engine and drivetrain Intro and question

[pkelly1us]

Hello all,

I am thinking of selling my honda prelude sh to get a 72 2002tii that has been in storage for 8 years. I was wondering if anyone knew of shops in the DE/MD/VA area who could do the rebuild? The car has not run in 8 yeas so I am thinking a fresh engine build would be a great idea.

[winstontj]

Hello all,

I am thinking of selling my honda prelude sh to get a 72 2002tii that has been in storage for 8 years. I was wondering if anyone knew of shops in the DE/MD/VA area who could do the rebuild? The car has not run in 8 yeas so I am thinking a fresh engine build would be a great idea.

If I were you I would keep the Prelude until the tii is up and running. If the car was stored properly it will probably need the fluids changed, a tune up, belts changed and will start right away. Do you have any pictures?

I'm sure someone can suggest a shop around your area. I'm pretty sure Bill Williams (on the FAQ) is from that area as well as a bunch of other members.

[TimNC]

Welcome. I wouldn't be too quick to do an engine rebuild. Depending on how the car was stored, what has been done to the engine already, etc. you may not need to do anything inside the engine. But I would suggest flushing fuel system & cooling system, bleeding hydraulic system...then draining engine oil, transmission fluid and diff. fluid and replacing all fluids with fresh stuff. Then a good tune up and brake check-up. Get the car in good running order and then drive it for awhile before you make any decisions about cracking the engine open...imo. There are several good 02 people in the Northern VA/MD/DC area. Bill Williams on this board is a good resource in your area. Good luck.

[TTyMiller]

Welcome! There are plenty of us in the area who can point you in the right direction. I would take the previous advice given and change the fluids and see where you are at that point. Chances are the car will fire right up. Don't forget plugs and a battery.

[jgmgti]

Please feel free to e-mail me and I can reccomend a couple of top notch Balt.Techs.

Additionally,it would be to your benefit to get a knowledgable person/pro to do a full inspection of the 72 tii or any car for that matter.I have couple of experts I can suggest to you.

Very good local community of 02 owners,there is a lot of experience in this area and of course BMW 2002 FAQ

Jonathan

jgm at starpower dot net

[bcthomas122279]

My daily driver was stored for 10 years and required no internal engine work. Just depends on the engine.

[pkelly1us]

Thanks everyone. I am going to take a look at the car tomorrow and will take plenty of pics. I was going to sell the prelude to finance the restoration/rebuild of the car (The lude is paid for). I don't really need either car because my company gives me a daily driver but having 3 cars for myself and my wifes zhp is just too much.

I am taking a friend with me who has not rebuilt a 2002 but a bunch of e30's and e21's to make sure things are on the up and up. I am basically getting the car for free. I am aware of the rust spots to look for and will take pics so everyone can take a look and see if it is a worth while endeavor.

Thanks in advance!

Pat Kelly

[TimNC]

I'd say that free is a pretty good price.

[pkelly1us]

Well checked the car out today. Pretty nice. Dusty as all hades but to be expected since it has sat for so long. Here is the question on this car. Not much rust besides surface. It needs serious interior work and new paint. It hasn't run in years. It is an original owner car with 81500 miles on it. It has been repainted to a non factory color (Fjord blue). He said he would take a nominal fee for the car. What is this car worth? $500? I just don't know what to offer him. The car is mine but I don't want to rip him off either.

[pkelly1us]

some pics

[kcdonahue]

Congrats! Looks like an excellent project.

As to what it is worth, I recommend taking a look at the tiis that have recently sold on ebay. There is an assortment of restored and 'as found" tiis that have either recently ended or are ending soon.

Before you plan on rebuilding the engine, get the car running. Once the car is running go through the car and make it safe... Once you are at this point you can pretty well evaluate the needs of the car and decide where best to put you $$$ and effort. If you need some help or info. I'm up in Harford County and always around to talk cars

EDIT: Almost forgot.... Get "Historic" plates when you register it!

Good luck and have fun!

Casey 73tii

[MatthewCervi]

Well checked the car out today. Pretty nice. Dusty as all hades but to be expected since it has sat for so long. Here is the question on this car. Not much rust besides surface. It needs serious interior work and new paint. It hasn't run in years. It is an original owner car with 81500 miles on it. It has been repainted to a non factory color (Fjord blue). He said he would take a nominal fee for the car. What is this car worth? $500? I just don't know what to offer him. The car is mine but I don't want to rip him off either.

If there's really no structural rust then I'd say its worth a lot more than $500, but the seller is really hurting himself by not cleaning up the car. The engine is a big question, too, if it hasn't run in years and you can deduct a certain amount for that.

Figure a clean, moderately restored 72tii would be worth $15,000+. If the body needs repainting and minor bodywork, but is straight and has no structural rust then subtract $5,000. Subtract another $5,000 if it has structural problems. I'm not sure what the going price for an engine rebuild is right now, but I'll guess $4,000. Many a tii has started right up after sitting for years, but you won't know in advance.

As for the interior... Body and engine pieces are relatively cheap. Trim can get pricey, interior can get quite expensive either for the parts themselves (i.e. dashboard) or the labor to fix them (seats, headliner, etc.).

So...I'd say anywhere from $500 (basket case) to $8,000 (diamond in the rough). The seller, unfortunately for him, has chosen to not present the car in the best light (clean it up, try starting the engine) and will be the worse off for it. Judging by your description and the few pictures I think it is worth more than $500, but honestly if the seller will take that then that is his problem, not yours.

The good news is that there are several tii owners in the MD/DC/VA area who can help you out if you get it. Do you plan on working on it yourself?

[pkelly1us]

I am going to do what I can with the car. I will try to get it running on my own (with the help of a friend) and take it from there. I don't have too much experience working on older cars but figured this would be a great place to start learning.

I feel comfortable with fixing suspension/brake/interior stuff but not as comfortable with the engine compartment. These cars aren't too complicated from what I gather and there are a ton of 2002 enthusiasts out there, so I figure why not. It will be a long project I am sure... But should be fun.

[pkelly1us]

Picking it up next weekend from the storage unit. I am sure I am going to have a lot of fun with this one! I got it for a steal. He just wanted to see it go to a good home. Now I just have to get it running.

I am sure I am going to have a million questions once I start getting it into running order.

[Harv]

GOOD JOB!

Drain the gas and flush the lines. Try not to run the fuel pump without fuel in it. (electric) Change coolent hoses. Oil and air filters. And oil of course. New battery and anything that looks suspect.

John