Matt's n600 rebuild project log

[Matt Timion]

With all of the other rebuild threads I thought I would start my own. This is for my Honda n600:

http://www.gassavers.org/files/gassavers/n600/P1010051.jpg

I recently sandblasted the rims and removed as much rust as I could fathom with a wirebrush. I then repainted them with silver wheel paint and also clearcoated them. I will soon be putting the hubcaps back on.

Last week I had a problem where my n600 wouldn't get above 15mph. I replaced the spark plugs, points and condenser, fuel filter, and spark plug wires (much harder than you realize on this car). I am going to replace the oil filter soon.

Although I don't have pictures, today I received a new airbox and fan assembly for my Honda n600. it is the proper one for my year, so I'll be able to utilize the carb heater as it was intended. I took the parts to the car wash today to remove 30 years of caked on oil. I'd say it was mainly a success.

This weekend I will sandblast the airbox and repaint it gloss black. I may also sandblast the heater blower motor and do the same.

Pictures to follow.

[SVOboy]

With all of the other rebuild threads I thought I would start my own.

:p

I like it, y0! Figure out the brake booster issue yet?

[Matt Timion]

With all of the other rebuild threads I thought I would start my own.

:p

I like it, y0! Figure out the brake booster issue yet?

There really is no issue. I was just asking about it. Another n600 enthusiast removed his brake booster all together because he could not find parts to rebuild it. He claims to have not noticed a loss in stopping power.

SVOBoy and I were talking about finding a replacement Brake Booster in the event mine goes out. I need to do a little research and find one that is compatible.

[SVOboy]

I thought the plan was all stock, ;)

[Diemaster]

i still think u should drop a 3 cyl geo metro in there :P or even a D16Z6 W/ M@d VTECK y0 :P lol car was over 20 years old hen vtec came out 8o

good job so far :) more engine pics. i am curious as to what a 2 cyl looks like :P

[Matt Timion]

Today I went to the junkyard looking for a new bracket for my coil. While I didn't find anything that was exactly the same I did find something that worked. I used the coil bracket from a 81 Accord. It's actually completely different than mine but it works. It will work fine until I manage to get my hands on a real one.

Tonight I took two parts of my n600 out to be redone.

http://www.gassavers.org/files/gassavers/n600/airbox_before.jpg
http://www.gassavers.org/files/gassavers/n600/blower_motor_before.jpg

Well, actually the airbox was new. My sedan came with the wrong airbox, and a mangled one at that. The airbox above is the correct one for my car, albeit rusted.

The blower motor's function is to blow excess engine heat into the cabin.

I bought a can of black engine enamel so both items could handle the high heat of the engine bay.

I pulled out the sand blasting equipment, goggles, dust mask, etc... and went to work.

I've tried sand blasting twice now and I've decided it is not for me. It's a huge pain in the *** and is no more effective than sanding or using chemical paint stripper. I won't be doing it again unless I actually need to. Oh, and it's messy b/c I don't have a sand blasting booth.

I took some pictures while the parts were being painted but since the parts are black they really didn't show much detail in the pictures.

After painting them and letting them dry I installed them.

First I will show how the engine bay looked when I bought the car.

http://www.gassavers.org/files/gassavers/n600/engine_bay.jpg

Now with the freshly painted parts and a relocated coil:

http://www.gassavers.org/files/gassavers/n600/engine_bay_2.jpg

Oh, another reason to not sandblast is the wind will blow sand into your wet paint. I'm now considering sanding the paint in order to repaint it. ugh.

I'm currently working with someone on getting a rebuilt engine, or at least one a little better than mine.

I inadvertently discovered tonight that the screws used for my hose clamps are the exact same size as the screws that hold the front turn signal lenses in place. i've been looking for this information for a while now. I went to Home Depot tonight and picked up some bolts that are the same size, although the worker told me that these bolts are not rated for car use. I may just go to Autozone tomorrow to get another set.

[DaX]

Awesome thread. Man, I really want one. *pouts*

[Matt Timion]

I just purchased a new upper crankshaft housing on ebay for $50.

It's actually a BRAND NEW item. Some guy must have had this in his garage and finally decided to sell it on ebay. My gain.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/f0_1.th.JPG (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/f0_1.JPG)

This thing just fell into my lap. I just so happened to notice recently that the threads are stripped on this piece on my engine, which is probably the cause of the head gasket leak I'm experiencing. I'll replace this thing, the timing chain, and new gaskets and my engine should be good to go.

[SVOboy]

Nice find, this engine is going to be a frankenstein of new;/old/custom parts, I'm looking forward to it.

[Sludgy]

That old N600 was equipped with a carburetor. If you replace the carb with a throttle body fuel injection system and oxygen sensor from an recent, four-banger, I'll bet it would get upwards of 60 mpg AND have more power too.

[SVOboy]

I think he's gonna restore it all nice and stuff, not modify it, he might be buying another to convert to ev though (i think), so meh. Out of curiosity, how hard/costly would a fuel injection swap cost?

[Matt Timion]

That old N600 was equipped with a carburetor. If you replace the carb with a throttle body fuel injection system and oxygen sensor from an recent, four-banger, I'll bet it would get upwards of 60 mpg AND have more power too.

I would actually be interested in doing this. The problem, of course, is that I would have to get a throttle body/intake manifold custom made, as well as drill a hole in the exhaust manifold to fit an oxygen sensor. Custom fuel maps would have to be made as well to be fitted on a custom ECU. Sensors would have to be retrofitted to work with the car, and I'd have to get a different upper crankcase for it to have a tachometer.

Unless of course they make kits for things like this. I think it would be a very cool conversion, however.

[SVOboy]

Haha, I thought you were taking it back to stock, oops, :p

[Matt Timion]

Haha, I thought you were taking it back to stock, oops, :p

Oh, I am... but I'm still a tweaker at heart.

The carb works and was recently rebuilt, so any modification such as this will have to wait for a while.

A fuel injected n600 would be rather cool though, although it would take lots of work and I don't know how easy it would be to modify an ECU to use only 2 cylinders.

[Sludgy]

I searched for an aftermarket injection system. These folks claim they will custom-build a system for you.

http://www.affordable-fuel-injection.com/index.htm

[Matt Timion]

I removed the front seats and the carpet today. here is the interior:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/n600_interior.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/n600_interior.jpg)

And the old seats:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/n600_old_seats.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/n600_old_seats.jpg)

As you can see, the seats are in pretty bad shape. I am going to order an upholstry set on monday and reupholster the seats myself.

In the mean time I need to get the interior cleaned out. I found 30 year old dirt, old french fries and crumbled up fruit loops in there. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to clean it as my vaccuum cleaner isn't too good at stuff like this.

I'm also working right now on making my own carpet. I have a huge roll that I'm going to cut new carpet out of. I will be using the old carpet as a template and adding snaps to my new carpet so that it will snap into the same location as the old carpet. I will be using the same padding as before b/c buying new padding is ridiculously expensive.

Pictures of carpet progress tomorrow.

[Matt Timion]

I give up on the carpet. I have spent $25 on the carpet and about $15 in snaps to make it work. I spent a few hours today cutting the carpet so it is perfect and much to my surpise, it wasn't perfect. It didn't fit right and I could get the snaps to work with the carpet.

So I'm just going to throw in the towel on this one and order an after market carpet set instead of making my own.

I need to just stick to the stuff I know how to do from now on.

[SVOboy]

Nothing wrong with learning. PS: Aftermarket carpets fitment is poor, and most people end up taking them to a shop anyway. You have to heat and mold, I believe.

