shame that Rover Group didn't do more with their partnership with Honda, instead of selling out to the Germans, and then allowing the Phoenix Four numpties to press the self destruct button.

[@hondamanvtec2894]

Eh....the Honda engines still work Mg engines.... shit compared to the Honda engines

[@monk3yboy69]

@HondaManVTec Funny how they all seem to forget that part. Everyone goes on about Rover …..but they would have died earlier if it were not for Honda.

[@paulphillipson2378]

If you repeatedly press the headlight button it will wink, we tested it on every PDI and service 😂

[@cornishrider]

Fabulous car so rare now! My Aunt had a brand new one in 1988 a facelift 4WS EXi at the time I was not impressed as she swapped in her 1981 BMW 528i, her Bullmastif was none to chuffed either and it ate both front door cards!

[@Shane-zx4ps]

Ouch 🤕

[@cornishrider]

It was a great dog used to sit in the front, the Prelude got swapped in for the latest top spec 2.2 Accord after 2 years

[@gaboaaa23]

Man......Teachers in driving school should start with teaching how to hold and turn the steering wheel "properly" to ensure a save and effortless driving experience.

[@carlarrowsmith]

The Prelude interior certainly has come Citroen early 80s interior design language.

[@robenglish416]

Love Hondas from the 80’s! My uncle had a brand new Accord -83, in which I did a fair amount of learning to drive! If I remember it correctly it was 1,6 L and 80 hp, quite enough for a light car. He did more than 160 000 miles before the rust killed it! So much more fun to drive than my dad’s SAAB 99!

[@dandruff9244]

Had 3 Preludes 85 89 and 93 2.2 vtec awesome cars

[@archyleach]

I had 2nd, 4th and 5th generation Preludes and had each one for at least 3 years, and all were great cars. The 4th and 5th were more serious sports coupes, but the 2nd was just a fantastic, fun car. Wish I had any version back now, all of them were so much more fun than my current Accord. I don’t know what happened to Honda, during the 80s and 90s they had all these simply and elegantly styled and great, fun to drive cars that they got rid of.

[@seancooke4127]

Mr Setright would approve. Rear wiper is just cool on a 2 or 4 door not hatchback. Love the reflector strip across the back. That was the part ot the Ford Scorpio that looked awesome.

[@streetkaaccord344]

Used to love his writing in Car magazine. He was always saying how great the Prelude was.

[@Gr8Ride]

at min.10:42 -> this displayed the up or down position of the steering wheel

[@arevee9429]

Many Hondas of that era were revelations, but especially the 2nd generation Prelude. One thing the early ones were a little behind on was fuel injection. I remember remarking about this at a car show in the early 80's and the Honda guy making excuses about using carbs for reliability. Carbs or no, it was still like almost nothing else at the time and the design stayed fresh for a long time. I do know there was some sort of rebadging Honda products as Rovers, but I doubt Honda ever too much from the Rover side. Sorry, UK guys, but Rover was no match for Honda in the early 80's. If you wanted a Honda in the US in the late 70's / early 80's, you put down the deposit, waited patiently and took what they gave you. Even today, we don't see Honda giving deep discounts. A Honda driving friend wanted to replace his mid-70's Civic with a new one and the dealer made him wait so long, he gave up and bought a Toyota.

[@stephenhill2404]

No reason not to keep a car mint. It's just a question of maintenance and TLC. Sold on my Escort Mk 4 after 30 years and it still looked new!

[@paulphillipson2378]

The blank was for electric mirrors where fitted

[@shanehnorman]

The top-of-the-range version had four-wheel steering. I recall L.J.K. Setright often stating how much he loved his own example, claiming it had the best steering of any contemporary car.

[@furiousdriving]

He was famous for his love of these

[@promerops]

@@furiousdriving And, of course, Bristols. Well, everyone loves Bristols, don't they?!

[@sonnysting2663]

Spectacular! Some things were so modern that even twenty years later we found them in other Hondas. What a precious car! 😊

[@kevinnye5132]

I’m always just amazed at how fantastically well looked after these cars are , the previous owner deserves a medal and to pass a modern MOT ? Amazing 🤩, classic quality never goes out of fashion, the Tea shelf is big enough for a medieval banquet 😂. Great work Matt 👌🏻

[@peterenglezos2880]

So nice to hear a positive review on a Japanese classic. This car was so hot back in the day.

