1st First Gen 1980 Honda Prelude 1.8liter Automatic Copper - 1 owner since new.

1980 Honda Prelude Description

This Prelude is a 1st generation 1980 Honda Prelude purchased new by seller's mother from Ron Tonkin Chevrolet in Portland, Oregon on February 12, 1980. The car was owned and kept continuously in a garage at the same address until the owner's health started failing in the mid 2010s. The owner stopped driving it around 2016 or 2017. In late 2017 or early 2018 title was transferred to owner's daughter (my sister) to avoid probate issues if owner passed. The car remained garaged and on a battery tender until moved to a new garage recently.

Owner/registration: Title is clean in my sister's name and she has signed the back of the title releasing interest in the vehicle in anticipation of a future sale. The registration is also in her name and the car is registered at her home address. The car is not at that address. It is only registered there to avoid the hassle of complying with Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality emissions testing protocol. My sister's address is in Clackamas County in Oregon and outside emissions testing region. Car is not being driven at this time, and is stored in a insulated garage outside of the elements.

Ownership background:
VIN is SNB2014769. Oregon license number BQS377. Car was manufactured prior to standard 17 digit VINs being issued in the US, so any Carfax history you may want to pull up will have to be based on the license number. I believe that the car has had that license number from original purchase. Mileage is 98960 miles. Odometer has not rolled over. Thorough maintenance records (included in the sale) from original purchase document the car's odometer at various times over 4 decades. Included also is a spare wheel trim ring and factory Honda Prelude Service Manual, as well as original sales invoice (sorry, no window sticker was saved), and factory owner's manual.

Exterior:
Car is all original, as far as body panels are concerned. Car has never been repainted or touched up, except in small rust areas detailed. Other than those small areas in cowl, paint is all-original. Car has never been in an accident, though the windshield was replaced due to rock damage in January of 1995. Both windows operate as they should with the hand-crank mechanisms, smoothly and without binding. Moon roof operates smoothly and without binding or hanging, operated via a factory dash-mounted electric switch. Body panels are in fairly decent shape, with a few very small dents here there. Most noticeably, there is a small dent in the fender above the front right wheel well, and a small dent in the front of the hood behind the trim piece. A small dent exists in the fender flare above the left rear wheel. Another small dent exists in the front lower fascia, behind the license plate. There is a small patch of rust above the left license plate light bezel. The trunk lid has scratches on the surface from either grocery bags or cardboard boxes. I doubt they will buff out. The right rear mud flap is missing. All the wheels have their trim rings and center caps. One of the trim rings has a bit of curb rash. However an extra, undamaged, trim ring is included in the sale. I can ship it separate from the car, if you are concerned about "loss" during shipping. Moon roof was standard on these cars, I believe. This car has almost no options except for one; the right side remote-control rear view mirror is optional. Both mirrors are adjusted by manual control knobs mounted on the inside of the door panels. The right side is a little stiff, probably from lack of use, but operative. Tires were replaced on March 20, 2000 when car mileage was 84389. Tires show date codes of 1999, but show no cracks or defects. Tires all hold air. Pressure in every tire showed around 22 psi after 4 years of little to no driving. (Mileage on May 8, 2015 was 98186 mi.)

Interior:
The instrument panel is the 1st gen concentric target type, with the tachometer overlaid on the speedometer. It is my understanding this instrument panel was only in the first 2 years of this generation Prelude. Speedometer and tachometer both work. All the warning lights, high beam light, and turn signal lights work. Fuel gauge works. Unknown if fuel level low light works. Temperature gauge works. Windshield wipers work, but have to be parked manually by turning the switch off at the appropriate time in the sweep cycle. Windshield washer works. To my knowledge, rear window defogger works (I haven't driven the car in cold weather.) Driver's seat has fraying on left bolster, and a patch on left shoulder support, hence the aftermarket seat covers. Passenger seat has some slight discoloration to it on seat bottom. Rear seats have some splitting in them at the bottom seams. They also have some splitting due to age and sun damage on the tops of the seat backs. Door interior panels are in good shape, with no splitting or noticeable discoloration. Center console has some discoloration and/or staining which does not come out with "409" cleaner.Carpet is clean, but has some discoloration due to slight stains and age. Owner was a dog owner for the first 15 years of this car ownership. Car has been washed on outside and vacuumed on inside and trunk.

Trunk:
Trunk is clean and rust-free. Spare tire looks to be original. It was flat when I pulled it out, but it is now inflated to 32 psi. Doesn't have it's tire nubs, so it has perhaps been used at some point in the past. Original tool kit and scissor jack present and rust-free. Trunk rain drain channels clean and rust-free. Weatherstrip good and pliable. Trunk light works when trunk is opened. Original trunk mat present with additional indoor-outdoor carpet cut to match placed over the top.