[MetroMPG]

been there matt - it's tough to do.

my first car was a 1964 pontiac catalina, and i replaced the carpet with "flat" aftermarket carpet off a roll. it never fit right. but i left it in because it looked a little better than the disintegrated crud that was in there before. believe it or not, i didn't know at the time that moulded aftermarket carpets were even an option :)

[DaX]

Good luck reupholstering the seats. I did it to my 88 Civic a few months ago...took me all day, but they look great.

[Matt Timion]

Just order the upholstery yesterday for the seats. They look like this:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats1.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats1.jpg)
http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats2.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats2.jpg)


and they SHOULD look like this once installed:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats3.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/seats3.jpg)

[DaX]

That looks awesome! Where did you order from - is it custom, do they only have kits for N600s, or do they have kits for many cars?

[Matt Timion]

That looks awesome! Where did you order from - is it custom, do they only have kits for N600s, or do they have kits for many cars?

I ordered through a guy in San Diego. He is a fellow n600 enthusiast and gets these direct from an upholstery shop local to him.

It's a good deal for the price. Much cheaper than katskinz or other seat covers. I'm certain that if you wanted your seats to look like this that you could probably get an upholstery shop to make something up for you.

It will probably cost a bit however to have them installed. A fellow n600 owner has these exact covers installed for him and it cost $250 to have it installed. That's why I'm going to try to install them myself :)

[Matt Timion]

Argh.

I tried to velcro the carpet in and I decided it wasn't going to happen. I ordered the expensive carpet set from a guy in North Carolina. With any luck the new seat upholstery will be here this week as well.

[MetroMPG]

matt - you've probably seen this before, but here's a guy in the netherlands with some great classic honda photos.

http://home.hetnet.nl/~h-a-68/index.html

[Matt Timion]

Today I took one of my front bumpers in to Salt Lake Chrome (http://www.saltlakechrome.com/index.html). I have two front bumpers and two rear bumpers. One of my rear bumpers is fine, and both of my front bumpers need serious help. I took the better of the two in and am having them straighten it and rechrome it.

For the amount they are charging it had better look better than new.

Who knew that chroming something was so damn expensive?

I'll have pictures up in like 3 weeks when it's done.

[DaX]

Today I took one of my front bumpers in to Salt Lake Chrome (http://www.saltlakechrome.com/index.html). I have two front bumpers and two rear bumpers. One of my rear bumpers is fine, and both of my front bumpers need serious help. I took the better of the two in and am having them straighten it and rechrome it.

For the amount they are charging it had better look better than new.

Who knew that chroming something was so damn expensive?

I'll have pictures up in like 3 weeks when it's done.

My first car was a 1973 Porsche 914, with chrome front and rear bumpers. One of the last things I did for the restoration was take the bumpers [rust in spots, ding'd to hell, barely reflected light] to Southern Bumper Exchange - a rechroming outfit. The tally was $530 for both bumpers, but when I got them home two weeks later and pulled the paper off of them, it was SO worth it. Straight as an arrow and mirrors is the best way I can describe it. They far exceeded my expectations...even the terrible dents were undetectable.

Be sure to post up pictures...I hope you're as pleased with yours as I was with mine.

[Matt Timion]

I had a bit of a revelation the other day. I used to have the plan on rebuilding this engine. The fact is, however, the cheapest engine rebuild will be $2200. THe better engine rebuild (with a new crankshaft) will be $3500. That's just ridiculous.

What I'm going to do instead is order a new cam chain and head gasket and replace them myself. I will then wait for the engine to die. It could take years afterall. When this engine dies I will then decide if I want to convert it to electric, or maybe try to fit a 1.5L engine in there.

[SVOboy]

Get a 1.2 and pop it in there. Makes sense to me. You could prolly get a d15z1 in there though, but it'd be a waste of power.

[Matt Timion]

Get a 1.2 and pop it in there. Makes sense to me. You could prolly get a d15z1 in there though, but it'd be a waste of power.

Do you mean the engine from the civic 1200? It's possible... I have a friend with a CVCC in Texas and he promised me the engine if i want it. I kind of wonder though if I'd be better off going electric at that point.

I could always try to put an engine from a geo metro in there at this point. The smaller the better IMO.

[RGR...]

The problem, of course, is that I would have to get a throttle body/intake manifold custom made, as well as drill a hole in the exhaust manifold to fit an oxygen sensor. Custom fuel maps would have to be made as well to be fitted on a custom ECU. Sensors would have to be retrofitted to work with the car, and I'd have to get a different upper crankcase for it to have a tachometer.

Unless of course they make kits for things like this. I think it would be a very cool conversion, however.


Most of these things are going to be easier that you assume, I've done
some stuff that "they" said was impossible, and I'd be glad to help!

As for a TBI setup, you could get one from a 4 cylinder that is almost
twice as big in cubic inches, just use 2 opposed spots on the coil
pack possibly, custom TBI intakes would be probably no more than a
custom spacer but as for sizing I'd like to see cubic inch and RPM
stats on this engine, is it a 600 CC size? Most TBI setups are
speed-density or an even simpler version of that type, with some
porting and hot-rod style mods, a mild regrind cam (for mileage) and
proper injector sizing, I bet we could use a 1000 CC Geo Metro 3
cylinder TBI setup with a smaller injector size and/or adjustable
FPR. Higher CR and reduced pumping losses could really add up to a
hot ultra-miler! You could just use an inductive pickup for the tach...

The trick to injector sizing is to look at the bigger engine setups
that use mutiple injectors of smaller sizes, and try and find (for
your donor) a single barrel setup that will easily convert to this.

I'll give you my # if you wanna brainstorm some of this Matt.
In an email of course :D

[Matt Timion]

I'll think about it RGR. Right now I'd like to focus on restoring this thing before I go all frankenstein on it.

I've been talking with some people about throwing another engine in there once this one is dead. I have a few ideas that might pan out. It could be a very fun project.

BTW, I have family in Terre Haute, IN. I'm there every year or two.

[Matt Timion]

Received the seat upholstery yesterday. I enthusiastically installed one seat, and now that I've settled down I need to take it off and do it again the right way. It doesn't look too bad, but it could look better.

I also had to try to track down "hog rings" today, which was next to impossible. After going to Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Sutherlands (like home depot) and Autozone, I decided to just get some on ebay. They should be here in a few days.

In the mean time I need to fix a few things on the seat, so I should be okay with time.

At the junkyard today I obtained some seatbelt material to construct a new webbing under the foam of the seat. It will prevent the person in the seat from falling through the seat, which would be bad.

I'll take some pictures tomorrow of the seat in it's most raw form.

[DaX]

What are hog rings? Are they the metal rings that hold the upholstry together under the seat? Couldn't you just scavenge some from a junk yard?

[Matt Timion]

What are hog rings? Are they the metal rings that hold the upholstry together under the seat? Couldn't you just scavenge some from a junk yard?

This is exactly what they are. I would just reuse my old ones, but in order to remove them you essentially have to destroy the ring. Besides, I'd rather just do it right and be able to use my cool new hog ring pliers. :)

[DaX]

Cool, they have pliers for that? =P I reupholstered the seats in my Civic and it was a ***** to reset the old hog rings. I had to use two sets of needle nose...took me all day, but the finished product is bling.

[Matt Timion]

Cool, they have pliers for that? =P I reupholstered the seats in my Civic and it was a ***** to reset the old hog rings. I had to use two sets of needle nose...took me all day, but the finished product is bling.

And now you know why I don't want to do it again. I used the two plier method on the first seat. The thought of re-doing this seat and the other seats frightens me. this is why I don't mind taking an extra day waiting for the materials to arrive :)

[diamondlarry]

If the hog-rings are what I think they are, you'll need to go to a farm supply store. They put them in the pig's snout to keep them from digging things up when they root with thier noses. Might not be any too close in the big city though.:-(

[Matt Timion]

If the hog-rings are what I think they are, you'll need to go to a farm supply store. They put them in the pig's snout to keep them from digging things up when they root with thier noses. Might not be any too close in the big city though.:-(

Big city? Salt Lake City? You drive for 30 minutes in any direction and you're in the farm.

