Labor of Love: Jeremy Dotson's 1997 Honda Prelude

Labor of Love: Jeremy Dotson's 1997 Honda Prelude

Photography by Lee Vermont (@photobycereal2k)


Jeremy Dotson is no stranger to building cars of all shapes and sizes. With a checkered history of building luxury cars, fast cars, lowriders, and everything in between, he still found himself with a soft spot in his heart for Japanese imports. After convincing his wife that he needed a new daily driver, he drove from him home in Jefferson, Georgia out to North Carolina on a rainy night to pick up a JDM 1997 Honda Prelude.

After bringing the car home, the transformation was already starting in Dotson’s head. Before he went too crazy, he had to address a couple of small issues with the body work, which meant it was time to see his friend Ka-han Paul at Mad Creations. What started off as a simple refresh quickly snowballed. Before long, the door handles were shaved off, and a color-shifting Triton Pearl paint job. From there, a set of Work VS-XX wheels were introduced, alongside air suspension, and some custom lighting.

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9432 Lee Vermont

After attending some shows in 2017, Dotson met the guys from the Georgia chapter of NvUS, and he has been part of that family ever since. With his acceptance into the club, he knew he wanted to take the Prelude even further. It was time to go back to Mad Creations. With his engine pulled out, they were able to paint-match the engine bay to the rest of the car, as well as add a Wilwood big brake kit. From there, his friend Vinny Silvestri helped him drop in a Euro R H22 engine mated to a JDM LSD transmission.

After a long history of building cars and attending shows, the labor of Dotson’s love is finally complete - or at least as “complete” as possible before the next modifications. Dotson is already planning a new interior layout, an air tank setup from Superstar Customs, a finished trunk setup, and some other surprises. We’ll be watching!

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9583 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson's 1997 Honda Prelude is featured in PASMAG #153. Click HERE to order.


ESSENTIALS

Owner: Jeremy Dotson
Vehicle: 1997 Honda Prelude
Location: Jefferson, GA
Engine: Honda H22A 2.2L I4
Horsepower: 235 whp
Club: NvUS

Tuner Battlegrounds Award Winner

Event: Tuner Evolution
Location: Charlotte, NC
Popular Vote: 84%

SOCIAL

Facebook: /jeremy.dotson.963
Instagram: @jdotbb6

ENGINE

  • JDM Euro R H22A engine swap
  • ARC intake retrofitted
  • AEM (fuel rail, Tru-Time cam gears)
  • Hondata S300 V3

EXHAUST

  • Hytech headers
  • Stainless steel 2.75-inch piping
  • Mugen twin loop muffler

DRIVETRAIN

  • JDM (LSD, transmission)
  • ACT (clutch, flywheel)

WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES

  • Work VS-XX wheels - 17x8 (f), 17x8.5 ®
  • Falken Ziex ZE512 tires - 215/40/17 (f), 215/45/17 ®
  • Wilwood super light BBK
  • Brembo 350Z drilled/slotted rotors

CHASSIS / SUSPENSION

  • Airtekk bag-over-coil system
  • Air Lift Performance 3H air system
  • Explicit Speed Performance (traction bar, T-bracket)
  • Neuspeed front strut bar

EXTERIOR

  • Shaved door handles
  • Aerocatch hood pins
  • JDM Type S (hood spoiler, rear spoiler)
  • Triton Pearl color shift paint
  • Custom (headlight retrofit w/ honeycomb etched lenses, VIP style tail light retrofit)
  • Morimoto RGBW demon eyes
  • Starry Nights halos
  • Ghostz Lighting module

INTERIOR

  • JDM Type S (two-tone dash, rear seats, digital climate control)
  • Evo VIII Recaro front seats
  • Blox harness bar
  • Takata 4-point cam-lock harnesses
  • LED interior lighting

AUDIO / MOBILE ELECTRONICS

  • Kenwood Excelon DNX-817HD head unit
  • Alpine Tyoe X front component speakers

SPONSORS

  • Mad Creations
  • Stage Motorsports
  • Dressedbolts.com
  • Mishimoto
  • Braum Racing
  • OP Detail


PHOTO GALLERY

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9628 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9419 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9447 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9469 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9480 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9605 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9646 Lee Vermont

Jeremy Dotson 1997 Honda Prelude IMG 9637 Lee Vermont

Related Articles

Sherry Nahn (AKA SherryJenix) and Her TAS 2023 Experience Sherry Nahn (AKA SherryJenix) and Her TAS 2023 Experience
Some of our audience may be familiar with Sherry Nahn AKA SherryJenix already. Not only is she a Pro League Streetfighter player, but she's also a...
The Need For More Speed: Gordon Su's 2008 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG The Need For More Speed: Gordon Su's 2008 Mercedes Benz C63 AMG
Gordon Su represents Mercedes-Benz True North Car Club (MBTN) with his 2008 Mercedes Benz C63. He obviously loves carbon fiber. He's installed a...
Brian Requeno: Honda Civic EK Hatchback Custom Engraved Valve Cover Brian Requeno: Honda Civic EK Hatchback Custom Engraved Valve Cover
Brian Requena is a local favorite in Toronto with his EK Honda Civic Hatchback. He wins awards at every single show, and he’s a humble dude! In one of...
2022 Hot Import Nights: Atlanta, GA 2022 Hot Import Nights: Atlanta, GA
Hot Import Nights in its 25th year made its way back to Atlanta in 2022. Fun fact - Hot Imports Nights was one of the major shows I attended back in...
Paul Tolson: A Lifetime of Lexus Paul Tolson: A Lifetime of Lexus
From building his own Lexus to building for Lexus Genuine passion is a special thing for a person to have. An uncolored, obsessive interest in living...
Honda Returns to SEMA with Debut of 2022 Civic Si Race Cars Alongside Rugged Overlanding Trucks Honda Returns to SEMA with Debut of 2022 Civic Si Race Cars Alongside Rugged Overlanding Trucks
All-New HPD Civic Si race car is a prototype for entry-level touring car racing. Team Honda Research West Civic Si race car to run at legendary...