Celica - Prelude, Questions about speed differences. Options

[nObOdy]

Hey guys -

Alright - im not sure if anyone knows but im looking for a celica to buy and once i get it i am going to swap in the 3s-gte engine into it, irregardless.
Ive been getting some pressure from some different people in my family to make sure i look around before i get my heart set on the celica.
the only thing that bothers me about the celica is the headlights.. they are not my favorite at all, but i love the rest of the car and of course, the 3s-gte swap will be FAST. which is what im looking for a cheap fast car. Anyhow
so the topic of a Honda prelude popped up 4th or 5th gen

Basically the honda prelude has a vtec head and it puts out around 200 bhps the car weighs 2900lbs
I like the look of the honda - also it would not be a turboe'd engine and i know that would ease my mothers sufferings a little bit - but its not a big deal
anyhow so i joined a honda forum (sucks ass compared to here) and have been asking the guys the same questions im asking you guys now
the response i get from them is kind of typical but i was hoping you guys could fill me in on what you thought

Which is faster 94-99 celica gt with 225hps second gen 3s-gte swap OR
91-02 honda prelude with honda vtec sporting 200hps
?

Any ideas - or technical differences that could be outlined for me would be great.
Remeber - all that i am looking to do is outrun my friends Mazda MX-3 GS which has 200 hps and is light! 2600lbs (maybe less)

Which car would be more reliable? I am leaning towards the Celica for several reasons - one i love how the car looks from the side - similar to a supra (same swoops over the hatch) I love the idea of the 3s-gte engine's speed - also No One Owns A toyota Celica where i live! No ONE! i have not seen one but then again i live in montana.. so anyhow
and i see preludes all the time..
anyhow - if you have an opinion def voice it, but dont just state it.. back it up with supports. Also it must be in MLA FORMAT 12pt font 1.5 pages double spaced due monday.
bah sorry school crept in there.
thanks in advance
later
nobody

[orvillescelica]

Is this your first car? or more specifically is this the first car you intend to purchase and modify?

If so, i am sorry to say that i would go with the Prelude simply because it has a lot of aftermarket support and can get you the power to weight that you want without the daunting task of a swap. If this is your first car, get the Prelude and use its great aftermarket to work on the car and learn about tuning gradually. A Full engine swap is a huge thing to take on right at the start. Even if you do get it professionally done, there will be some problems that you will need to work out yourself. If you dont know what your doing, then youll just be throwing money at it. Also with a swap, there will be large periods of time when you will not have the car. Can you afford to live without transportion for unexpected, unknown periods of time?

IMO, the celica is one of the best used cars you can get. It handles better than most new cars and looks better too. And you wont find a better community than this one here at 6gc. But its slow, super slow. Take all this into account when you make your decision.