[@thomash2806]

Bosch came up with the ABS name. It means Anti-Blockier System in German. But it also works in English. Anti-lock Braking System.

[@adrianwerner8704]

I had this exact model and loved it. The headlight raising switch on early series 2 models was necessary for headlight flashing; bizarrely, you had to use this switch to get the headlights in the raised position before you could flash them! This was really inconvenient as by the time you'd raised the lights, the opportunity and reason for flashing had often passed... Honda soon changed this so the lights popped up automatically for flashing just using the stalk.The vertical line of 4 small squares close to the steering wheel are actually little plastic windows to indicate the steering wheel height position, using an analogue indicator, if memory serves? 🤔

[@furiousdriving]

thanks!

[@twoolley1967]

When I had one, pulling the stalk back to flash the lights used to raise the lights also, and then they would drop automatically after a few seconds. I think your stalk must have been faulty! The switch to permanently raise the light was, I think, for frozen climes if you thought the lights might freeze shut. You could also use it for cleaning the headlights!

[@adrianwerner8704]

@@twoolley1967 It wasn’t faulty as I remember reading a very early road test commenting about it. Mine was a very early Y plate model from May 1983 I think. I’d say your one was newer?

[@twoolley1967]

@@adrianwerner8704 Yes, perhaps you're right - My first one was a 1985 and I thought that 'auto-popped' (a long time ago now!), and then I had a 1990 facelift one that definitely auto-popped.

[@seaking2290]

I had an ‘85 as my first car in 1996. It was fantastic even with the 1.8. The salt ate from one end to the other by 2002. I’d likely still have it otherwise.

[@tonyarnold9784]

I have 2 of these. One in the garage and one in a barn. Best cars I have owned. However pressed the clutch yesterday and wouldn't engage gear! Ugh...

[@Mirage8v]

20:15 Corrado, Calibra, Probe, Fiat Coupe, Tomcat, Audi 80, 3 series... Lot's of coupés ;)

[@furiousdriving]

there was a 5 year gap from mid 80s to early 90s when they nearly died out, tomcat wasn't until 92, Calibra similar, Fiat later

[@stippolyte]

Brings back happy memories of my 1991 2.0 16v SEi 4ws. White with full grey leather interior. It was almost like a convertible with the massive elec sunroof open. You popped the headlamps up to park in unbelievably small spaces made poss with the 4ws. Don't know what the 4 lights are for, mine didn't have them but did have 1/2 height electric aerial which retracted when you opened the surprisingly large boot, big enough to get my small inflatable dinghy and 5hp outboard engine in!

[@mpersad]

What a beautifully kept example of a car that represents that period when Japan began to leave Europe and the US behind in the quality and build of cars that normal people could buy! Great video of a terrific car.

[@miremare9052]

That Delorean looks good but... "The pricing in the UK is: Issue 1 and 2 for £2.99 and then £9.99 from issue 3 onwards." "The collection includes 130 issues. It will potentially be extended by 29 issues, including a new set of wheels, train rails and a light up hood box, allowing you to recreate the iconic scene in Back To The Future III!" Thats (at best) a total of £1,281.71 or if they do decide to extend by an additional 29 issues it becomes £1,571.42 "Great Scott" as Doc would say! Oh Honda was up for £7,995 but has already been sold!

[@davidhinkson8856]

I remember these were very popular in the early 80s. I'm amazed at how well kept this is for a first year model. Where I live I think there are only one or two left.

[@mattw8332]

That looks stunning! 😀 I've always like Preludes. Such a shame that Honda no longer make them. Love the wipers on this.

[@ePacksBagsLuggage]

I've got the Honda Prelude Mk3 1990 H reg, Manual, 4WS, 16i. Awesome car, amazing drive!

[@100SteveB]

I would love to own either one of them, or a 1984 Mitsubishi Galant. Had the pleasure of owning a Galant many years ago, but sadly never had the prelude. The Galant was a very refined car, when i first got it i was forever accidentally trying to start the engine when it was already running, you simply could not feel or hear the engine ticking over from inside the car. The Japanese certainly knew how to make fantastic cars back then.

