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Windy City, Heavy Weight

Rollin' With One Of Chi-Town's Finest

The bodywork is an amalgamated collection of body pieces, consisting of a VIS Racing Octane front bumper, Shotgun rear bumper, and Wings West RS Series side skirts. Dropped using TEIN Type HA coil-overs, the wheel wells are stuffed with 19x8 RO_JA Formula 1 wheels and 225/35/19 BFGoodrich KDW tires. Moving inside, Husain went to work and installed a set of Sparco Torino seats as well as a flurry of stereo upgrades. Hitting the show floor, this Prelude took home seven first place trophies in '02 in the Chicago area. For 2003, three first place trophies were taken home and another three 2004.

For 2005, a whole new chapter in this Prelude's life was written. Down for nearly a whole year, this Honda literally received the best of everything. Coated from tip to tail in Daytona Sunset Orange Metallic with a black roof and front grille, this Prelude now shines and glistens in the sun like a shining jewel. Done by M&B Enterprise in only seven days, the paint and body prep job included both the painting of the entire shell as well as the shaving of the trunk keyhole and emblems. The in-car entertainment system was ripped apart and redone with an Alpine IVA-C800 flip-out multimedia station combined with an Alpine DVD/Video/CD player and a glovebox-mounted six-disc CD changer. Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 component speakers and JL Audio subwoofers were installed all around for crisp tones and big bass, all powered by a set of custom mounted JL Audio amplifiers. Suede covered door panels house Pyle 5-inch LCD screens, which can display games off of the in-car Playstation 2 with just a few button presses. Even larger 7-inch T-view LCD displays were molded into a custom fiberglass trunk panel, which was wrapped in vinyl and graphite colored suede.

Stacked up against the newly reinvigorated I.C.E. setup, the interior of the Honda was torn apart for a whole new look. Mixing in with the massive amount of custom mounted stereo equipment, new instrumentation from Autometer was installed along with a Sparco themed interior setup. The rear seats were stitched with Sparco fabric to match the front Torino's, which blend in with the black suede headliner. The polished shift knob and pedals are Sparco units, while the Sparco Flash 5 steering wheel is mounted on a Tekniq adaptor hub. Set into a custom molded fiberglass dash by Soundz Plus of Warrenville, IL, Autometer Cobalt series gauges allow Husain to keep track of virtually every facet of his car-from volts to oil pressure to boost.

One eye on his Autometer boost gauge, Husain took a note from the camp that preaches "there is a replacement for displacement-boost." Tuned with an AEM EMS standalone computer system and an A'PEXi V-AFC VTEC fuel controller, Husain's custom turbo setup uses a Garrett T3/T04E spinner and Tial wastegate at its core. Hung on a Rev Hard exhaust manifold, Garage Kwai of Arlington Heights, IL set up the turbo with a freely exhaling stainless steel 2.5-inch down pipe and A'PEXi N1 exhaust system. Post compression, the intake charge is chilled within the confines of a Spearco front-mount intercooler and Nitrous Express N-tercooler IC chiller. With a Tial blow-off valve attached, the custom intercooler piping carries the precious air molecules sucked in by the HKS intake. Fed with 550cc RC Engineering fuel injectors and a Walbro fuel pump, NGK plugs ignite the mixtures to the tune of 300hp and 254lb-ft of torque. Harnessed with the holding power of an ACT clutch and flywheel package, this Prelude is proof positive that a large engine with a carefully set up forced induction system is the key to a big broad power band.

With his Honda now rocking big power, a bumpin' stereo and smooth bodywork, Husain can rest easy with the knowledge that he has succeeded in achieving his three goals of looks, speed, and sound. Making the rounds through the Midwest show scene, this coupe has collected such awards as 1st place Prelude Wild, numerous 1st Place Best Prelude honors, 1st Place Best Honda, and 1st Place Best Undercarriage. When leafing through most import sport compact magazines on the stands, you'll usually run across cars that are either on the west coast or the east coast of the United States. While it's true there are big scenes in states that are close to ocean tides, don't even think for a second that tumbleweeds blow through import shows in middle America. Husain's Honda Prelude is representing Chi-Town and the Midwest in a big way. They got their own style, their own flavor, and their own cars, and you'd best remember that.

Head to the message boards at www.importtuner.com to chat about this feature vehicle.


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