Take a trip down memory lane. Close your eyes and imagine a time when modified Honda Preludes roamed the earth. Conjure up an image of the last great Prelude build you saw. It's not easy is it? No, the Prelude's fate is similar to that of the Dodo bird-just this side of extinction. Sure, some are still out there, though by and large remain unmodified, floating along like ghosts. Ultimately, 2001 marked the death of the 'Lude due to lackluster sales and waning popularity.
The story of Big Mike's '92 Prelude Si begins with the ritualistic passing down of a long forgotten BB chassis. "I bought the car from my friend Richie, who after an unfortunate incident had to put the car to the side, figuratively as well as literally," Mike says. "It sat on the side of a house for almost a year. When circumstances in my life aligned themselves, I purchased the car."
Mike had been looking for a new daily driver and his friend gave him an offer he just couldn't refuse. Like any great deal, there was a lot that needed to be done to make the Prelude decent. A blown block had forced the car to sit and over time the paint oxidized and faded. "After I got the car in running condition, I sourced some wheels and tires to roll on and I settled into the car and drove it for around a year and a half exactly the way it was with virtually no new modifications," Mike says.
Such are the beginnings of more than a few great builds. Stellar deals meant to serve as daily drivers often turn into full-blown masterpieces once the tender loving care is applied. The formula is all but proven, yet predictable. "I look back and see that I was basically just suppressing the need and urge to build the Prelude," Mike says. "I looked at my car and decided that enough was enough, and the time had come to build it."
The faded paint was the first to go. A dull, oxidized exterior won't catch the eye so the body became priority one in getting this project up and running. To give the Prelude's front end a more aggressive feel, Big Mike contacted My Damn Self Motoring and picked up an incredibly rare AeroMagic front lip and Hiro eyelids for his Audi-RS6-retrofitted headlights. What's My Damn Self Motoring? "My Damn Self Motoring is my main contact because I source my parts my own damn self," Mike explains. "I pride myself in sourcing all my parts on my own from Japan."
Big Mike also looked to himself for JDM BB4 fenders, side markers, a rear bumper, and taillights. A carbon-fiber hood and trunk were also installed to contrast with the body. Once Mike collected the parts from, well, himself, he sent the body off to AnR Autobody in Riverside, Calif., for a custom blend of Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon paint with a DuPont Chromabase clearcoat. Each piece of glass and every body panel was removed and meticulously prepped and painted separately. All rubber, moldings, clips, screws, and brackets were purchased brand new from the dealer and also replaced during the exterior makeover. Mike tops off the exterior with a rare set of Vision Technica Type MC side mirrors. Inside the 'Lude's cabin resides a pair of Vision Shelta reclinable seats that rest on top of brand-new black, OEM carpet. The dashboard and digital instrument cluster see a complete electroluminescent conversion with matching Defi Blue Racer series gauges. A Works Bell hub mounts the Spoon Sports steering wheel within the restored black leather interior. Autopower's race rollbar was custom powdercoated by IM Finishing in Ontario, Calif., before it found its way into the cockpit.
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