[@gryfandjane]

So lovely to look at, and so polished in the execution... I owned a 1982 Accord when this model appeared. Perhaps I should have waited. I think this is my favorite version of the Prelude.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Thanks for the memories, Matt. My only experience, such as it was, came when I bought my first 79 Ford Thunderbird from a former coworker. Two weeks after she got the Honda, she asked for the Thunderbird back. We went out and found her a 78. The 4 cylinder Honda with the automatic used more fuel in the highway than my V8 Thunderbird.

[@furiousdriving]

old autos and small engines never worked well!

[@nicholasreason8379]

ABS stands for Antiblockiersystem which is German for Anti-Lock Braking hence ABS

[@kristijan.1]

Ah, Mercedes... 🥰

[@nicholasreason8379]

@@kristijan.1 well Bosch really

[@markf4720]

I always thought it was Advanced Braking System!

[@mickles1975]

Those LEDs are for normal cruise, auto-cruise, pursuit mode and turbo boost but the AI built into the car was disabled for anyone but David Hasselhoff.

[@leylandlynxvlog]

Wow, such a lovely car and a well presented review as always. I had no idea a 1980s UK market Honda would have such a lovely interior, being more a fan of 90s JDM interiors. That steering wheel especially, is just lovely, being a bus enthusiast it reminds me of Renault-Karosa's steering wheel with that long centre section.

[@jonphelps3638]

Hey FD..... Like the video, I had a drive in one of these back in the day. Nice cars, can I make a point, don't dis the automatic car or driver! I only drive auto's 'cos of my Cerebral Palsy. If it weren't for auto's I wouldn't be mobile.. been driving for 33 years now. Autoboxes have improved over the years, my first car was a mini classic automatic. Keep up the good work with the vids 😁

[@thromboid]

Autos are also a boon in hilly regions where hill starts abound! I really enjoy my (slightly dodgy) Honda CVT - no shifting delay means you get up to speed quickly and smoothly. But there's certainly fun to be had with a manual, and sometimes the extra control is nice (e.g. hypermiling).

[@furiousdriving]

Ive nothing against anyone who has to use one for physical or medical reasons, its definitely better to drive that way than not at all, my issue is with when a car has a great manual option and someone who could use it doesnt, having driven many cars in auto and manual versions I know I dont like autos and have had some good drives spoilt by them

[@psions555]

@@furiousdriving If you get the chance try a Honda with one of their own "Hondamatic" style gearboxes. You still have a torque converter but the gearbox itself is like a manual with a clutch for each gear. If you try a 4 speed one it's 4 ACTUAL gears not 3 long ones and an overdrive. I've always thought they were amazing and miles better than the slushmatics of the time.

[@KarlAdamsAudio]

10:29 that courtesy lamp switch looks familiar - the Honda Beat had one (and only one, - no courtesy light for the passenger, curiously enough). The plastic 'finger' eventually broke, and I was pleased to see that the replacement part (new part number) had been redesigned with a metal backing.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Cracking review as per usual Matt. When I was younger a youth leader for the boys brigade used to work for honda and had one of these, was always a joy to get a ride in one of these.

[@drpaulcampbell188]

Wow this is a credit to the former owners, it looks pretty much like it would out of the showroom. I love the styling of this generation, i would call it a GT rather than a coupe, due to its styling but yes it could be a coupe too. The front wheel drive in a car like this was pretty much unheard of at this time so all credit to Honda for pushing it. Does this have the AWD (all wheel steering) as i know some Preludes did but i cant remember if that was Gen 3? The 4 light things under the steering wheel are for the wheel tilt to show what angle you have it at. Those wheels too with the gold etched lettering, how cool is that? The interior is just so 1980s Japanese car too, the angles, the colours, the design. The window vents in the door too, why don't we have that today? it would be so useful. Imagine if Rover had used this for a Rover Tomcat back in the 80's or an MG badged version how cool that would have been. Great video as always and good to see something different to compare to the Capri and Manta you had the other week.

[@furiousdriving]

this one doesn't, I think that came a little later, not sure if it was gen 3 or the end of gen 2

[@stephensmith4480]

I had one of these in the 90`s. The car was a 1986 Model, it was absolutely Lovely to drive. It was a darker Red than this one. I can`t for the life of me, remember what those four indicators were for. The only thing I can suggest, as they are next to the Radio Antenna switch, is that it is to indicate when it is fully extended or retracted.

