Aron9000

Been thinking about getting a used Mazda Miata for a while now. Budget is about 8k max, which would buy me a really minty "NB" 1999-2005 car with under 50k miles.

However, the thought has crossed my mind of buying a "fun" Honda. However, an S2000 in the condition I deem "worthy", ie under 50k miles, no wrecks, careful owners, original paint, that type of car is like 15-20k, way out of budget. I could buy a banger AP2 S2000, salvage title for about 8k(hell I drove one with 55k miles, salvage title,, hit in the rear, ran/drove like a new car, paint/body was a good 3 to 5 footer, $8,000). I am just way too picky to buy something like that though, and I really would want an AP1 car with the higher redline.

However, driving that screaming S2000 with its 8000rpm redline, it did remind me that Honda can build one hell of a car. My sister had an automatic Acura RSX(I know, tragic with the auto), but man that car handled like it was on rails. If it were the 5 speed, even with the base 160hp motor, it would've been a great driver's car. Plus I really liked the styling, both inside and out.

Anyways, I've been thinking about a crazy nationwide ebay/craigslist/facebook/autotrader hunt for a "fun" Honda. They're pretty damn hard to come by in the condition I want, ie no mods, 100% stock, manual transmission, top hp/best engine option, original paint in nice shape, basically a garage queen with under 100k miles.

Cars I've been considering:

1992-1996 Prelude VTEC. This has the H22A VTEC motor, makes 200hp out of 2.2 liters. Love the styling on this car, both inside and out. Probably my top pick of the cars listed here.

1990-1991 CRX SiR- JDM import, right hand drive car. Yes these are now legal to register in the US, import laws state if its 25 years or older you can register it legally in the US. This car has the 160hp B16A VTEC engine, 160hp, 8200rpm redline, in a car that weighs 2000lbs is stupid fun. JDM cars were way better equipped with nicer seats, a very small back seat, and of course that awesome engine that we never got in USDM CRX's.

1994-2001 Acura Integra GS-R Could be had in both 2 door hatch or 4 door sedan. I'd rather have the 2 door hatch, but if I came across a really minty sedan in the right color, I might buy it. As long as it has the 5 speed/B18 VTEC 170hp engine combo under the hood. I'd REALLY like an Integra Type R, but due to the limited production of this model, they've kind of become a collectors item, decent ones go for 15-20k.

1992-1997 Civic Del Sol- Of course I'd want the top model with the B16A VTEC engine, same engine as the earlier CRX, 160hp, 8000rpm redline. I really do love this body style, but I've heard from Honda guys its kind of crap in terms of structural rigidity. Might squeak and rattle a lot, but then again for a fun weekend car that isn't a real big deal. It does have a removable top and the rear window rolls down, so that is a good bit of fun!

2002-2006 Acura RSX Type S Perhaps the most modern and definitely the fastest of the "fun" Hondas. 200hp VTEC K20, 8000rpm redline, man its a hot looking car as well. Having had a lot of seat time in this car, it is properly sporty, amazingly direct handling. Also has a punishing ride, I mean this thing was stiffer STOCK than my 1999 Z28 Camaro with after market shocks, springs, anti-roll bars, etc. But for a weekend cruiser/auto-cross car the stiff ride doesn't matter.

Anyways, just thinking out loud, as those rev to the moon VTEC Hondas are about the closest thing I can think of to a Miata, other than the mid-engined Toyota MR2 cars, which I'm not a fan of because they'd be a PITA to work on. A unicorn 1990's/early 2000's "fun" Honda would satisfy that same itch as a Miata, but be a bit more practical, not quite as loud, maybe a slightly better road trip type of car to replace my 1992 SC300/5 speed with.

Main thing is I'm in love the the styling of those era Hondas, the double wishbone suspension setup, the light weight, and those rev to the moon 8000rpm motors, with the sublime shifting gearboxes. I feel like Honda really lost its way in the 2000's, double wishbone front suspension went away, weight went up, the Civic went way more mainstream, styling got wonky(especially the 2001-2006 Civic Si hatch), the dash design got really wonky, hatchbacks went away, engine power did not go up(2007 Civic Si had less HP than the 1993 Prelude VTEC)

S2000toIS350

Sounds like a CRX si is the car for you

probably hard to come by though

to start things here is a Prelude Si that looks like it had an easy life. Miles are above your target but the ask is only $4k (buy for less and $1k in bodywork to take care of the rear quarter panel and you got what you wanted)

​​​​​​​https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...8725/overview/

mmarshall

An ex-co-worker (still a close friend of mine) owned a silver 2-seater 1989 CRX Si that he bought when it was a couple of years old and had about 30,000 miles on it (I helped him shop for it and buy it, used). He kept it a long time, and put 200,000 miles on it, selling it to another friend/co-worker of ours who had mechanic/repair experience. A blast of a car to drive (I rode in it many times, and drove it on occasion)...though I thought the somewhat slow-responing manual (non-power) steering system and weak brakes were both inferior to those of its arch-rival Mazda Miata.

