Finally, A Prelude of my Own...

I am about to aquire a '97 Honda Prelude, Type S I believe. Automatic transmission unfortunately, but it's a steal. Had the tranny replaceed at 90k miles, has 130k on it now. Opinions, discuss. How do the fifth gens compare to the fourth gens as far as handling and power are concerned, and how easy they are to work on.

you might be thinking about the type SH which in that case that's not what you are getting coz the type SH only comes in a 5 speed manual. i would make sure you're getting what you think you're getting. the 5th gen and 4th gen are nearly identical in terms of performance. there's no considerable advantage of owning one over the other. the hp increase in the 5th gens are there to compensate fo the added weight. the type sh does have a handling advantage but not enough to substantiate going out of your way to buy one over any other 4th gen vtec or 5th gen if you're having difficulty finding an SH. if you find one that's a good deal, i'd recommend the SH, if not, move on. preludes, in general, are more complicated to work on than a civic, integra or even accord in my experience. harder to find parts, more expensive to repair. good luck!

Congrats! Lets see some pics!

Went and got it today. It's a Red Type-S I think, Auto tranny. I wanted a stick but I can live with the sport shifter :) It's so damn fast. What do you guys find is the best cruising speed for decent mpg? I'll try to get some picks up sometime soon.