Drivetrain:
Engine is 1.8 liter (1751 cc), 4 cylinder, overhead camshaft CVCC engine. Carbureted with the original carburetor. From what my sister tells me, parts for the carburetor are difficult to come by. Rockauto shows only one reman carburetor available at $350.00, plus core charge. BUT, Weber apparently makes a pretty good aftermarket replacement carburetor that works well. Transmission is a Hondamatic 3-speed automatic transmission. Fwd gear ratios are 1st; 2.38, 2nd; 1.56, 3rd; 1.032. I assume 3rd is "straight-through", and that 1.032 represents 3.2% slip of the torque converter. The torque converter is non-lock-up. It looks as though all the original equipment under the hood is still present; air cleaner assembly and fresh air hose, emissions control module, vacuum hoses, etc.. The car should pass any equipment aspect of an emissions test without problems. Further details of the drivetrain can be viewed at Wikipedia; what I looked at there seems to match the service manual in accuracy. The last emissions test of the car was early 2016. It passed the CO2 limit easily. It barely squeaked under the HC limit on the second attempt. The muffler was replaced in 2006, the tailpipe in 2012. The resonator has rust holes in the bottom, most likely from condensation because of short drives to/from grocery store. An emissions test was not attempted in 2018 when registration was due, as owner had stopped driving car by then. Car was registered in Clackamas County to negate need for test.

Fuel economy:
Fuel tank capacity is listed as 12.4 gallons. Actual fuel economy (mpg) is unknown, as records were not kept. I only drove it 20 miles to my house, not enough for an accurate estimate. Tank is currently full with premium unleaded non-ethanol gas. Fuel stabilizer has been added.

Maintenance:
Car has approximately 50 individual receipts and/or records of service from 1980 to 2020. From 1980 to 1993, most of the work was done by Beaverton Honda. After 1993, records show oil and filter changes at Jiffy Lube. Tires and batteries at Les Schwab. Starting in 1999, most of the work was done at Clarke's Discount Aloha Acura and Honda Service and Parts Center.
Major work includes: remanufactured transmission installed in '92 at 63817 mi., windshield replacement in '95. On 10/28/1999 at 83581 mi., engine was overhauled with new piston "kit" (not specified), bored block to match kit, rod bearing, main bearings, crank shim, dowel pin, thermostat, gasket set, timing belt, coolant, oil and filter, spark plug, distributor cap and rotor, oil pump screen, rear crank seal, cam seal, calve seals, water pump. Other specifics not stated on invoice. 2005 had the timing belt, front crank and cam seals, and water pump replaced at 90387 mi. And the same service done again at 95135 mi. On 1/25/2010. Trans fluid last replaced in June 4, 2013 at 97160 mi. Battery last replaced August 2013 at 97299 mi. May 8 2015 shows the cylinder head gasket replaced, as well as timing belt, front crank and cam seals, water pump, tensioner, spark plugs, and oil and filter change. Cylinder head was also rebuilt, though detail not specified in invoice. Mileage at the time was 98186. I typed up a 6-page summary of the maintenance records on the car (Apache OpenOffice format), and can send it to you on request.

Known defects: Windshield wipers will not park by themselves after shutting off switch. Switch must be turned off when wipers reach park position. Right rear mudflap missing. Some surface rust on cowl where base of windshield trim meets it. Some surface rust on driver's door frame beneath weatherstrip. Some rust above left license plate light bezel. Right side rear view mirror adjustment lever/cables a little stiff. Stereo volume control scratchy when changing volume (rheostat probably corroded from little use.) Rear seats minor discoloration and splitting. Driver seat frayed and patched (pics available.) A few minor dents and dings; front right fender, front lower fascia, left fender flare, hood near front header trim. Exhaust resonator will need to be replaced at some point. Exhaust muffler works fine, and exhaust note is unremarkable. Brake master cylinder seems to be leaking internally (into brake power booster, as no leakage can be seen under car). A new master cylinder has already been ordered, to arrive July 20, 2020. It can be installed, with brakes bled, if buyer so desires.
Car is being sold as is, with no warranty. Some videos of it are available on youtube at the following URLs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtntIhl1dEA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByOLdCAfV58
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tsCnd5oHqg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8gK_SjcxdE
If eBay limits the listing of reference URLs, simply search "Prelude 2014769" or "Prelude Marq Gunderson".

This car was only owned and driven by one person for most of its existence. Within a year or two after it was purchased, my younger siblings all had their own cars. If there are questions, please send them. I will answer them as best as I can, based on my relatively limited knowledge of the car. I have taken over 250 pictures of the car; exterior, interior, trunk, underhood, underneath (on jack stands). So if you want a picture of something specific, I probably have it. If you need a picture texted to you, I can probably do that also (25three-23zero-628five).

Reserve is reasonable, but please don't ask what it is.

So, bid soon and bid often.

Shipping: Not familiar with auto shipping, but eBay has recommendations, so you'll have to figure that one out. I'm off work and at home permanently until September 30th, and probably beyond, due to my industry in the toilet. So I will be here to assist any car transporter get the car onto the truck or trailer. Local bidders are welcome to view vehicle by contacting me through eBay message.