That being said, I think you're right about the alternative use. I did wondery why they kept saying "great for auto upholstery or farm use." Now I know the actual application... cool!

I should be getting my hog rings in the mail tomorrow or Thursday. Ebay is wonderful :)

[DaX]

Do post pictures...I want to see these pliers and the finished job with the upholstery.

[Matt Timion]

Some progress tonight.

The other day I received the upholstery for the seats, which I wrote about earlier. I successfully put one seat on, but I noticed a few problems and decided to do it again.

The first picture is of the new "webbing" I created. in the past the seat foam was held on by plastic webbing of sorts with hooks. Over the last 30+ years the plastic slowly broke and was no longer usable. The previous owner (one of them, at least) put a piece of plywood under the foam to hold the seat in.

I decided to get an old seat belt and a gromit kit to fix this problem myself. I used the existing hooks to string this up. The seat is laying on it's back in this picture to illustrate the new webbing.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/webbing.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/webbing.jpg)

My wife accurately described my webbing as "overkill." She's right, but I've always been known to go a little overboard with stuff like this. You can also see in this picture that a portion of the foam on the back of this seat has been replaced. I used the foam pad on the other seat (see previous page) that someone duct taped to it.

The next picture is of the hog rings and the hog ring pliers. I think DaX wanted to see a picture of these. It was amazing how easy it was to put these on. Just put one of the hogrings in the pliers like in the picture, and then just close the pliers around the item. Tomorrow I'll get pictures of the hog rings in their place.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/hog_rings.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/hog_rings.jpg)

And of course, the finished seat:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/finished_seat.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/finished_seat.jpg)

If I have time tomorrow I will do the drivers seat and MAYBE the rear bench.

[krousdb]

And of course, the finished seat:

If I have time tomorrow I will do the drivers seat and MAYBE the rear bench.



Wow Matt! That looks like a professional job! Good luck on the other seats.

[DaX]

It looks excellent. You should be very proud of the job. I like the inventiveness of the seatbelt for suspension webbing. Thanks for posting pictures of the hog ring pliers...now I understand how they work.

[Matt Timion]

It looks excellent. You should be very proud of the job. I like the inventiveness of the seatbelt for suspension webbing. Thanks for posting pictures of the hog ring pliers...now I understand how they work.

Just finished the drivers seat last night. the suspension webbing was also shot on that one, but this time I used one of those "tie downs" used to keep stuff on a trailer or the bed of a truck. I'll post pictures of the two seats later.

I've hurt myself so much reupholstering these seats. 4 bleeding cuts and a sore elbow. I literally was an inch away from poking my eye out with needle nose pliers the other night.

I totally understand why people charge a few hundred dollars to install these things.

[diesel_geek]

Matt,

I'm starting a restoration/customization on a '71 n600 could you send me some contact info on where you got the upholstery and anything else for that matter.

I know about www.the600shop.com . I think we'll order a rebuild kit from them.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark Kendrick

[Matt Timion]

Email me at matt@gassavers.org and I'll be happy to put you in touch with some people.

You can get a carpet set, upholstery for the seats, as well as lots of used goodies from various people. Parts are actually very affordable right now.

Which rebuild kit are you going to get from www.honda600shop.com? They offer engine rebuild kits and a few others as well. If you're looking to get your engine rebuilt for you, I know of a guy in california who can do it for a good price.

Anyway, email me and I'll let you know.

[Matt Timion]

The carpet arrived today, which means I'll be able to install it sometime tomorrow if I'm lucky. I also finished upholstering the back seats today, which means I should be able to have the carpet AND the seats in by tomorrow afternoon.

I'm excited :)

[Matt Timion]

Carpet and seats are in. I'll be taking pictures tomorrow, as soon as I lick my wounds.

[Matt Timion]

Called Salt Lake Chrome again today. The bumper was supposed to be done on Tuesday, and they're telling me that it will be done on Monday.

I guess that patience really is a virtue when restoring a car. I'm going to adjust my carpet today so that it's pretty, so look for a few pictures later this afternoon or tonight.

[Ryland]

Polaris makes an ATV (4 wheeler) called The Sportsman 700 Twin EFI, that sounds like it might be about as close to cheap fuel injection that you will be able to find for an engine that size.
any idea on the estamated gas mileage you are going to be able to get? I should have a honda 600 at some point this year, the friend that I'm getting it from had some health problems and stoped returning phone calls for 6+ months.

[Matt Timion]

Polaris makes an ATV (4 wheeler) called The Sportsman 700 Twin EFI, that sounds like it might be about as close to cheap fuel injection that you will be able to find for an engine that size.
any idea on the estamated gas mileage you are going to be able to get? I should have a honda 600 at some point this year, the friend that I'm getting it from had some health problems and stoped returning phone calls for 6+ months.

When it came out the n600 was getting around 40mpg. I've heard of people getting it around 50mpg, but that's about as high as it will go in stock form. I think it would require EFI to get above that. The downside is that leaner mixture will cause excessive heat. Without water cooling I have no idea how to handle the heating problem.

I think the only real solution is to find another engine that will fit inside.

[Diemaster]

HEY!! hows it going? no update for a while :(

[Matt Timion]

HEY!! hows it going? no update for a while :(
Just got it out today and put the newly rechromed bumped on it:

http://www.gassavers.org/pictures/gassavers/n600/bumper.jpg

here's a picture of the new upholstery and interior:

http://www.gassavers.org/pictures/gassavers/n600/interior.jpg

Turns out the bumper supports are crooked, so I either need to get new ones or straighten it out. I'm guessing one of the previous owners crashed into something, which would explain the smashed bumpers and dents in the front.

Ugh.

[MetroMPG]

nice to see some action here again.

[DaX]

The chromed bumper looks amazing, as do the seats!

[MetroMPG]

fyi...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4631382724

[Matt Timion]

fyi...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4631382724

I saw that the other day. It's in REALLY good shape from the looks of it. If anyone wants a n600 and you live in TX, this is a great one to get.

Look like no rust either. I'm jealous.

[DaX]

Wow that looks really clean. *sigh* There's no way I'd be able to get it now though.

[Matt Timion]

Wow that looks really clean. *sigh* There's no way I'd be able to get it now though.

The one I was originally going to buy in Chicago is back up on ebay.

I bet you can get it REALLY cheap (~$700 max).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-600-Honda-600-s_W0QQitemZ4633302302QQcategoryZ6260QQrdZ1QQcmdZVi ewItem

[Matt Timion]

Did some work today.

I first went about trying to figure out why the turn signals don't work.

To understand how the n600 turn signals work you have to understand how a string of old christmas lights work. Remember what used to happen back in the 50s-80s when you pulled one bulb out? The entire string of lights went out. The same is true for the n600 turn signals. If one is out, they all are.

I wasn't sure if the problem was wiring or a dead bulb.

I connected a wire I found disconnected and then fired up the car to see if that solved it. It didn't.

I then took each bulb out and tested it with a multimeter to see if there was continuity. I dropped one bulb in the process and broke it.

Somehow taking all of the bulbs out and putting them back in did the trick.

Now for the fuel sender. My car always says, "empty," which is rather annoying. So I started by propping the back of the car up because there is almost zero room under that car.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/rearup.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/rearup.jpg)

The next step was to drain the gasoline. The drain bolt wouldn't come undone, so I had to siphon it.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/siphon.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/siphon.jpg)

Convinced the tank was empty, I decided to drop the gas tank. I first had to raise the car even higher because there was STILL no room under the car.

A few inches higher I finally dropped the tank and gas started pooring EVERYWHERE. Look like the tank wasn't empty after all.

