I started attending university (U of Washington) this fall in Seattle, and thus let my old car (really my Mom's), a 2001 Ford Focus sedan, go to my brother as he is still in high school and I have no use for a car during the week (plus parking here is hell and expensive). One of my friends has an 88 Prelude 2.0Si 5spd that she drives up to pick me up every weekend from Tacoma (I keep close to two of my best friends from high school), but recently it's been showing signs that it's on its last leg. However, it still runs and drives amazingly well for having 200+k miles on it (coming from a family of all domestic cars, it's a surprise

Current stats:
White 1988 US 2.0Si model, no 4ws or alb; 202k miles
Oil hasn't been replaced for MANY thousand miles-- it just leaks/burns constantly and she adds a quart every 3k or so. Probably the stuff in there is thicker than cold fudge

Blew timing belt some time ago, replaced with junkyard head of unknown age
Quirks: Some electrical problems (lights for climate control sometimes go out when a button is pressed, the radio [stock] has a mind of its own, seatbelt lights have never lit except once or twice, 'alarm' system only goes off when the battery is dying and someone [ME] has their head in the hood), power antenna only goes down halfway, spot rust in various places, etc
Yet and still, she runs without complaint when warmed up and will go 300 miles on a tank (btw, all the literature I've read says the 'lude has a 15.9USgal tank, which is 100% not true. Is her car just retarded when we can only fit 13.2 in it after pushing it to the pump?

Three of four wheels have issues: front right makes intermittent brake squeal at high speeds, rear right thumps noticeably and ~25mph, and rear left [shock/spring?] makes LOUD creak/squeak over some bumps.
This poor car has been in two accidents.
The first, about a year ago, was due to slick freeway onramp and improper entry speed/steering input. She overcorrected the understeer and ended up slamming the entire right side of the car into the guardrail, temporarily disabling the right headlamp, taking off lots of trim, and also breaking the right brakelamp housing. Currently the headlamp is OK but there's yellow tape on the brakelamp. Trim is sitting inside the car.
Just about a month ago, she was driving me back up to Seattle on Sunday evening (another rainy night) when she had to get into the left-turn lane. As she approached the lane, a truck or SUV turned right onto the oncoming lane of traffic on our side of the intersection. Somehow he didn't get into his own lane but headed for us (completely in our own left-turn lane at the time) and sideswiped our driver's side door and quarterpanel (is that the right terminology for the part of the car behind the door?). He didn't even slow down, and we were so stunned from the event that we just sat there for a minute or two wondering what the hell happened. Her insurance will cover the car because it was a hit-and-run and not her fault. The car still runs like it did before, but now the driver's door won't open from the outside so it's a pain to drive alone as she has to crawl through to unlatch it.
Due to its age and relative condition, insurance appraisers will only give her $1000-1500 for the car to total it. If she keeps the car, she'd have to bring it back up to spec and get it certified by state patrol as road-legal. But she's gotten very attached to the car (and its "character"), and I was trying to think of some way to got my Prelude fix while solving her situation. As it is, her parents pay the insurance on it, and I pay the bulk of the gas because I drive it high-miles on the weekend. However, it is still technically her car and whatnot.
I was thinking that she could get rid of the car, keep the money and put it toward a replacement 3rd gen 'lude, and I could front the rest of the cash necessary. We could continue sharing the car on the weekends like we do now, and because she'd have it for most of the time, it would only make sense for her side to be paying [most of] the insurance on it. I've been looking around for local sellers of 3rd-gens, and apart from the ones that are almost as bad as what we already have, I've got a couple potentials lined up. Whaddaya say, has this Prelude performed its duty well and is it ready to have a nice long rest? (and maybe an oil change for once!)
Current prospective buys:
Choice 1 (personal fave)
89 Prelude 2.0Si 4WS 5spd
123k miles, Champagne body color
new brakes, tires, water pump & timing belt
extra set snow/stud tires incl.
us$3600
Choice 2 (sounds a little sketchy, haven't talked to seller about owner history etc)
90 Prelude (2.1L?)Si 5spd
136k miles (86k on "new engine") (?), Red body color
"lowered"
us$3600
Choice 3 (the one that got away)
89 Prelude 2.0Si 4WS 5spd
161k miles (60k on brand-new engine), White body color
well-maintained, all service done at Honda specialist, garaged, kept in family, selling because just bought SUV etc
he sold it today for us$3750

Thoughts? I won't even consider a 2nd or 4th gen 'lude-- the body stylings are horrid compared to the 3g

Once I get my grubby little mitts on it I plan to baby the car for all it's worth-- including perhaps mild mods later on to tweak its appearance (Champagne is NOT my color) and if I have the time and money, to improve performance (I love driving, and have already gotten a ticket for speeding 10 over in her car...)