[@VintageVaughnVehiclces]

A very good review the only one accessory shows how intelligent the couple was that who bought it new the secondary deadbolt lock on the doors as they intended to keep it. They knew how to keep their car from being stolen. With all the crazy gadgets they've made over the years alarms this that and the other the second deadbolt lock in the lower part of the door you know a thief will just move on to the next car unless he had a tow truck and we just simply load it up and tow it away. Ingenious

[@grayfool]

A nice, simple but elegant design so typical of Honda at the time. And you know it will all work. Very nice.

[@gosportjamie]

Very much a car from the period when Hondas were very much engineer-led vehicles and so much the better for it... Sadly, that time has passed...

[@ryano8768]

I miss my 3rd gen so much. It was absolutely mint too. RIP Phephe. Edit: I just reg checked it and it lives on! It's no longer standard and mint though.

[@kevinobrien5450]

A mate had one of these as his first car after our year graduated from college back in the early 90s. I was super impressed by the car. I eventually bought a Mazda 626 coupe which I loved. I then moved out to the USA and bought an Acura Integra, which had the same pop-up headlights as the Prelude

[@NOWThatsRichy]

That's a absolutely mint example, must have been kept undercover for most of it's life, that red paint would have faded a fair bit in 37 years otherwise! Plenty of gadgets for a car of the era, a nice drive!

[@doctorzaius4084]

Great video, had one just like this; one owner from new, always dealer serviced, very nearly perfect with one big exception: some crumpled sheet metal on the driver's side from a errant snow plow :( But at least that enabled me to buy it for a few hundred dollars! Still ran flawlessly and the door shut properly, just cosmetic damage. Mine was gunmetal grey with the same interior, and it was a US base model, so no power windows, spoiler or alloys, but it did have A/C and the twin carb 1800 engine with 10,000 miles of vacuum hose under the hood. I don't remember it having a single wiper, so maybe that was only RHD cars? Definitely no rear wiper either! Absolutely loved driving that Prelude and racked up tons of miles on it.

[@archyleach]

I had the US Si version and it had two front wipers. I don’t think it had a rear wiper.

[@endless_touge]

I always liked these. I know someone having one for 30 years.

[@SharkoonBln]

"Let´s count the wipers on this car..." I was fully expecting to see a HubNut cameo in the background ;)

[@hirohidetokoro9423]

What a surprising. This generation of Prelude was my brother's first car, automatic and sunroof which was called xc in Japan. I started to drive also but unfortunately probably because did not drive before that for about half a year or so, suddenly timing belt or something got broken and stopped. I watched the movie Back to the Future at Times Square, NYC. Isn't it interesting? You may know Toyota automobile museum in central Japan which I sometimes visit and I saw a DeLorean in the backyard. By the way, I do love gen 2 and 3 both Prelude.

[@simoneigner9863]

Those 4 LEDs aren't LEDs they are indicators for the position of the tilt steering wheel. On the left side of the column there is a small lever

[@ilovecheeserolls]

My Mum had three of this generation Prelude when I was a kid. I hated them because the sight of one meant that I had to stop whatever fun thing I was doing and go home for tea. #difficultchildhood #problemsathome #repressedmemories #cryingoverwhiskey #hateyouhonda

[@sg8539]

All Jdm cars of this era were mostly well made and totally reliable and easy to work on having owned a few in the late 80's and early 90's like the 120y, Celica, Supra, Sunny, Starlet etc. .

[@paulc9588]

Love Honda design from this era, particularly the Prelude and Accord Aerodeck. A work colleague had one of these (also A reg) in the early 1990s and it felt amazing to ride in. Low, sporty and very space age but at the same time comfortable and refined. Very different to my dad's Golf! A truly special car and looks especially good in red.

[@stevesrover]

I love it! Miss the simplicity of the driving experience of older cars.

[@CreRay]

What an absolutely gorgeous car. The attention to detail is incredible. It’s a shame it didn’t sell better at the time, it would have deserved it, but it was an upmarket car when Japanese was still associated by part of the buying public with cheap, and low status. I’d LOVE to own one.

[@RichieRouge206]

This is utterly beautiful. It reeks 80s goodness. I adore the boxy style adopted in the 80s too! And that wiper set up is bordering on blue material for dads 🤣 awesome road test Matt.

[@furiousdriving]

it is fantastic isn't it? I was sorely tempted to take this home

[@doktoruzo]

Super car Matt...thanks for showing us. The Japanese were quite a bit ahead at this juncture. And so reliable....quality cars.

