Rags to Riches
- Edward Ellis
- Mar 8
- 6 min read
From the scrap yard to Players Classic in just 3 months!
If you're like me and spend countless time scrolling Instagram whilst being a petrol-head, chances are you will have come across Leanne's build. With some of her content amassing over 100,000 views, Leanne and her Honda Prelude rescue mission have become something of an internet phenomenon, proving that elbow grease and plenty of shouting create the recipe for something great.
"I owned another 4th Gen Prelude which I bought in April 2022 with the plan being to do the rust work and a manual swap (as it was an auto). I was looking for a manual gearbox and messaged someone who was breaking a Prelude to ask for a price for the manual gearbox. He didn't want much more for the car, so it made sense to buy the whole thing as it also had a working fuel / temp gauge (another common 4th Gen problem).
The engine hadn't run in over 16 years and the owner thought it had a hole in the block. When we got it home, we realised the shell itself actually needed less rust work than the Prelude I currently had (although it did still need a fair amount!) So, instead of swapping the manual gearbox to my auto Lude, we decided to swap the engine from the auto Lude to the non-running manual.
Well, that was the plan... but then we played around with the engine, adjusted the valves to get compression up and with a bit of persuasion we got it running! So we never needed to do the engine swap after all."
Almost as a touch of fate, Leanne ended up with a donor car that was in a more ready to go state making the overall mission a little more possible. Mission I hear you ask? Well, get the car to Players Classic in June 2024. Simple really. Not when it's already March...
"I was adamant I wanted to get this car to Players Classic, but we ended up not being able to start the build until mid-March (due to another car being suck immobile in our unit waiting for parts). Me and my boyfriend (Charlie Horne @hotboi_charlie) did all the work together between mid-March & early-June.
We both work full-time so almost every evening and weekend was spent working on the car. There were a lot of super late nights and even some all-nighters. We genuinely almost didn't make it."
In typical Mission Impossible race-against-the-clock type drama, the sheer amount of work piled into this Prelude has been immense. A full restoration, two new quarters and sills welded in, the entire underside stripped & undersealed, and a whole load of custom fibreglass work were just the start.
To get the full JDM look on the exterior, alongside the Wings West full polyurethane front bumper has been a boat-load of custom work. For example, Leanne created side skirts by cutting up Silvia S13 skirts and re-fibreglassing them so they were long enough to fit the angles of the car. On top of this, the rear bumper, clear rear taillights and clear side indicators are all custom made. As a stroke of genius, motorcycle indicators have even been installed in the front bumper as front indicators.
The sunroof has been transplanted from a 5th generation Prelude with the rusty tin-top original being thrown out before the entire exterior was dressed in Porsche Gulf Blue paint. All that was left was for Leanne to perfect how this car would sit on it's original 17" 2-piece Work Meister S1 wheels, manufactured in Japan in the 90's.
"I love low cars but don't like the impracticality of being static and I couldn't get hold of Air Ride (I had my order cancelled from two separate companies as it was discontinued), so I went with the first hydro kit I could find which was from a VW Polo. I wanted to get the car to sit as low as possible hydro'd out with arch to lip fitment and enough camber to achieve this whilst not getting in the way of my hydraulic rams. I love camber and the style of a lot of US builds (Hot Boi style) where it's not necessarily the cleanest car, but different and cool as hell."
Whilst hydraulic suspension is nothing new to the automotive world, it's uncommon amongst most scenes as the more popular, readily available and usable nature of air suspension means most people don't need to venture out for alternatives in achieving the perfect slammed setup. Mainly, hydro's are found in the low-rider community where the hydraulic pressure allows for a dazzling 60's Chevy Impala to bounce like a man possessed.
Leanne's Prelude now sits proudly on the ground with the Work Meister lips peeping out from under the arches to show off their polished 90's goodness. You can tell that this car has been built with care despite the last ditch attempt to get it road worthy. Each upgrade has been meticulously thought out and calculated to ensure the finished product meets Leanne's vision. It always helps when the car your building is something you're uber passionate about:
"I've always wanted a Honda for a project car. I love Civics but wanted something that isn't typically built very often, especially in the UK. My boyfriend has owned both 4th & 5th gen Preludes in the past before we met and I've always thought his builds looked incredible. I jumped at the chance to have one, especially knowing that my boyfriend still had some parts laying around."
It's true what they say. The best outcomes always come from something you are truly passionate about pursuing. A long-standing desire to own a Honda project car has been made a reality for Leanne who, with the experience of her boyfriend's past Prelude ownership to call on, has created a truly show stopping build. Late nights, a looming deadline and a life to maintain, meant that for the 3 months leading up to Players Classic, the pressure was well and truly on.
"My favourite memory was driving down to Players with our friends after finally finishing the build. It was such a surreal feeling and I was just so, so happy - and relieved!"
With the weight finally lifted off her shoulders, Leanne can now complete any remaining work on the Lude in a more casual fashion, savouring the project rather than trading sleep for build progress. With this in mind, there are a few things in the pipeline for the Prelude this year.
"Currently I'm tidying up a few things that were rushed or not fully finished. I then plan to start stripping the engine bay so everything can be smoothed, tucked and painted. I'm also keeping an eye out for interior bits (fabrics, seats etc) to start getting the interior together."
The interior already has seen some tweaks with the introduction of a touch-screen double din, aftermarket steering wheel and some LED's, all of which help modernise the 90's cockpit. Upon reflecting from the drivers seat of her new masterpiece, Leanne explains her favourite feature of the Prelude.
"One little quirk I love is the four-wheel steer! It looks so funny when you're driving and the rear wheels are steering as well as the front. safe to say my turning circle is top tier! I also love the neon dash; everyone says it looks like a spaceship - Honda were so far ahead of their time with this car."
Transforming a donor car into a stanced show piece in only 3 months in a feat that requires scientific study. The patience, dedication and sheer number of hours invested into the work is immense. So immense, it's worth watching a full documentary to see just how this was achieved ,and that is exactly what you can do over at Leanne's YouTube channel (LeanneEmily_)! Mission accomplished...
Owned the Car: Over 1 Year
Spec Sheet:
Power Output: 2.2L VTEC | 190bhp
Suspension:
Custom Fabricated Cambered Spindles
Custom Hydraulic Suspension
Converted to 5th Gen 5x114.3 Wheel Hubs
Wheel Specs:
Ceramic Polished 17"x10 2-Piece Work Meister S1 Wheels
Exterior:
Full Restoration
Two New Quarters & Sills Welded in
Underside Stripped & Undersealed
All Suspension & Subframe Components Stripped & Painted in Enamel Telemagenta Pink
Wings West Full Polyurethane Front Bumper
Custom Rear Bumper
Custom Side Skirts
Custom Fully Clear Taillights
Clear Side Indicators / Repeaters
Tiny Clear Motorcycle Indicators
Fully De-badged All-Round
5th Gen Glass Sun Roof Replacement
Porsche Gulf Blue Respray
Interior:
Touch Screen Double Din Unit
Aftermarket Steering Wheel
Pink & Blue Drippy Gearknob
LED's
Comments