S2000toIS350

The challenge with the CRX si is finding one that isn't beat

we had an 84 CRX 1.5 and wailed on it

sold it when we started having kids

the used CRXs will have been absorbed by young folks in search of a place to install a fart can exhaust

the prelude was Honda's halo car and typically owned by a calmer, more well healed customer

the prelude is nicer inside and should be a more comfortable car to drive

mmarshall

The early S2000s actually had, I believe, a motorcycle-like 9000 redline, with HP peak at 8600 and torque-peak at 7600. Unfortunately, there was virtually no low-RPM torque, and torque was limited even at those stratospherically high revs. And the engine, in those upper-ranges, spun so fast that I sometimes wondered if the oil-pump and water-pump could actually keep up with the cooling and lubrication-demands.

S2000toIS350

I had one of the 9k redline cars, motor was excellent

30 to 70 mph acceleration was a sweet spot, steering, shifting and brakes all terrific

car would give me a headache after a hour of driving, kind of like sitting in front of a chainsaw

totally fun to drive though

my new NSX is kind of a more grown up version of it

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Not a fan of the 97+ Prelude? That would be my second choice after the Integra GSR.

pbm317

I've had a 2000 Honda S2000 (new) was definitely a screamer, but loved every minute of it. Was better on longer drives than even the new Miata, but barely. Would love to find one of these again.

2007 Honda Civic Si Sedan (new), this was an affordable little runabout, great around town and good fuel efficiency on the highways. I probably should have kept this longer than I did.

Toyed around with a 2001 Honda Prelude briefly a few years ago. It definitely showed its age, but was a fun, no frills type of vehicle. Would love to get one of these as a daily driver type, but they're pretty low to the ground, making it hard to see around all the gargantuan SUVs on the roads today.

I often peruse the used listings for something similar to what you're looking for, sometimes adding in things like the E36 M3. But those unicorns of unmolested/stock, low miles, good paint, etc., are just so rare. Need to be ready to jump right when it comes up. Also need to cognizant of what you're potentially giving up in terms of modern conveniences like passive entry/start, bluetooth (for both phone connectivity and music connectivity)! I think I'd be okay giving up those things for a weekend/fun/track day type of car, but probably not for the daily drive.

Afrosheen

I had a 92 EG Civic Si hatch with the 5 speed for about four months until it was stolen and stripped to the frame. That car was super fun. With a b16 swap it would have been even better. The problem with old Hondas is that they're easier to steal than a bicycle. They literally used a brick and a flat head screwdriver to steal mine.

Also had an 89 Accord hatch, lxi trim, and it was pretty fun but automatic.


FYI the place to go for clean cars you can register is Japanese classics llc. They import skylines, Sylvia's and all that. They're all right hand drive but that just makes them cooler. No affiliation with them, just see them posting cool stuff on fb every week. Japaneseclassicsllc.com

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

I had a '93 Accord LX 5-Speed manual that was a peach to drive (when compared to other sedans of this era), until it was handed down to my sister. Now I'm pretty sure it's rusting somewhere under the Vegas sun hah

bigbwb

I had a 92 then a 97 prelude! Very fun to drive, the manuals in both IMO are worldclass. I Also had a 89 integra LS. The S2k or Prelude would be first two choices.

unc879wins

93 Civic si hatch 5sp. Just a peppy fun daily driver. Drove it like I stole it and when I traded it in 5 years later it held its value and looked/ran as good as the day I bought it new. Traded it in for a 98 Mits Eclipse turbo. Another fun daily driver but failed to pass my reliability standard and lasted just 2.5 yrs. Back to Honda -> Nissan -> Honda -> Lexus after that.

joshthorsc

For $8k with 100k or under may be near impossible to find for the list you mentioned. Regardless, I really hope you find your car.

KahnBB6

iTrader: (5)

There are plenty of "fun" Hondas from about 1988-2001 or so.

