89 Si JDM prelude

hey guys, Im back.
well today, My dad and I went out looking for cars at small dealerships and some on the street curbs and at one auto shop we saw a red 89 JDM prelude Si for sale. it was $2600 and had 109000mi(which I dont think is real). It also is a manual transmission. I think I'll offer the guy like $2100 for it, do you think that is a good deal?
ok, well my dad liked it, it looked pretty good, no noticable leaks, but there was a 2-3 inch rust spot which was sealed by the owner.
the low 109000 miles was a little fishy sinse its a 89, but I havent called the owner yet to ask about it, what do you guys think?
also, It is a JDM because on the VIN number the first letter was J so I guess its a JDM. SO can anybody give me a little info on the 89 JDM SI? how much horsepower does it have?
What should I look out for in this car, and what should I ask the owner when I call him tomorrow??
Should I turn the car down if the 109K miles was because of the engine was replaced on this car, or is dat a good thing?
How do I know if the milleage was skimmed of the car??
If I buy this car, will I be happy with it, or will it just keep breaking down causing problems? For a 16 year old, is this a good car? I like speed, but also looks and quality.
Is there a lot of stuff I can do to this car? Whats a good CAI for it? what Header, What exhaust??

thanks and sorry for the long post.

The motor info would be the 4th through the 8th letter/number. Should be b20a5. As for the miles ask to see the title. My prelude has 93k but I have taken care of it. Take it to a shop and have an inspection done.

ok thanks, i cant take it the shop cause i didnt buy it yet. ok, is the 'title' something that the owner should have?, and would he be able to show it to me? what does it say on it??

ok thanks,.......... but I need more info.......

carfax.com

ok thanks, i cant take it the shop cause i didnt buy it yet. ok, is the 'title' something that the owner should have?, and would he be able to show it to me? what does it say on it??

ok thanks,.......... but I need more info.......


Ask him if its ok that you take it to your mechanic to have it inspected before purchasing. And yes he should have the title. He will need it to sign over to you if you buy it. Look at the mileage on the title and on the car to compare. Keep in mind that the millage on the title should be less than the mileage on the car. Look at the date on the title and figure out how many miles have been put on the car since he has owned it. The average driver puts on 15,000 miles a year. Im guessing from the year and miles its a decent buy. I see alot of 98s with ove 100k on them. Good luck

Just because it's made in Japan doesn't make it JDM. When it's brought over, it's still tuned for emissions. All Preludes were made in Japan.

so how do i know if its a jdm? im about to call the owner right now.

the whole right hand drive kinda gives it away

oh, so there are no JDM that are left hand drive???????? okay i called up the guy and he said he changed the brake calipers, rotors, new fog lights, He said it drives really well, and that he inspected it, and had been driving it for a month and its up for sale. So I might go 2morrow and test drive it. WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN FOR AND LOOK OUT FOR WHEN IM GOING TO BE CHECKING THE CAR OUT 2MORROW???? HOW SHOULD IT FEEL WHEN DRIVEN???

THANKS>

take it to a shop.... hands down.

pay them money if you have too, to look at it.

it's better to pay a little, than a lot later.

if you don't know cars.... trust someone who does.

Listen for any out of the ordinary noises from accelerating, braking, or shifting. Shifts should not be jerky. Make sure there is no hesitation or clunky/sqeaking noises. And for the record, anything over 100k miles is pretty high. Look up the VIN under carfax.

;) I have to disagree. 260k on my 90 Si 2.1 (2.05) and it still runs like a sewing machine. I run it to 5700 RPM every day. Only signs of age on my motor are worn valve guides (white smoke under load over 5000RPM) and it needs new gaskets/seals, it goes through oil like a 260k mile engine. :)

ok, well i havent gone to test drive it but, I go when Im free. I think that if it doesnt have any major problems, my dad's gona let me buy it. is it high insurance for the 89 SI (registered under my Dad's name) ? Are the parts to these cars easy to find and cheap to buy? Is it possible to make a fast car out of it without turbo/super charging or swaping motors? (whats the horsepower can I get with I/H/E and a fuel managing system and spark plugs and racing wheels?????) Anybody know good company names that make good I/H/E and fuel managing systems?

ok, thanks.