Here is the tank. To give you an example of how small a 6 gallon tank is, I put my hat on top of it:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/tankhat.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/tankhat.jpg)

Long story short, the fuel sender is missing the top of the unit that has the wires coming off of it. I tried testing it with a mutlimeter but it kept acting funny. I either need to replace it or figure out a way to get it to work.

The plan is to get this car working and registered by the end of this coming week so that I can drive it while I'm doing my engine swap on the Civic.

With any luck I'll be taking out the entire exhaust tomorrow (rust and all) and replacing it with a clean exhaust that came with the car.

[krousdb]

I finally dropped the tank and gas started pooring EVERYWHERE.

Ouch! Your first gaslog is gonna look ugly!

[MetroMPG]

matt - how much does the car weigh?

the EV list has been chattering about this car all week - suitability for conversion, etc.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ev-list-archive/ if you're interested (use the search thing)

[SVOboy]

It weighs 1400, dunnit matt?

[MetroMPG]

one of the funniest honda 600 stories that came off the EVDL was...

In the summer of 1972, I had a part time job as a gas jockey. One of my regular customers drove a big old Oldsmobile. He was a huge fellow, easily 6' 6" and probably close to 300 lb. One day he rolled up in his new car - a Honda 600! Watching this big guy unfold himself from that car (and then refold himself to fit) was a treat.

He swore that once he'd put the car on ;-) it was quite comfortable.

[Matt Timion]

matt - how much does the car weigh?

the EV list has been chattering about this car all week - suitability for conversion, etc.

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ev-list-archive/ if you're interested (use the search thing)

IT weighs 1212lbs. This is the reason I wanted to convert it to electric a while ago.

You'll run into some obstacles though. The transmission is part of the engine, so there is no way to mount the transmission to the new electric motor. The way Tom Rapini got around this was by taking the cylinder head off of the engine and running a chain to the crankshaft and powering the motor that way.

I'd much rather find a different transmission and make custom axles than go through all of that work.

[MetroMPG]

the biggest challenge is fitting all the lead in there if you want both range and to preserve the back seats!

[Matt Timion]

the biggest challenge is fitting all the lead in there if you want both range and to preserve the back seats!

If you want to preserve the back seats it's next to impossible.

Honestly though, a full grown adult cannot fit in the back seats of this car. I tried to fit myself in it yesterday and I just started laughing. It's SO SMALL.

If this car ever goes electric the back seats are coming out.

You also will have ot upgrade the rear shocks to account for the extra weight of the car.

I personally think it's probably better to get a much more modern car for an EV conversion. Parts for the n600 are becoming more and more difficult to find. Parts for a Geo Metro, however, can be found at any junkyard.

[MetroMPG]

true but the n600 has way more character. that counts for something. all depends what you're going for.

[Matt Timion]

true but the n600 has way more character. that counts for something. all depends what you're going for.

This is a major selling point for the n600, one which I definately agree with.

[Matt Timion]

Just spent a few hours trying to get the fuel sending unit to work, and it does :)

Here is how it looked last night:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/fuelsender.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/fuelsender.jpg)

On the right side of the picture you can see two connections. One is a tab and one is a circular looking thing. The circular thingis supposed to have a wire coming out of it, but someone cut it at the source.

I ended up soldering a big glob of solder on it and then connecting a wire. Much to my amazement, it works.

All I have left to do is replace the exhaust and then put the gastank and rear bumper back on and this thing should be ready to be inspected for safety in order to be allowed for registration.

I'm so excited :) SQUEEEL!

[Ryland]

reading about your n600 makes me drool, I talked to the guy who I'm getting 1.5 of them from, and he says that now that the mud is gone from the road to the shed he'll be heading out there to dig them out, I can't wait, and I feel lucky, because we don't have any inspections here, as long as you don't give the cops a reason to stop you, you are good!

I have to agree on the n600 being a better gas car then an EV, there just isn't the space, and reenforcing it for the weight would suck, seems like finding a spare engine to tweek would be the best answer, I still think that EFI from something like those 700cc ATV's would be a close fit.

[Matt Timion]

UPDATE!

I managed to get the fuel sender working. After a few hours of trying to get solder to stick to it, I decided to change my soldering iron's bit and it suddenly worked.

Who knew that a 7 year old soldering iron tip needed replacing? :jawdrop:

So here it is in action:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/dmm.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/dmm.jpg)

here's a close up of the handy work:

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/fuelsender_fixed.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/fuelsender_fixed.jpg)

Today's goal was to swap out the exhaust. I have a spare exhaust in the garage that the previous owner gave me. Unfortunately it turns out that it was removed from a donor car with a sawsall, so I decided to just salvage the muffler.

Here is a comparison of the old vs new muffler. The "new" one is on the top.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/oldvsnew.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/oldvsnew.jpg)

Before I installed it (a bigger pain than I expected... who knew that 30 year old rust doesn't like to budge?) I used my air ocmpressor to blow out as much of the crap in there as possible. The muffler was blowing out years of black powder. I'm certain there are still leaves and other debris in there. Hopefully this won't be a problem.

Oh, and here's a shot of the old muffler that proves it goes to church every sunday.

http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/holy.th.jpg (http://images6.theimagehosting.com/albums/88/holy.jpg)

It's holy, get it?

[Matt Timion]

Update!

I re-installed the gas tank today and it runs!

I also managed to get the wiring correct for the fuel gauge, so I can tell if I'm running low or not.

Sadly something is rattling very loudly when I first start the car. It's either my gas tank or my exhaust. It could be my exhaust hitting the rear axle which is really close by.

I will soon be replacing the sway-bar bushings and I'll be ready to get this thing registered! I'm so excited.

Any suggestions for a custom license plate?

I was thinking of "71 AN600"

[Silveredwings]

Good job with the gas tank. I just drained a about 5 gallons of old gas from a car's tank. It didn't seem to have varnish in it so I'll try it in the lawn mower, but that'll use only about a quart. I'm not sure what to do with that much questionable gas.

FWIW, early Civics (late '70s) had such intermittent fuel gauges that several owners I knew took the commonly used approach and based refueling time on the odometer.

[Danno]

Looks like a fun project! :D

[Diemaster]

Any suggestions for a custom license plate?

I was thinking of "71 AN600"


gassavers.com ? :P

got gas ?

muchmpg

lol cant think of anymore :D

[Compaq888]

how about this one?

"006"

it would be a nice code name. I'm sure 007 is taken.

[SVOboy]

Alec Trevalyn might kick his *** if he used 006

[Compaq888]

Alec Trevalyn might kick his *** if he used 006

Alec who????

you could maybe use MT600, or even MTN600

[SVOboy]

In Goldeneye, Alec Trevalyn is 006 until he becomes evil and is called Janis.

[Matt Timion]

Replaced the sway bar bushings today and trouble shooted the water pump for the windshield washers.

Did you know that the water pump is actually hand powered? You push in the wiper switch and it has a small pocket of washer fluid that it then sprays onto the windshield. I'll try to take a picture if I can, but it's just so funny.

I also removed a lot of rust today and inadvertently figured out that the rust remover also removed the cheap paint that someone used on the rear drivers side. I might try to remove all of the cheap paint so the original color will be exposed instead of this off-yellow color.

Today I also found and destroyed a wasp nest that was in the door jam of the driver's side door. Oddly I just did this EXACT same thing the other day on my civic.

This thing should be ready to be inspected tomorrow. I just need to straighten out the front bumper mount and then get the rear bumper in place.

[Matt Timion]

it passed safety. The guy at Jiffy Lube loved the car. He said I actually had to replace the wiper blades, but he passed me anyway out of respect :P

I tried to show off the engine and forgot that this thing gets REALLY hot REALLY fast. I pulled back my finger from the hood latch due to the heat and I cut it pretty bad on the grill. The guy got me a towel and a bandaid.

