Showtime! - Project Prelute Part IX

"deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds" (deviantcustoms)
05/23/2018 at 10:00 • Filed to: Customs, honda, ute, pickup, truck, prelude

This past weekend went pretty well with the Prelute taking two awards in its first show! Small show in its inaugural year, and as far as trucks went I don’t think there were more than a couple of “us”, but an honor nonetheless and a very educational experience. [Wild category: major body or engine mods.]

There was a fair amount of cleaning and other prep work the day before, but one of the most satisfying parts of prep day was finally peeling off the plastic protective film on the diamond plate to reveal the shiny goodness underneath. Other than that, the car was shown pretty much as it appears in these pictures.

Key takeaways for future shows: 1) I need a front lip and 2) I need to think more carefully about rims and stance. A fellow Honda nut and owner of a sweet’91 NSX thought the ride height was acceptable for a truck build, but while the TL Type S rims were great for daily driving, they weren’t quite show quality.

I’m mulling over rim choices now and and aiming to try out a new setup over Memorial Day weekend. Trying to stay true to the overall spirit of an OEM++ build and choose something that Honda (or at least a Japanese OEM) might conceivably choose if they attempted such a build for SEMA...

DISCUSSION (16)

MonkeePuzzle > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 10:07

I really love the slight rise of the top edge of the bed when seen from the side.

turned out great

Stapleface > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 10:22

I loved following this build. I think the final product is excellent.

A couple of questions, not nitpicking, just genuinely curious.

Have you given any consideration to perhaps spraying the diamond plate in some type of black or tinted orange bedliner?

Also, any chance you might box off the steel tubing and make like a lockable storage cubby?

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 10:23

I think some TE37s would look nice on them.

So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 10:41

If you’re trying to stay in the Honda parts bin, have you considered any wheels or parts from the Ridgeline? And if you haven’t already found it I suggest UP! Garage for goodies straight from Japan.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 11:03

I really like your oem look build. That’s what’s so cool about it. She looks like she could have come out of the factory like that. I like your wheel choice and ride height for the same reason. Whether or not you have enough camber for sport driving... maybe not, but that depends on if that’s the way you drive.

I guess if your mindset is pleasing judges then do what you gotta do. I would have gone black for the bed liner is the only thing I see, but I’m also not seeing it in person. What are the two things that look like parking brakes above the rear window??

AfromanGTO > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 12:17

It looks good! Great job!

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
05/23/2018 at 12:22

Don’t get me wrong, I fully intend to stick to the OEM+ principle. But being at the show made me realize that I wasn’t trying hard enough to push those boundaries. After all, those TL Type S rims were simply taken from my daily driver.

The problem with trying to source rims from the Hi-Po Honda/Acura parts bin is that it’s hard to find one that checks all the boxes in terms of look, offset, diameter etc especially without using spacers. Their rim designs also tend toward the bland side IMHO, except for a couple of bright sparks. So I’m looking in the broader Japanese OEM space.

The bed liner is actually removable to facilitate future expansions, the frontrunner being an electric motor and batteries to drive the rear wheels. Diamond plate seemed the easiest way to do that, but I guess I could also paint it per Stapleface’s suggestion.

The ‘parking brakes’ are bicycle fork mounts, check out Part IV of the build thread.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > Stapleface
05/23/2018 at 12:24

Spraying the diamond plate - I actually kind of like the shiny finish, but spraying it is definitely an option once it gets too beat up or tarnished. I could use the same stuff I used for the rest of the bed.

Lockable storage cubby has been on the nice to have list for a long time... but not a high priority item. There’s a reason why there are no pics of my engine bay =)

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > So Shiney. So Chrome! So Frunky
05/23/2018 at 12:31

Wasn’t aware of UP! garage, will check it out. The current Ridgeline and Pilot (and CTR) have 5x120 rims instead of the usual 5x114.3.

Useless trivia: Tesla Model S rims will fit on Ridgeline/Pilots with no modifications or hub centric rings.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > MonkeePuzzle
05/23/2018 at 12:34

Thanks. It was more or less driven by how to smoothly link up the lower edge of the side windows to the trunkline, but plotting that line was tricky because of having to cut into the sheetmetal around the trunk at a very shallow angle. (small inaccuracy in the cut = large error in the shape)

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute
05/23/2018 at 12:37

I totally agree that the look would be awesome. Except that to get a size with the right level of concavity, the rims would poke out way too much on a Prelude -> extreme fender pulling which I don’t really wanna do. Stock offset was a whopping +55. Sadly, also a bit too much $$ for me, in addition to not being very OEM.

deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds > AfromanGTO
05/23/2018 at 12:39

Thanks!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/23/2018 at 12:50

Good to hear you’re sticking to oem+. It’s my style as well. You’re right offset is key. Offset and weight are the 2 reasons I put Advanti storms on my na8. Are you thinking heavy offset with rolled fenders? Wide body kinda look?

Also ok your diamond plating makes more sense now, but I’d imagine you could put some of that roll on bed liner over the diamond plating. Or something like that. It’s the only thing that sticks out to me as clearly not oem.

And I’ll check out part IV!

Lowkei > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/24/2018 at 19:06

Great build! I would recommend s2000 AP2 V3 wheels, preferably in Kaiser Silver like the s2000 CR.

gawdzillla > deviantcustoms: OEM++ builds
05/25/2018 at 09:43

lift it, definitely lift it to impress that NSX owner

It's a "Porch-uh" > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute
05/25/2018 at 11:06

TE37s look nice on everything!