Aussie S600 convertible
 

The White car on the left was purchased as a parts car for the Green car on the right. However, the body of the parts car turned out to be much more original. The green one was fairly bad in comparison. So the green one was moved on and the White one became the base for restoration. This project commenced about 2002

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

The carburetors appear to be from a CB Honda motorcycle. Very inventive, but did not work very well. The engine bay was painted in black bitumen. The car although White was originally Red.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

The body, even though coated in decades of repaint and dirt and dust is actually a completely original undamaged body. All original panels, seams, overlaps etc. A great find. So, even though the body is dead straight and original, there are multiple rust breakouts most likely due to the car being stored under a tarp on a paved area, or lawn. And yes, S8 H O N D A badges were installed on the nose cone, thus, all the holes. These will have to go.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

The body after sandblasting and rust repairs.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

The chassis, 40 years of hard work and road grime. Several of the body mount bolts broke off and had to be drilled out and re-tapped.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

The chassis is now a more pretty chassis. Sand blasted, zinc primed and then powder coated. I guess the silly bit is that after the car is assembled, the chassis will really not be seen again.

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In for the build!

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Muddy oil, very nice

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

For some very bizarre reason, the overlap rounds down to the rear panel had rust. I have seen a few images of other S cars with this problem. But it appears to be an indiscriminate outcome. Rust cut out and new section created.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

After repairs, but then finding the S8 boot lid has a slightly different lower lip profile to that of an S6 lid. The S8 lid sits on the S6 tail lamps. Have to find another S6 boot lid.:cry:

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

This early Honda dealer in Australia was mostly Motorcycle and then later a few cars. Based at Balgowlah NSW, the interest to me is that the dealership was close to me, but I was also lucky to buy a job lot of new parts from them about 30 years ago, before they retired the dealership. There is now a shopping centre on the site.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Stripping down two engines to collate the best parts. Lots of stripped threads, rusted studs and incorrect (non metric) nuts and bolts. Also broken rings and nasty scores in some of the the cylinder liners. Fun ahead.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Man this is a really cool build. Is the chassis just like a bolt on to the body or something? How hard was it to take it all apart like that?

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Yep, the body bolts onto the chassis with a few dozen bolts. Pulling the car apart is the easy bit as long as you bag and document everything as you go. In retrospect, a few more detail photos of how things looked before dissasembly would be more helpful towards the rebuild.:thud:

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Just hoping that these New Old Stock 55.5mm pistons can be used in one of my sets of cylinder liners. If so, I need to find some new rings and new gudgeon pins.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Is this the green one Ricky ended up with?

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

Yes, an unfortunate piece of junk. It had more hits than Elvis. The entire front end was pop riveted on, from multiple donor cars.

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So, with regard to my prior post about the Nos 55.5mm pistons I have. Finding ring sets, gudgeons and circlips for them is not the hard part.
The hard part is convincing the bank to refinance the mortgage to cover the 828 Euro ( approximately 1035 Au) required to buy them.
The cars when new were little more than two times this price.
A whole new set of pistons complete with extras can be had from Mr Ortman for about half the price.

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Fortunately I bought them when the aussie dollar was stronger. I must have saved $50. Yipee

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Working on the underneath is easier the other way up.

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Looking at the upturned body, it amazes me just how many pieces of pressed and shaped metal go into making an S body. Without attempting to count, there would be around 100 separate sections which comprise the finished shell. The spotwelds would have to number into the several hundred.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

How has it gone this year MT? Any luck with the rings?

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Been working seven days a week since mid June. No work on the car. Will have to buy a set of piston / rings etc from Mr Ortmann. It will be the most economical outcome. Then I just have to work out what to do with the NOS pistons, maybe someone has NOS rings of the same size.

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Hopefully work will settle down and you can get some time to yourself this year. Maybe at some time Honda will produce a run of new rings.
You'll be happy to know you've turned me into a S6 tragic.

Re: Aussie S600 convertible
 

That is what these cars do to you, but once up and running, you will be caught for life.