Euro engines.. and wheels...

[ddave]

Hi All..

I've recently entered the world of prelude ownership, having managed to get my paws on a tidy UK delivered 2000 'motegi edition' 2.2 VTI.

Having now had it for 3 weeks... i've come across a couple of questions that i havnt been able to find answers for...

1) does anyone know what the difference is between the H22A8 engine (200bhp, as fitted to the late european preludes) and the H22A7 fitted to the accord type R (215bhp)?
(in other words... i've already concluded that a bit more power wouldnt go astray, and i'm trying to work out the easiest way to get it... preferably undetectably, since insurance on 'modified' vehicles is ridiculously expensive in this godforsaken country)

2) does anyone know if current model european civic (FN2) alloys are a straight bolt on to late preludes? I've managed to identify that both are 5x115 stud patterns (i think).. but i'm not 100% sure if they will be a clean fit, given that the standard wheels on my car are 17's, with 205/45 tyres, and the standard FN2 type Rs are 18's with 225/45s.

Many thanks for any help that anyone can give!

Dave

[spiffyguido]

Not sure about the engine. That extra power could be due to a different camshaft or something.

Regarding the wheels. The bolt pattern should be 5x114.3, so the bolt patterns will line up. The size should be alright as well. I've seen plenty of Preludes with 18 inch wheels, and since we're talking about 225/45 size tires, it should fit. If you use one of the wheel size calculators available on the web you should be able to determine exactly how big a difference in inches the change will make. Then all you have to do is just do some simple measurements on your car.