Having driven both generations of the S2000 (the 2.0L and 2.2L versions) I think they're both great cars. But they are pricey even today. Bulletproof NA engines.

I also owned a 5th generation Prelude before my SC300. That was a great daily driver. They've got a double-wishbone suspension front and rear, the great H22A 2.2L 200hp/156lb-ft engine that redlines at 7200 rpm, great 5-speed manual transmissions (but avoid the 4-speed auto versions) and some of the best driving feel and handling in a front-drive car you will come across until perhaps only in VERY recent performance FWD models that have LSD's up front.

The Type SH version with the active torque vectoring diff is what I had. This was nothing like the brake-based "torque vectoring" you'll find in the Focus ST for instance. This was a clutch pack electronic differential that shoved engine torque from one axle to the other on demand with input from yaw and steering wheel sensors. It made the car handle canyon roads in a very neutral way and you could feel that thing working when you drove it hard. Only a true mechanical LSD would be better but the ATTS still was great fun when you get into twisty roads. And that engine just begged to be revved aggressively high.

The interior was all business and driver-centric but very good on material quality. The back seat folds down and gives you a surprising amount of cargo room if you are creative.

The chassis is really stable at very high speeds... so I have heard.

Downsides to the 1997-2001 Prelude:

The 1992-1996 version is lighter (but only slightly), the ATTS diff can be expensive to repair if it ever breaks, the automatic transmission offered in these cars was not very reliable long term. The 5-speed from the ATTS/SH version is great as is the open-diff 5-speed. Fuel economy is OK but much better than with an SC300. By design you need to check the oil level frequently the way you do with an S2000. You drive it really hard... you use a bit more oil. It's not that much consumption but it's a quirk of the VTEC engines in that era.

Brakes are good but it's best to throw on Hawk HPS pads or another equivalent compound. Some people fit NSX two piston calipers up front with 17" wheels. Smaller wheels are better on these cars though: 16" that weight no more than stock or even quality 15" wheels. You want 205mm or 215mm treads though. Stock is 205/50-16.

Suspension: the best bang for the buck are Koni Yellow shocks with Ground Control coilovers on H&R linear rate springs. I believe I had a 400fr/325rr setup. Also slightly uprated larger sway bars front and rear. Tires... the stock all-seasons are complete and utter crap. You want GRIP with a Prelude. It's not a break loose and fishtail style car.

At one time I threw on Bridgestone Potenza S-02's and later S-03's for their extreme grip as OE tires for Porsche 911's of the same era. Superior tire but very low treadwear. Later I switched to Goodyear Eagle GS-D3's (I think that's correct) for their very good dry/wet performance and far better treadwear.

Differential: if you don't have a Type SH with the ATTS active diff, a Quaife mechanical LSD for the Prelude 5-speed open-diff transmission is highly recommended.

Here's the big thing about these cars: other than what I've just mentioned for changes, they are best left otherwise stock. Even an FR-S or BRZ or Miata have more "potential" than a 1997-2001 Honda Prelude due to their rear-drive layouts and lighter weight given their low power. Also, those H22 engines have been worked over with turbos or swapped into CRX's in stock tune but they are very, very expensive to tune for more power due to how the engines are set up from the factory. The FRM cylinder liners and open deck design may be good for NA power but they aren't what you want for turbocharging. A supercharger did exist at one time from Jackson Racing but there were always issues with it. Making more NA power with them is also not going to bear much fruit. Maybe 20hp after spending a great deal of money on a really expensive custom header and other parts is attainable. Boost has more potential but it's not a boost-durable engine without spending thousands.

On the other hand, after just a few of the modifications I mentioned to the suspension, brakes, tires and possibly differential (if the Prelude is open-diff from the factory) it is an enormously great practical driver's car. If maintained very well over its lifetime in accordance with the factory maintenance schedule those H22 engines can last a good 300k or more. I only got mine up to 140k miles before an idiot rear ended and totaled it. It didn't feel like a 140k mile car at all-- maybe more like a 45k mile car at that mileage after ten years of age. Later I almost bought another one with far less mileage and realized the owner had just trashed hers and never maintained it.

So if you find one, find one that has been taken care of well. But given that these are very well built driver's cars. Get over making them powerful and just enjoy what they are as engaging machines that handle amazingly well and a Prelude will always put a smile on your face. Not a fast car by any means and not even a very good choice for autocross events... but boy was it ever fun to drive. And it never let me down.

peeskekun

i used to drive em1 2000 honda civic. it was pretty fun to drive.