WRX vs. Moded Prelude (99)

[str]

My friend has a 99 Prelude with a Short Throw Shifter, Cold Air Intake and exhaust. I want to race him but he is kind of dodging me. I've driven his car before and I think I could beat him stock but I guess I can't really tell until I race him. Anyone have any idea how I would fare? I'm going to just show up at his house soon and make him race me.

[Verdugo]

I raced a modded Prelude (I could hear his CAI and he had exhaust) when I had a 250+ pound passenger in my car and a trunk full of camping equipment (including a cooler full of ice and food) and just massacred him, but I think he mis-shifted. It was a pretty even until the boost kicked in and I had a good 2 car lead on him before I heard him mis-shift. He'd probably be able to start reeling me in if he hadn't mis-shifted though. I only had my intake and axle back at the time too.

[All8up]

I think the stock WRX would own the lude all the way up to speeds of 100 or so. Then I think the lude will start making up ground, but by then you should be a great deal ahead by then. I used to have a lude that was mildly modified and I can tell you first hand that the WRX would beat it soundly. Go race him and get a good launch.
14.4 vs 15.4 stock 1/4 times, 1 second is huge through the 1/4 mile.

[nemesis099]

When I first got my WRX I was on the highway following my friend in his 91 Z28 camaro. 2 Preludes came up and passed us and we caught up. They started getting ahead again so my friend gunned it. I downshifted to 4th (going 70mph) and gunned it. We passed them easily and I kept right up with the camaro. When we slowed down both preludes waved when they came up again. Then we hit a toll and didn't see them again.

I think you should easily beat a prelude. First off they spin wheels fairly easily stock. And Second they don't have near the power IMO when I test drove one when I was looking at cars.

That is one reason why i got a WRX

[Penguinking]

Originally posted by nemesis099

I think you should easily beat a prelude. First off they spin wheels fairly easily stock. And Second they don't have near the power IMO when I test drove one when I was looking at cars.

That is one reason why i got a WRX

aint that the truth.

same thing happened to me when i test drove a prelude. i lightly tap the gas and, WOW - i get wheel spin. the traction on those things is crazy awful - new tires are an even bigger must on those cars than on the wrx

[nemesis099]

Whats really funny is when I test drove the Prelude I test drove a 2002 SH which I thought had traction control. I spun the wheels trying to see if it would kick in and it didn't feel like it. The salesperson just thought it was cool that I was spinning the tires, he was laughing like crazy. Then told me to take it somewhat easy on it.

[Penguinking]

thats really messed up.

the prelude shouldn't have such crappy traction (or tires, maybe i'm wrong and its tires, but something sucks about it)

i guess thats probly why you don't see too many preludes at track days or autoxs. too bad, i really like the looks of the prelude, i just wish they performed better

[Army of Turds]

You win vs Prelude easy. You win by miles if it's from a stop especially. When I was stock I raced a Turbo'd GSR with an LS motor in it, and it was pretty even up to about 100 mph from a stand still, at which point he started pulling fiercely. Still though, with the WRX traction is your best friend, and will permit you to distribute some acings to car's that you wouldn't think you could.

[Penguinking]

i really want to see a performance prelude, like one thats been pimped out to go fast and handle like crazy. all i've seen are preludes that are show cars

[str]

It looks like it will never happen, at least with my friend. He has given me more excuses not to race this morning than I have ever heard. He must really know that I would smoke him. I only wanted to race a little for fun, not anything crazy, and he was getting all anal and defensive about his car. "But if I had this...and this..it would be different." I guess he is really jelous. Oh, well.

[Penguinking]

Originally posted by str
It looks like it will never happen, at least with my friend. He has given me more excuses not to race this morning than I have ever heard. He must really know that I would smoke him. I only wanted to race a little for fun, not anything crazy, and he was getting all anal and defensive about his car. "But if I had this...and this..it would be different." I guess he is really jelous. Oh, well.

(shaking fist at car)

Damn you WRX, why do you have to be so fast!?

[jk147]

prelude is about the same weight as the wrx. Less HP and a lot less torque. You should be able to walk one without a problem.
I almost bought a prelude, but I found out that they were gonna to discontinue it when I was shopping for a car (a year ago.)

[ejtastad]

Originally posted by Penguinking
i guess thats probly why you don't see too many preludes at track days or autoxs.

It is true, I dont see many at the track. But they are still good cars. I drive a 1991 prelude, and post times equal to those of many of the WRX's, worse then some, better than others. Mind you I only have 140 hp. If you dont believe me, check the results at www.rmsolo.org If you look at the results for event 8 this season and click on the one that says the name, and do a search for WRX you will see they get between 52 and 58 seconds. I was at 54 seconds, faster or equal to more than half of the WRX's. These are raw times, not indexed. For indexed times I did better then 7 of the 8 WRX's. This was a track that benefitted high power cars, too. Having 3 spots where I hit almost 56 mph in my low powered prelude.

[Spyder9305]

Originally posted by nemesis099
Whats really funny is when I test drove the Prelude I test drove a 2002 SH which I thought had traction control. I spun the wheels trying to see if it would kick in and it didn't feel like it. The salesperson just thought it was cool that I was spinning the tires, he was laughing like crazy. Then told me to take it somewhat easy on it.

The SH's have active torque transfer system which works during turns by transfering power to the outside wheel. Kinda like a "i wish i didnt have FWD"thing