This week's blood has begun.

it hurts to type...

[Matt Timion]

Despite every emissions station I've visited saying that this vehicle is exempt from emissions testing, the lady at the DMV didn't believe me.

So now I'm on the hunt for documentation to back up my claim. If I can't find it soon I'll be going back to Jiffy lube and praying that it passes.

[95metro]

Why is it considered exempt? Age, engine size, other?

[Matt Timion]

Why is it considered exempt? Age, engine size, other?

Engine size and number of cylinders. Smaller engines like this just don't pass the emissions.

Certain motorcycles are the same way.

If this thing were 4 years older it would be exempt automatically.

I just got off of the phone with a guy that works for the state and i need to take it down to a state inspection station. They'll give me a waiver there. Hopefully this will all be taken care of today.

[Matt Timion]

Just got back from the state air pollution office. They took a look under the hood and gave me a certificate exempting me from emissions testing.

It was the first time I've driven that car around town. It is so freaking loud I was embarrassed. A few people yelled, "COOL CAR!" at me though, which was sorta cool.

I drove it to the honda dealership and asked if anyone wanted to see it. The girl at the parts counter said, "no, all of the guys here are into 99 Civic SI's."

Oh yeah, something is wrong with this car. I think I went through a quarter tank or so of gas today... at least according to the meter which could be completely inaccurate. Then again the tank holds 6 gallons.

[Silveredwings]

Oh yeah, something is wrong with this car. I think I went through a quarter tank or so of gas today... at least according to the meter which could be completely inaccurate. Then again the tank holds 6 gallons.

I'd just check for leaks (fuel tank, fuel lines, pump diaphram, etc.), or carb bowl overflow. Does it smoke?

[thisisntjared]

I drove it to the honda dealership and asked if anyone wanted to see it. The girl at the parts counter said, "no, all of the guys here are into 99 Civic SI's."i dont get it. why the 99 si? 06 is sooo much better...

anyway ive been meaning to tell you, i test drove my fiancee's grandfathers '65 falcon ranchero on sunday. no seat belts, 3spd on the column, 200ci (i think) inline 6, 4 corner drumb brakes... o man what an experience! i have respect for the older cars. even though they are sooo not safe, it was still fun to drive it even though i never got over 50.

[Matt Timion]

I'd just check for leaks (fuel tank, fuel lines, pump diaphram, etc.), or carb bowl overflow. Does it smoke?

No smoke at all. I'm guessing the carb was never adjusted properly, and I'm sure that the timing is off as well. It could be a number of things causing this. It could even just be a bad gas gauge.

[DaX]

i dont get it. why the 99 si? 06 is sooo much better...

I totally disagree. Once Honda goes back to dual wishbone suspension front and rear, then I'll be back on the new car bandwagon. :)

[thisisntjared]

I totally disagree. Once Honda goes back to dual wishbone suspension front and rear, then I'll be back on the new car bandwagon. :)good call. however, i am in love with the k series.

[DaX]

good call. however, i am in love with the k series.

Oh me too...totally. But we can put those in everything from a 1988 forward now, so as long as I have a Civic pre-macpherson strut, I can also have a K in it. It totally breaks laws of physics about having cake and eating it too, doesn't it? :D

[thisisntjared]

Oh me too...totally. But we can put those in everything from a 1988 forward now, so as long as I have a Civic pre-macpherson strut, I can also have a K in it. It totally breaks laws of physics about having cake and eating it too, doesn't it? :Dyea, im going to not thread jack matts awesome project though look for the k post.

[Matt Timion]

I've been driving the n600 for the past few days. I'm loving it. I get lots of funny looks and a few thumbs up from other drivers.

One guy ahead of me stopped and pulled over to the side of the road only to get right behind me. I'm pretty sure he just wanted a look at the car.

I just received another package in the mail yesterday which contains the rear seat bracket I've been wanting. Now I can finally put the rear seat in and have the interior be almost complete.

[Silveredwings]

I'm not sure if you saw this but when I did, your thread came to mind...
http://www.autoweek.com/files/specials/2005_sema/gallerys/sema/pages/09.htm

[Matt Timion]

Drove the n600 for a long trip yesterday. On the way there it was the best it's ever run. On the way back it was the worst it's ever run. It had a really difficult time accelerating and I had what felt like timing issues.

I'm also pretty certain that the carb is running really rich so the plugs might be fowled by now.

[Matt Timion]

Something is majorly wrong with the n600... well, it could be minor, but any time I misfire all of the time, stall when idling, and lose the ability to accelerate when a giant SUV is behind me, I consider it a major problem.

It could be something as simple as the points jarring loose, or the spark plugs going bad (after 300 miles... yeah, that sounds gooood).

So I've decided that after I finish the basement, redo the kitchen, and move my office out to the garage I'm going to convert this badboy to electric. I'm going to start saving now so it can be an AC motor and Lithium Ion batteries if at all possible.

I think I'm going to keep my old transmission from the sedan to use for the EV conversion. I'll just get some custom axles made up, or I'll learn to weld and make them myself.

Anyway, for now the plan is to see if the engine is in need of help or if it's something simple.

[The Toecutter]

So I've decided that after I finish the basement, redo the kitchen, and move my office out to the garage I'm going to convert this badboy to electric.

YAY!

I'm going to start saving now so it can be an AC motor and Lithium Ion batteries if at all possible.

That would be a $30,000 conversion.

I'd recommend you get a little bit of experience with using EV batteries first. Most people kill their first pack, and I expect to kill mine. Much better to destroy a $1,000 pack of wet cells than a $20,000 pack of lithium ions!

Metric Mind sells their 107 horsepower AC motor/inverter combination for about $7,000. This will require a high voltage pack to operate, meaning you'll need lots of small batteries. Like 25 or more Exide Orbital AGMs, maybe($2,500+ battery pack).

A Li Ion conversion of this car would do about 120-150 miles per charge at 65 mph highway speeds(more around town).

With about 1,000 pounds of lead acid batteries, it would do about 50-60 miles per charge at 65 mph highway speeds, with those basic aeromods that don't alter exterior vehicle appearance, 0 degree camber alignment, corrected brakes so there's no brake drag, synthetic transmission oil, and LRR tires.

But you'd want to size your battery pack so that typical use doesn't discharge it more than 50%. So if you have a commute of 20 miles per day and about 10 miles a day for errands, you'd want to size your pack for at least 60 miles range.

A lead acid battery might only last 200 cycles discharged to 80%, but over 2,000 cycles discharged to 30%.

If you want to use a regularly available AC drive, the high voltage will necessitate AGMs. This means you'll need a battery management system and a charger suited for AGM batteries. Metric Mind sells the Brusa Charger, that works perfectly with AGMs. But it's expensive.

You could do a comparable DC conversion quite a bit cheaper, but you won't have regenerative braking.

Perhaps if you outline what your goals are, I can start throwing ideas around. You'll definately want to ask the EV list.

[Matt Timion]

Just an update.

I removed the carb bowl yesterday and sprayed the inside with carb cleaner. I might have to take the whole thing apart if the problem persists. I did notice a difference in how the car drives, but it could just be placebo.

I noticed last night that the exhaust isn't bolted on properly, which explains why it always smells like exhaust when I drive. I've been spraying the bolts with liquid wrench in hopes that I'll be able to remove the bolts today.

Looks like the z600 will be mine. Maybe I'll end up paying for it today. It's kind of up in the air exactly what I'm going to do with it. Part of me really wants to keep it as a parts car (because I'm a packrat) but another part of me wants to swap the motors and sell it.

Ah, decisions decisions.

