Honda Prelude

Send This Page To A Friend
Fade To White
Honda

Honda Prelude Gen1

1978 - 1982
Country:
Japan
Engine:
4 cyl.
Capacity:
1599cc
Power:
68 hp (51 kW)
Transmission:
5 spd. man / 2 spd. auto
Top Speed:
n/a
Number Built:
n/a
Collectability:
1 star
Honda Prelude
Honda Prelude
Reviewed by Unique Cars and Parts
Our Rating: 1

Introduction



There was no doubting that, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Honda Accord went a long way to establishing Honda as a mainstream manufacturer of quality cars. The Prelude was a bit of an oddity, however, as many thought Honda wanted it to be "something special", and while it was pleasant enough, it really was not special at all. The Honda Prelude Gen1's layout and equipment were simply cleverly-disguised Accord parts - and while it looked a little different, there were some areas where it hadn't changed, and it maybe even went a bit backwards!

The looks were arguably better than the Accord, but when it came to innovation, there wasn't all that much on offer. Dissapointing, then, given Honda was the company that revolutionised the motorcycle industry in the Sixties before turning its attention to cars, and over through the 60s and 70s gained a hard-earned reputation as the most innovative of the Japanese manufacturers. And that is why so many were initially disappointed with the Prelude - by Japanese standards it was a great car, but by Honda standards it was only ordinary.

Based On The Accord

Released in Australia on June 1, 1979 the Prelude was a two-door coupe based heavily on the acclaimed Accord. However, while they shared the same engine and drivetrain, the body panels, some of which looked similar, were in fact interchangeable. Honda claimed at the time that it aimed at four main consumer target areas: bachelors, married couples in their twenties in comfortable income brackets, middle-aged couples with grown-up and self-supporting children, and young-at-heart middle-agers who have definite principles for selecting cars. To us, that seems like just about everyone but the elderly - which seems a little unfair, but perhaps a two-door low-slung coupe was not the look the seniors were after.

The Competition



At launch the Prelude sold for A$8499, which put it in competition with cars such as the Chrysler Scorpion, Toyota Celica, Holden Gemini SL/E and Datsun 200B SSS. And, of course, it also competed with its stablemate, the Accord. But then there was the practicality to consider. When first sold in Australia, the Prelude was only available in a restricted range of three colours blue metallic, silver metallic and white. Despite claims that the Prelude wass a four-seater, it really shouldn't have been regarded as anything more than a two-plus-a-bit. Space was at a premium in the back seat and headroom, too, was limited. The Prelude was, at 2320 mm, 60 mm shorter than the Accord in wheelbase and 255 mm shorter overall. A 1400 mm front track was common to both. However, the rear track of the Prelude was some 20 mm wider, measuring 1410 mm. The height of the Prelude was only 1295 mm - 65 mm below that of the Accord - so that lack of headroom wasn't too surprising.

At 918 kg, the Prelude tipped the scales somewhere between the lighter three-door Accord and the heavier four-door. In Australia, the Prelude was available with a five-speed manual gearbox or in Hondamatic form but, because of its high equipment level, further options were limited to air-conditioning (standard in some states) and alloy wheels with wider 175/70SR x 13 radial tyres. Back then, the Prelude was pretty much loaded with all the equipment technology could deliver - an electrically-operated sunroof, a remote-control bootlid release, a tachometer, a digital quartz clock, tinted-glass windows (the windscreen was laminated), a heated rear window, two-speed wipers with an intermittent mode, carpet right through to the boot, a host of warning lights and gauges, and an AM/FM radio with a difference. In fact, the only obvious deficiency was the lack of a CD player - or should we say, "tape deck" - as the Generation 1 Prelude pre-dated this.

Rotary Dial Radio With A Difference



The rotary-dial radio was a work of art, but it should not be tackled without first perusing the driver's manual. Built into the left of the instrument binnacle, it had little resemblance to conventional car radios. It was dominated by a chunky knob which handled a multitude of chores and, after a brief period of familiarisation, you could switch from station to station in an instant. True, it did nothing that any good conventional car radio wouldn't do, but it did do it differently and, perhaps, better. The Prelude's composite speedometer / tachometer was another interesting device. So simple yet so effective, it really was a step ahead of other car makers back then. Instead of using two different dials, Honda created a single face with two needles of different lengths and colours on a common axis: the speedometer needle took a wide sweep along the top of the dial, while the tachometer needle on a different coloured background was positioned inside the larger arc. It all worked well, and the driver could tell in an instant how fast they were travelling and how hard their engine was working.

Slick Roof Operation



The warning system out of the Accord was very comprehensive, and comparable with those of some cars three times the price. Safety indicators showed by diagram and words when the bootlid was open or if a door was not secure. Burned-out light bulbs also registered, and there was a checking procedure which operated by simply pressing a button. Additionally, maintenance indicators advised when it was time to change the engine oil and filter, and when to rotate the tyres. There was also a cluster of warning lights (sensibly mounted directly in front of the driver) for high beam, battery charge, fuel level, hazard flashers, choke, oil pressure, turn indicators and handbrake. The sliding, tinted-glass sunroof and inner sunshade could be functioned in three different ways, according to whim or the weather. You could open both to enjoy open-air motoring, you could tuck the shade away to allow just the sun or moon to light up through the glass panel in the roof, or you could shut both and be like any conventional car with a tin roof.

