medstudent

Got bored. So I bought a 1965 Honda S600 (hardtop and luggage rack included). Need to rebuild the carbs, figure out what's broken, and do a frame-off restoration. Will probably take ~3 years to restore.

Enjoy!

medstudent

I will try to keep it as original as possible. The seats in there are aftermarket (looks like race seats that are period-specific for that time with a lap belt). If I keep it, I will likely retro-fit a 4-pt harness just to be safe. I was told the car was originally white. There a few a chips in the silver paint that revealed the original color to be red instead of white (unless the red's on top of white). I am debating between keeping it red, paint it white, or repaint the entire car Sebring Silver. The wheels are painted black except for the chrome hub. I will repaint or powdercoat back to the grey wheels. The tires will be replaced. Since this will be a gift for my wife, it will likely stay silver and I will probably retrofit a radio/cd player, but keep it hidden from view.

As for the hardtop, it came from the parts car which I do not have at the moment (transport companies won't haul parts cars unless it brakes/rolls/steers). The parts car has lost its VIN#, so it will be a bit difficult figuring out its origin. The hardtop has a inner headliner that's falling apart. It looks like a bad red carpet pasted onto the top. I don't know if the HT originally had any inner lining or bare like the Mugen hardtops for the S2000.

My plans at the moment for restoration in 6 "easy" steps:
1) Obtain copy of shop and owners manual
2) Put car on lift and evaluate the integrity of chassis to determine whether rebuild would be necessary
3) Get the car running: rebuild carbs, check engine compression, find out what else is broke from the standpoint of the motor
4) Tear car apart and carefully catalogue everything. Whatever is broke or missing will require it to be replaced
5) Repair body (rust/repaint)
6) Put back together.

smithenhiven

Awesome car, looks like it's in good condition. Sorry to not have gotten back to you about the copy of the shop/parts manual, I've been busy, but I do have that on CD, and will make you a copy.

smithenhiven

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by medstudent &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The hardtop has a inner headliner that's falling apart. It looks like a bad red carpet pasted onto the top. I don't know if the HT originally had any inner lining or bare like the Mugen hardtops for the S2000.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

My hardtop is the same way, it's got a red thin headliner in there that's falling down. so I would guess since mine has it, and so does yours, yes it originally came with that. Does your hard-top have a metal "tray" in it? Some do, some don't, it's kind of neat.

Couple of quick things I noticed, and probably don't really matter unless you're wanting to do a "correct" restoration (and maybe your parts car has these), but the fender mirrors are wrong, as well as the front turnsignal lenses.

medstudent

not sure. Next time I take a look, I'll let you know. Looking forward to that PM

medstudent

about the mirrors and lenses, that's good to know. I have a feeling I'll definitely need to stock up on NOS parts for the car and would ideally like a correct restoration.

Since the car will be for the wifey, I may keep the aftermarket seats that's in there for now, but will definitely keep an eye out for seats if it ever becomes available. I may get some Panasport wheels for daily use and slap on the OEM wheels on occasion.

I believe this will be the 3rd S600 here in TX. One car is at a Honda mechanic shop (empty shell) just for decoration, another is owned by a Porsche Club race instructor who is in the process of dropping a Mazda rotary motor into the engine bay, and mine. There was a white S600 with headlight lenses for sale awhile back, but has already been sold and relocated.

smithenhiven

I have a set of NOS mirrors, and H-T user Dax is working on reproduction lenses based on a NOS lense I sent him. Let me know if you want the mirrors, it's not something you have to decide on anytime soon, but if you end up wanting them, just let me know.

I sold my previous S600 to a guy in TX, I'm not sure if it's one of the other cars you already know about or not, but it is/was green (he may have painted it since then).

The white car you mentioned wound up in my neck of the woods, well sort of, it's about 5 hours away from me in Philly PA. That owner and I keep in regular contact, it's running decent, but the engine is going to likely need rebuilt.

Ztlohmak

Great looking project. Silver paint with black rims I love it. Is that your workshop? You would have everything you need there for the restoration!

86si

wow! good luck with it .

I_HATE_JDM

yay! shes home finally!

Zenguy

Great project ! Please don't forgot to tell us every step of your restoration.

dwack91

looks great drop and f22c in there

NIKE SB'd

iTrader: (1)

Wow what a great find. Looks like there is little restoration needed.

medstudent

F-series motors are too big. I prefer not to cut up the car too much for any reason.

medstudent

Those mirrors would be great!

Can the lenses be made to retrofit over my car? I'm definitely interested in the mirrors.

f@sth@tch89

iTrader: (3)

that car is good condition...good luck on the build. In For The Build

still_slow

car looks to be in great shape I would love to find something like that.

turnsignalandy

Imagine that thing with a f20C

Jonathan_ED3

Do people ever post in threads about the S cars without talking about a F series swap? Jeez.

Do you guys realize how SMALL these cars are?

smithenhiven

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jonathan_ED3 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do people ever post in threads about the S cars without talking about a F series swap? Jeez.

Do you guys realize how SMALL these cars are?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It will never end, there will always be those who instantly think the owner should butcher it. It's a shame, I hope no such person who actually thinks an F engine will fit into one of these cars actually gets one and attempts it.

doublethink

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by smithenhiven &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

It will never end, there will always be those who instantly think the owner should butcher it. It's a shame, I hope no such person who actually thinks an F engine will fit into one of these cars actually gets one and attempts it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

get an image of an S and an s2000 next to one another to illustrate

OP: nice find.

powerflow

Damn that looks like a mighty nice find. Did you find that in the TX area? Are you going with the OG color?

turnsignalandy

I was just joking around. I want to see it fully restored, even though it already looks really good.

ekim

I might be a little late adding my two cents, but your car looks amazing! (I'm very jealous of your luggage rack, and hartop)
Does the parts car you mention have a motor in it too? That would be an added bonus if you need some stupid random part. Mine somehow LOST the "oil check valve" inside the front engine case. And I would like to slap the guy who forgot to put it back in all those years ago.
Good luck, keep us posted on the progress!

medstudent

thanks.

I'm not even sure what's on the parts car other than the hardtop that now sits on my silver S. From my understanding, there's a frame, there's a blown motor, there's a new diff with clutch, steering wheel might be there, no interior. I'm still waiting for the key to be mailed for the silver S. He claims the motor is good and the carbs just needs to be sync'd.

As for all the F20 swap demands, didn't someone in Australia already swap an F20C into it?

Other swaps that I recall are a Fiat motor, a Volvo motor, and someone slapped a Skyline inline-6 motor (no hood or front for obvious reasons).

I wanted to swap a CBR motor into the parts car, but I'll probably hold off on that until the silver S is fully restored.