[Gary Palmer]

Matt: Did you ever acquire a high temp propane/mapp torch, when you were working on your wife's oxygen sensor. When you get to rusted exhaust bolt's, you can use that torch to heat the bolt red hot and then you can back the nut's off, get the bolt's out, clean up the threads with a tap and die and put it all back together with the "thread preperation" to keep the bolts from freezing up like they do. I can't remember the name of the "thread preparation", but it's for putting in oxygen sensor's and thing's like that, that get hot, rust and generally become difficult to get loose. It's a silver paste stuff, comes in a tube a little larger than a AA battery, about 4" long. You can get it at PepBoy's. It makes that stuff a lOT easier to get out, if you ever have to remove any of it, again. (Can someone help me out here, I cannot remember the name of that stuff.)

On your n600, if your car sat for a good long time, before you got it, or before you got it running, you might want to put 2 inline fuel filter's between the line from the tank to the carburator. I had a 53 Chevy that I had to put a used tank into and I had to put 2 filter's on it and keep a spare in the glove box, to catch all of the garbage which kept coming down the fuel line. If you have 2, the first one get's plugged quicker, but it also catche's most of the garbage and the second one catch's the last bit. Once I did that, I never had to take the carburator off, to clean it out and all of that business.

Also, if the n600 has point's on it, then it's timing is very susceptible to wear on the point's and as the gap change's, it also changes the timing. If you can find a electronic alternative, you should consider it, because the point's just add a whole additional level of variable's to the timing and it's a constant question mark, or at least it always was, for me.

Does the n600 have a timing belt or a chain?

[Matt Timion]

I never did get the torch, as I kind of just gave up after a while of trying to get the o2 sensor off. We ended up having the guys at Midas do it for us.

The particular bolts I'm having an issue with arn't on the engine itself, but rather are the bolts that connect the exhaust manifold to the exhaust itself. This means that in the worst case scenario I'll be able to just cut the bolts off and get new ones, which might be the preferred method if I can't get these bolts off.

I've been considering adding a second fuel filter. I also might want to get one that doesn't allow for air bubbles. The one I have now has a tiny pocket of air in it and I'm certain this is the cause of my occassional sputters. I'm fairly certain I can use the cheap ones at autozone for this application.

The n600 DOES in fact have points, which I replaced a few months ago. I need to recheck the gap though just to make sure it hasn't shifted on me. I wish I could think of an alternative to the points, but unless I go for a full EFI conversion then I cannot think of a way to eliminate the points.

The n600 has a timing chain, which I probably need to replace considering the vacuum is all the way advanced (probably have a stretched chain).

Matt: Did you ever acquire a high temp propane/mapp torch, when you were working on your wife's oxygen sensor. When you get to rusted exhaust bolt's, you can use that torch to heat the bolt red hot and then you can back the nut's off, get the bolt's out, clean up the threads with a tap and die and put it all back together with the "thread preperation" to keep the bolts from freezing up like they do. I can't remember the name of the "thread preparation", but it's for putting in oxygen sensor's and thing's like that, that get hot, rust and generally become difficult to get loose. It's a silver paste stuff, comes in a tube a little larger than a AA battery, about 4" long. You can get it at PepBoy's. It makes that stuff a lOT easier to get out, if you ever have to remove any of it, again. (Can someone help me out here, I cannot remember the name of that stuff.)

On your n600, if your car sat for a good long time, before you got it, or before you got it running, you might want to put 2 inline fuel filter's between the line from the tank to the carburator. I had a 53 Chevy that I had to put a used tank into and I had to put 2 filter's on it and keep a spare in the glove box, to catch all of the garbage which kept coming down the fuel line. If you have 2, the first one get's plugged quicker, but it also catche's most of the garbage and the second one catch's the last bit. Once I did that, I never had to take the carburator off, to clean it out and all of that business.

Also, if the n600 has point's on it, then it's timing is very susceptible to wear on the point's and as the gap change's, it also changes the timing. If you can find a electronic alternative, you should consider it, because the point's just add a whole additional level of variable's to the timing and it's a constant question mark, or at least it always was, for me.

Does the n600 have a timing belt or a chain?

[DaX]

The stuff you're talking about Gary is Anti-Sieze Compound (the stuff I have has copper colored flakes in it instead of silver though). I use it all over the car, but especially on all my exhaust components.

Points are a *****, there's no other way to put it. I remember CONSTANTLY fighting my points ignition on my Porsche 914. Are you sure there isn't a magneto setup out there for the N/Z600's Matt? I know they had one for the 914 ignition, but I never got it.

[starter]

Hi,
Nice car :)
I'm new on GasSavers. I find it because i plan to buy Ã* honda N600 and i have a question for those who know them.
On the car i saw, there are different numbers between the one below the windscreen (near air cleaner) and the other on front right wing.
On the official papers, this is the number of the front right wing.
The question is, is it a normal situation or not ?
What about your honda N600 ? the numbers are same ?
I didn't check about engine numbers, not the purpose at this time.

Thank you for your advice and sorry for my english :o

[Matt Timion]

Are you sure there isn't a magneto setup out there for the N/Z600's Matt? I know they had one for the 914 ignition, but I never got it.

I have no idea what a magneto setup is... have any links?

[Gary Palmer]

Matt: On your n600, I doubt that the air which is trapped in the fuel filter is causing you any problem's. The carburator has the bowl, which in theory should be almost full of fuel, all of the time, since typically that is where the fuel is pulled from, through to the venturi's. The fuel level can drastically affect whether it run's lean or rich, depending on if it is set a little higher or lower. However the float adjustment addresses that, so that their should be fuel available, all of the time.

On the filter's, if you go to two filter's, all I used to do was buy the generic, disposable filter's and witht two of them, in series, I never had any carburator problem's, after I added the two filter's. I did have times when the car would go into a coughing, spitting, bucking fit, and I would have to pull over, pull the spare filter out of the glove box, but the new filter closest to the carburator and move the one closeset to the carburator, to be closest to the fuel tank. Invariably, when I would try to blow through the filter which had been closest to the tank, it would be almost completely shut off, from the garbage in the tank. Once I'd get the filter update done, then I'd be good to go and I just finally got to where I'd alway's keep a spare filter and screwdriver, in the glove box.

On your car, if it has point's, then I don't think it has a magneto. I know you used to be able to purchase electronic's controller's which would not physically replace the point's, but which would allow the point's to only carry a very small current, instead of the very heavy one which they traditionally used to do. I presume something like that is probably still available, without trying to go to MPFI or something, similar.

[Matt Timion]

I just sent the money for the z600. I'm excited. :)

[MetroMPG]

Cool. Post pics of the puppy. Please.

[Matt Timion]

Cool. Post pics of the puppy. Please.
According to the seller, the following is what was done to the engine. I assumed it was rebuilt by the n600/z600 expert in NC, but the seller rebuilt it. It's really no big deal, assuming it was done right... here is what he said:


The following is what he did.

Head and Cam
Jug with new piston and rings and piston pin
New chain,chain guide roller and Hydraulic Tensioner
new fuel pump.

I also have the HONDA Z360,600 Coupe
Shop Manual that will come with the car.

At present the carburettor is in a box with various other parts that go under hood, are in the car.

Hopefully there are no issues with this and i'll be able to get it running fairly easily. The body appears to be in good shape, so it should clean up nicely.

Oh, here are some pictures that they sent to me:

http://www.gassavers.org/z600/1.jpg
http://www.gassavers.org/z600/3.jpg

[MetroMPG]

I was only joking when I said post pictures of the puppy.

[SVOboy]

It looks like it's being attacked by a mutant blob.

[Matt Timion]

I was only joking when I said post pictures of the puppy.

ROFL... I didn't get the double meaning :)

[The Toecutter]

Keep one car, convert the other to electric.