The roof glass operated at the flick of a switch and could be stopped at any position. It was equipped with a cleverly-designed deflector which automatically moved up into position as the glass moved back. Additional to the air-conditioning was a well layed out flow-through fresh-air ventilation system augmented by a three-speed blower. Four face-level vents on the dash carried a large volume of air, yet noise levels are low - making driving in the Aussie summer a little more bearable. The driving position was acceptable and was helped along by long seat-runners which allowed the front buckets to be pushed right back to accommodate the taller people. However, headroom was restricted and a six-footer would find they would be brushing the roof lining. With a tall driver behind the wheel, there was absolutely no legroom in the rear; the back of the bucket seat touched the front of the rear bench.

On The Inside



The centre console doesn't offer much in the way of bins for oddments, but a convenient coin box held loose change for parking meters and bridge tolls. There was also a clip to hold notes (or parking tickets?). The engine was the delightful D-series 1602 cc four, the one that worked brilliantly in the 1979 Accords. Smooth, willing and efficient, it was a flat-torque type with a claimed maximum output of 59 kW at 5300 rpm and peak torque of 127 Nm at 3500 rpm. The crankshaft had eight counterweights to reduce vibrations and the engine revved without fuss past the 6000 rpm redline. The Prelude came with transistorised ignition, giving it consistent starting and accurate timing over long periods. And because of the absence of points, maintenance was minimal. Acceleration figures when compared to the Accord four-door showed that the Prelude was margnially quicker. From rest, the Prelude reached 60 km/h in 5.0 seconds (the Accord did it in 5.4 seconds) and covered the standing-start 400 metres in 18.8 seconds (0.1 quicker than the sedan). Fuel consumption was slightly better than the Prelude too - averaging 9.7 litres every 100 kilometres, as against 10.2 litres with the slightly heavier four-door Accord.

The standard manual gearbox included a fifth-gear overdrive which reduced fuel consumption and noise levels out on the highway, but the box was identical to that fitted to the Accord and had the often criticised rubbery Honda feel. However, changing gears was a breeze, thanks to the spring-loaded lever and a hydraulic diaphragm clutch which was very light under foot. The ratios were identical to the Accord. The driving position was acceptable and was helped along by long seat-runners which allowed the front buckets to be pushed right back The all-round independent MacPherson-strut suspension on the Accord and Civic were retained for the Preiude, though changes were made in keeping with the Prelude's sporting aspirations.

Behind The Wheel



Searching for a difficult compromise between smooth ride and first-class handling, Honda altered the radius arms, incorporated an offset coil-spring arrangement at all four wheels and introduced an anti-roll bar on the rear-end. The result of these changes were that the Prelude steered more positively than the Accord. Understeer wasn't as obvious, due no doubt to the 11mm rear anti-roll bar (the Accord got only one anti-roll bar, at the front). Not surprisingly, the Prelude - like all front-drive vehicles - understeered more on full throttle, especially in tight corners. It steered neutrally through sweepers at high speeds, though lifting off the accelerator would induce the tail to break free. All of this took place with maximum security, and the key to no-fuss motoring in the Prelude was to use the throttle smoothly.

Ride comfort was, like the Accord, exceptional on all but very rough surfaces, when road shock was transmitted back through the rack-and-pinion steering. A sometimes uncomfortable trait of all front-drive cars was an obvious self-centering of the steering wheel under acceleration - and in the case of the Prelude this was quite pronounced - and even more-so when cornering. Under savage acceleration, the wheel would wrench alarmingly at the driver's hands. This peculiarity was more of a problem when wider tyres were fitted - so drivers who optioned the 175SR x 13 radials had to put up with it - while those that stuck to the stock 155HF x 13 tyres noticed this problem a lot less - to the point that few complained. Personally, we would always opt for more rubber on the road - but this did come with a price over and above the initial dealer option charges.

On The Road



The brakes had a reassuring, positive feel. The stronger the pedal pressure, the stronger the response, though the new type of servo system made its presence felt very early into the braking manoeuvre. Few road testers were able to induce face, unless they were really punishing the car. Stopping distances of around 47.0 metres were not brilliant, even by the standards of 1979, but they were acceptable - and at least the combination discs/drums system brought the Prelude to a stop in a straight line without any rear-wheel lock-up. On wet roads, where it was important not to slam hard on the brake pedal for fear of skidding (remember, a time well before ABS), the Prelude's high degree of feel and the absence of bad behaviour was comforting - and ultimately made it a safe car to drive.

The Prelude was also a very quiet car; Honda obviously paid a lot of attention to sound-proofing and designing a slippery shape that disturbed as little air as possible. The engine compartment was double-walled with thick noise-absorbing materials to provide the occupants with a degree of tranquility. And it worked inside the car, the engine was barely discernible at cruising speeds, though some noise made its presence felt around red-line. Even wind noise was kept down with Honda adopting inner gutter drains in the Prelude's design.

So the Prelude was a little ripper - but not as bold as many had hoped for. A Honda, back then, meant a car that pushed the boundaries. The Prelude took the safe road, but one that ensured it was well built, comfortable, safe and enjoyable. Not really much to complain about then.
Honda Prelude
Honda Prelude
Honda Prelude

Visitor Rating:


Click stars to vote

Also see:


Honda Production 1963 - 1979
Honda History
Reader Reviews page 0 of 0
Click here to add your review
There are currently 0 reviews to display.

 
Reader Rides
Sorry, we don't have any reader rides for the Honda Prelude.
Be The First To Upload Pictures Of Your Honda Prelude
Honda's For Sale
Sorry, there are currently no Honda's for sale.
Sell Your Honda Now, Place A Free Classified