[@andrewstones2921]

I drove a nearly new one of those for a day back in the 1980s, it was a superb car.

[@tonyarnold9784]

Mine still drives like new...that's Honda for you though

[@FrightfulAccountant]

This car gets my 10 out of 10, I love it! Great condition!

[@alansimpson835]

A proper refined classy coupé that has stood the test of time. I wonder what the couple who had it from new bought to replace it?

[@adamtoms2726]

Beautiful Honda, really smashed it with the Prelude in my opinion, all generations very rare now on British Roads. That one is an absolute minter.

[@tonyarnold9784]

I have two but they aren't worth what they should be!

[@bencollins4740]

Struggling to believe this is not closely based on an Accord or Aerodeck, but ill take your word for it!

[@mightbesherwood1313]

Those cars were launched three years later. But it's very possible this car informed their design.

[@doveronefoxtrot4417]

Can't beat Honda cars. I've had 3 Accord's, and now have a KB1 Legend. Drive forever cars they are.

[@86prelude]

Love the 3rd gen prelude but I wish it wasn't fwd

[@maxidyne]

It's been so long since I've seen one of these! What an great example. My quattro immediately looks 10 years older compared to this Prelude. The Japanese where miles ahead in terms of equipment. Love the interior, those seats are so cool, the fake stitching, the low dashboard and what an equipment for a 80s car. The outside is just uber cool with the low bonnet and awesome pop up head lights. My quattro also has a wiper on the rear window! Probably a 80s thing. Scirocco and Corrado also had a wiper on the rear.

[@furiousdriving]

They did make such clever cars at the time, thinking about ordinary things better than anyone. Your Audi and the VWs are coupes with no sedan trunk, which is where this is odd, I only think Ive seen an Orion with one before

[@maxidyne]

@@furiousdriving my quattro doesn't have a hatchback styled rear boot lid. It has a small sedan shaped hatch. Window doesn't open. Subaru Impreza had a rear wiper as a option, Toyota Soarer, Skoda Octavia (but that's a hatchback) and I think the Chrysler LeBaron also had one.

[@theteacaddy2766]

Revolutionary vehicle especially the 4ws model. Great video and brilliant road test as always.

[@drd6416]

I had an auto from the main dealer. Basic as you liked.... was his wife's car. I will say.... I've owned other cars, even honda.....but that was the best handling ever. No abs,no pas,keep fit window's.... no stereo!

[@frazzleface753]

'National' is a Panasonic (Matsushita) brand, generally sold in Japan only.

[@aluxtaiwan2691]

I'm so envy that you guys are able to call Honda Prelude "Affordable". Prelude in my country are extremely rare and stupidly expensive IF YOU EVER FIND ONE!

[@neilwalsh4058]

4:10 Mr Hubnut pulls the garage door to, locks it from the inside and reaches for the Kleenex 😂😂😂

[@thomass3769]

My favorite car in the 80’s.

[@timbre7999]

New Twelour action yeey! That is a great interior, I think it's so important to have a really nice, comfortable and stylish interior (love this grey) and this certainly ticks all those boxes.

[@andreasphotiou1886]

There was a “rightness” to the design and engineering of these old Hondas which seems lost on the newer models.

[@TheStwat]

Oh Lordy Yes. When all around me were saying they were bland and boring, I was reveling in their design and innovation.

[@aston-martin-internationalist]

The lorry reversing when reviewing the steering wheel sounded like the Flux Capacitor when it was out of roentgens.

[@club1fan552]

Still prefer the series 1 Prelude. It was a rip off though as it had the same mechanicals as the Accord but had FAR less room (especially in the back) but cost way more.

[@d.c.Jones70]

Love all the Preludes a very rare sight these days,must be down to poor maintenance because very reliable well built cars.

[@michaeltutty1540]

Trouble is that they rusted very badly. Back then, thanks to Japanese tax laws, Japanese cars were designed to be on the road for 5 years. During those years, the cars fantastic. After that 5 year window they did not fare well at all. Most were eaten by rust by 10 years of use.

[@d.c.Jones70]

Well never knew that so basically if you get one from that period in good order fill it full of waxoyl!!!

[@furiousdriving]

Rust was always the issue with Japanese cars, they were never well rust proofed - I hadn't known the reason before, I assumed it was because they dont salt the roads