[Diemaster]

Keep one car, convert the other to electric.

keep one car and put a D16Z6 in the other. a little old school:D they will crap themselves when that old 600 hits vtec :D :rolleyes:

or if the wife gives u fits i can take the other car off your hands:cool: :D

[Matt Timion]

The other day I took the carb apart and cleaned it. putting it back together provided it's own set of problems.

There are four screws holding the carb bowl in place. Only one of them screws tight. The rest keep spinning. Tonight I took the carb off again and removed the lock washers from the screws. Now three of the four screws screw tight.

Can I use something like locktite to fix this?

I started having some serious problems this weekend with the car. Whenever I slowed down or stopped the car would stall. I assumed it was the fuel filter, so I replaced it. I also replaced the fuel line that I have neglected to replace. neither did the trick.

I checked the timing and it is PERFECT.

While putting the carb back on tonight one of the wires on some weird sensor on the carb just broke off. I stripped it and grounded it to a screw nearby. The problem went away. Turns out this may have just been caused by a bad ground, or a ground on it's way out.


Tonight while putting the carb back in

[SVOboy]

Damn son, stick a z1 in there so you can figure out what the hell it wrong with it.

[Matt Timion]

the z600 is supposed to be here on Wednesday. How exciting :)

[budomove]

That z600 is gorgeous. Does it have ANY rust?! Looks clean!
I am ssssoooooooo jealous. What did you pay for it?

[DaX]

Wow. Do you know if the Z has a synchromesh transmission? Does your N have a synchromesh transmission for that matter?

[Matt Timion]

That z600 is gorgeous. Does it have ANY rust?! Looks clean!
I am ssssoooooooo jealous. What did you pay for it?
I think it's rust free... I'm paying $500 for it, plus $765 (ARGH!) to ship it here.

I'm hoping I can fix it up a bit and sell it for much more. Hopefully the new owner won't mind that is going to have a sedan engine in it :)

[budomove]

Is the current engine under its hood from a sedan, or are you swapping the z600 engine into your n600, or something?

[Matt Timion]

Is the current engine under its hood from a sedan, or are you swapping the z600 engine into your n600, or something?

The z600 engine is rebuilt, so I'm going to put it into my n600, along with the tachometer from the z600. I'll then put my spare combo-gauge into the z600 with the n600 engine. With any luck it will be very easy. I'll then do some cosmetic touch-ups and try to sell it for at LEAST cost.

[budomove]

Was it you that reupholstered the n600 seats a while back? If so, you are going to have an all around newer car. Too bad your n600 unlike the z600 has slight rust, doesn't it? The hatch on the z600 looks so much cooler than the back of an n600. :p Please don't chop it, my birthday is january 3rd, not far away at all. :D




edit: I don't mean to dis the n600, i prefer the side view to that of the z600, that looks like an old datsun z. :D

And you missed out on this one. totally rusted out and 6 times more money! :eek:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-AZ600-Coupe-Honda-Z600-Coupe-Coolest-car-on-earth-Collectible_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6260QQihZ00 9QQitemZ190015836795QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[Matt Timion]

Was it you that reupholstered the n600 seats a while back? If so, you are going to have an all around newer car. Too bad your n600 unlike the z600 has slight rust, doesn't it? The hatch on the z600 looks so much cooler than the back of an n600. :p Please don't chop it, my birthday is january 3rd, not far away at all. :D


edit: I don't mean to dis the n600, i prefer the side view to that of the z600, that looks like an old datsun z. :D

And you missed out on this one. totally rusted out and 6 times more money! :eek:


Oh offense taken. Different strokes for different folks.

I personally love the n600 style SO much more than the z600 style. Luckily there are people who agree with you so i'll have a few buyers (hopefully).

Yeah, I did redo the interior of my n600 a while back. After I swap the engine I'm probably going to look into painting the car. I need to replace the drivers side fender and the front bumper mounts as well. With any luck this thing will be ready to enter car shows next year.

[SVOboy]

Aww, no EV roadster for matt, :p

But SRSLY, the reason I could never get interested in cars like that is because I'd end up wanting one of everything because I could never decide what I liked most, :)

[budomove]

Very nice. Maybe laser etch two eyes in the hatch on the z600. It looks like a pair of snorkel goggles. :D I am actually with you on the n600, I just love the hatch on the z600. It just doesn't "jive" with the classy front and datsun z sides. Kind of what makes it interesting though. fresh paint will be nice, and new metal. mmmmm. :cool:

[Matt Timion]

Very nice. Maybe laser etch two eyes in the hatch on the z600. It looks like a pair of snorkel goggles. :D I am actually with you on the n600, I just love the hatch on the z600. It just doesn't "jive" with the classy front and datsun z sides. Kind of what makes it interesting though. fresh paint will be nice, and new metal. mmmmm. :cool:

Hopefully the pictures of the z600 are accurate and the paint is still all pretty like that. All I'll need is a can of rattle can white for some of the small spots, some clearcoat, and buffing and polishing compound.

[Matt Timion]

http://www.gassavers.org/z600/4.jpg

This thing looks so good I'm having second thoughts on using it for parts.

[SVOboy]

Gee that picture sucks.

[budomove]

This thing looks so good I'm having second thoughts on using it for parts. Um, yeah! How in the world did you get it so cheap. It is beautiful.

[DaX]

HAHAHA, man the Z looks great from the side but the back DOES look like a diving mask.

[Matt Timion]

The z600 is here!

Now I just need to figure out how to open the hood.

[budomove]

I will give you my po box number, and I'll figure it out.

[Matt Timion]

http://www.gassavers.org/images/matt/z6001.jpg

[SVOboy]

Dude, I can't believe you're going to butcher that beautiful car.

[Matt Timion]

Dude, I can't believe you're going to butcher that beautiful car.

Nah, I'm not going ot butcher it... I'm going to restore it... kinda...

I'll get it running , put new shocks on it, clean the interior and get all of the wiring correct. It's going to be in better shape when I'm done with it.

[budomove]

Did you figure out any of its problems yet as to why it won't run? Looks Beautiful! You should drive it to its buyer in a clown suit and hand him a balloon instead of the key when he hands you the money...he'll float away and you can get back in your car and drive away.

[Matt Timion]

Did you figure out any of its problems yet as to why it won't run? Looks Beautiful! You should drive it to its buyer in a clown suit and hand him a balloon instead of the key when he hands you the money...he'll float away and you can get back in your car and drive away.

The previous owner said it won't run b/c the breaker assembly, which is also known as the points braker plate. Apparently they go bad after a while on these hondas. Luckily though there is an easy fix available.

I might try to get it running next week sometime :)

[budomove]

Sounds awfully like you scored the car of the century. It looks better than my '91, gotta love that arizona climate. Where/how did you find the z?

[Matt Timion]

Sounds awfully like you scored the car of the century. It looks better than my '91, gotta love that arizona climate. Where/how did you find the z?

I belong to a yahoo group of n600 and z600 owners. Someone posted that they were getting rid ofit, and I jumped on it.

[Matt Timion]

I'm the proud owner of a rebuilt engine for my n600. The plan now is to get the z600 running and sell it asap. I should be able to turn a nice profit on it.

[DaX]

Awesome! That means I may be able to buy a running engine from you!

I think I'm going to buy ANOTHER N in a few weeks, one with less body rust.

[Matt Timion]

Awesome! That means I may be able to buy a running engine from you!

I think I'm going to buy ANOTHER N in a few weeks, one with less body rust.

Hey, log onto messenger, will ya?

[DaX]

can't...not on this computer. I'll be on later...got to run.

[Diemaster]

So when u selling me the n600? :D

[Matt Timion]

http://www.gassavers.org/images/matt/n600/rebuilt_engine1.jpg

http://www.gassavers.org/images/matt/n600/rebuilt_engine2.jpg

Rebuilt engine. Will be shipped on Friday :) Now it's just a matter of finding time to put it in.

