Typically, you try not to get too excited when you see an enthusiast vehicle for sale that has a higher-than-normal price tag owing to its supposedly outstanding condition. This is especially so when the car is located north of the border in or around Vancouver. However, this 1981 Honda Prelude listed here on craigslist for $15,800 CAD seems to be as nice as advertised, with a claimed rust-free body and an absolutely stunning interior. As an added bonus, it also has the preferred 5-speed manual. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Curvette for the find.

When Honda introduced the Prelude, the company was on very solid footing in the U.S. Its cars were known for delivering high levels of fuel efficiency along with impressive reliability. This was a point in time where the Japanese automakers were content to simply deliver small cars with quality construction that the U.S. was not accustomed to seeing. After all, ours was a culture where the Big 3 didn’t need to rely on thrifty fuel-sippers to survive, and even when their backs were against the wall, they opted to rebrand existing Japanese vehicles. As Honda began to mature, the Prelude was introduced. This example is impressively rot-free, as the vulnerable areas in the wheel arches and rockers all seem rock solid. There’s not even any contamination on the steel wheel trim rings.

And the interior – wow. Get out your Ray-Bans! The lipstick red interior is spectacular, and this isn’t a car with 25,000 miles on the clock. The mileage is low at 94,000 KMs, or just under 60,000, but this cabin still shows an impressive lack of wear-and-tear. The Prelude, as it continued to do for generations after, utilized mechanical running gear from the Accord, albeit in a much prettier wrapper, so the driving experience was effectively carried by the environment. In other words, you weren’t going to beat up on Corvettes, but you’d at least feel like you were driving something that was very un-Accord like. And the classic Honda manual gearbox was a treat to row, big power or not.

A 1.7L SOHC 4-cylinder resides under the clamshell-style hood, which adds a dose of extotica to the experience of owning a first-generation Prelude. Power and performance were modest, clocking in at 72 horsepower and 94 lb.-ft. of torque. The seller’s car is clean all the way through, with a tidy engine bay that shows no evidence of prolonged oil leaks or other evidence of neglect. For a Prelude that has been in British Columbia since new, it’s obvious the owner took extreme care to keep it clean and well-maintained, and didn’t subject it to salt-covered winter roads. The price is in Canadian dollars, so it’s likely a fair deal all-around.