[DaX]

Looks pretty snappy!

[schmeep]

just saw an N600 on the road the other day in great shape, white with blue racing stripes (or blue with white racing stripe),

luckily i was walking, so had a good long view of it plus i could enjoy the sound of the engine

must be fun cars to drive.

[Matt Timion]

New engine is here. It's in the garage and is all pretty looking. Hopefully I'll have time to put it into the car in 2 weeks.

[MetroMPG]

just saw an N600 on the road the other day in great shape, white with blue racing stripes (or blue with white racing stripe),

In London??

I've never seen one of these puppies in person.

[Matt Timion]

In London??

I've never seen one of these puppies in person.

Well, maybe you can see one during the GasSavers Expo in 2008 :)

[DaX]

Well, maybe you can see one during the GasSavers Expo in 2008 :)

One? Try two. :D

[blake]

have done an wind tunnel test yet

[blake]

try a Flux Capacitor

http://www.monkeyrivertown.com/brains.php?ART=641

[TiViD]

Hey man, great thread. Ive got a 71 n600 that im doing some major work too. If you have any extra parts i may be interested in buying some. In the meantime check out my project...

http://www.hondan600.net/n600.html

theres some other cool info on that site too!

~tim

[Matt Timion]

Hey man, great thread. Ive got a 71 n600 that im doing some major work too. If you have any extra parts i may be interested in buying some. In the meantime check out my project...

http://www.hondan600.net/n600.html

theres some other cool info on that site too!

~tim

I do have some extra parts. Tell me what you need and I'll see if I have it.

[BasketMan69]

Hi guys.
Great car you have there.
I am from Portugal and have a friend of mine that have one Honda n600 of 1974.
He has some problems on the electric circuit, some smart guy cut off all the wires, so he doesn't know how to restabilish them.
As anyone have photo's, or some type of document about the electrical circuit?
Do you know any shop for new and old material for this car?
In Portugal it's not very easy to find material...
Can you send me photos of your rebuilt? My email is: id101673@pluricanal.net
Regards

[superduder]

Hi, this is my first post here but maybe this will help...
A Megasquirt stand alone efi will run anything from a 50cc spree
toa semi truck.
Of course the tuning of fuel maps and such might seem daunting.
hope this can help,
JB

[Supahr_Ed]

I finally got my N600...two of them! But both of them do not run...hopefully they will very soon.

Any updates on your car Matt? You get the engine in yet and did you decide if you are going to do any body work to the N600...paint wise?

[Matt Timion]

I finally got my N600...two of them! But both of them do not run...hopefully they will very soon.

Any updates on your car Matt? You get the engine in yet and did you decide if you are going to do any body work to the N600...paint wise?

Hey Ed.

The winter has been rather harsh the last few months. The snow FINALLY melted today, but I have a feeling this "warm" weather will be short lived. The n600 has just been sitting in the driveway.

Not the best on the tires, I know...

The engine is still in the garage waiting to be installed. I think now that I have removed an engine from my 89 civic (and replaced it, removed it, replaced, removed, etc. etc. all because I kept forgetting to do little stuff) the n600 should be easy. A few hours tops once the sun decides to come out and stay out.

As for body work, I have a spare fender I want to put on in place of a rusted one. I also need to patch a few holes. Some genius drilled holes in the sheet metal before. My front valance is also screwed up, so I'll need to hammer it back. I have a few dents on the roof too.

Once that's done, I want to repaint it the original color. This will eliminate the need for primer and I have a feeling it'll look MUCH better than my current civic's paintjob.

I just really want to drive this thing around again. I'm excited to get the new egine in, b/c I also realized that one of the bolts was missing from the exhaust manifold on my old engine. This would explain why it always smelled like exhaust in the cabin.

[smithenhiven]

Found a rather nice set of wheels on the Japan Yahoo Auctions:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r36970499

[Matt Timion]

Found a rather nice set of wheels on the Japan Yahoo Auctions:

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r36970499

Those look nice. any idea how much 48000 yen is?

[TomO]

48000 Yen is currently $399 dollars and some change

[WisJim]

Anyone have any info or links to sites about the N600, specifically what to look for in a used one--weak points, etc., to look out for?

I'm looking at one in about 8 hours!

Thanks!

[Matt Timion]

Anyone have any info or links to sites about the N600, specifically what to look for in a used one--weak points, etc., to look out for?

I'm looking at one in about 8 hours!

Thanks!

rust. If it runs, you can more or less replace/fix anything. THe body is the real issue though, as many of these have rusted out floor boards. I'd check for that, and make sure it runs.

As for my car, I was going to put the new engine in last weekend, but I became busy with father's day stuff. this weekend is out of the question. Perhaps next week.

[DaX]

As Matt said - Rust! Look in the rocker panel area, pull the carpet back in the floor boards, look in the rear trunk area. Look to make sure it has a fuel door, look at the conditions of the bumpers and the fenders (often the fenders will be pushed in where the bumper corners contact them). Radio and/or antenna are a plus! Condition of all the rubber seals (windows, doors, etc) - most of them are pretty bad but if it's good, it's a keeper! Hub caps are good to have. See if it has a diaphragm carb or the piston one - the piston one is better.

[WisJim]

Thanks for the slightly off topic advice on buying a Honda N600. I now have a bright yellow (most recent of probably numerous repaints) 1971 N600 that makes my wife's Metro look huge as they sit side by side.
Seems to run well, solid floors, hub caps are there, shop and owner's manuals, a little minor surface rust and a few dings and dents, and lots of vinyl stickers all over as it was used to advertise a local business. Should be drivable the way it sits for the summer. Needs a pair of tires, some window rubber, has a headlight electrical problem, but nothing that seems major.

[MetroMPG]

Congrats!

1971 N600 that makes my wife's Metro look huge as they sit side by side.

This needs a picture, please! :p

[88HF]

I love your car Matt. As Ali-g would say Respect!

[jivin' ivan]

Haven't seen much activity on this thread lately...did you ever get the rebuilt engine in the car, Matt?

I'm looking into getting a 1971 N600, one of my customers has 3 of them and is looking to (possibly) sell one soon. They're all in reasonably good shape for being almost 40 years old, although one is substantially better than the other two. That's the one I want...will keep everyone posted.

[WisJim]

I did take some pics of the N600 next to the Metro (and I think one of it between my son's Honda Civic VX and the Metro), and will have to figure uot where the pics are.

But I have another question--looks like our car needs ball joints--any sources or substitutions for them?

[Matt Timion]

I did take some pics of the N600 next to the Metro (and I think one of it between my son's Honda Civic VX and the Metro), and will have to figure uot where the pics are.

But I have another question--looks like our car needs ball joints--any sources or substitutions for them?

I would contact mike o'connor at http://www.honda600shop.com/ for any parts. There are also a few guys on the west coast if that is where you are that can help you.

[DaX]

Some guy on the lists found that 1993 Hyundai Elantra tie rod ends are VERY similar in size/shape and might be able to work, if those are the ball joints you're talking about.

[WisJim]

Some guy on the lists found that 1993 Hyundai Elantra tie rod ends are VERY similar in size/shape and might be able to work, if those are the ball joints you're talking about.


Nope, I need the lower arm ball joints, not the tie rod ends.

[WisJim]

Found a couple of pics of the N600 and the Metro and Civic VX

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r190/WisJim/2007MayJune043.jpg
We were touching up some paint on the N600, that's why there is paper on the window.


http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r190/WisJim/2007MayJune045.jpg

[white90crxhf]

Any updates? i love the n600's!

[Matt Timion]

sorry, I actually had to end up selling it in order to pay off some debt recently. I do plan on buying one eventually again... it will just have to wait a while.

[lowestgasprices]

How many miles per gallon?