Rare restored 1964 Honda s600 Roadster

This1964 Honda S600, showing circa 22,000 original Km, was acquired as a disassembled car and over a period of ten years has been lovingly and thoroughly restored as a premium quality driver.What sets the 1964 s600 apart from the 1965 and 1966 is that the mechanicals and body configuration closely resembles its predecessor the Honda s500 and had some unique low volume parts that separated it from the more mass produced 1965 s600s. To that end, some parts, that are rare and simply impossible to find, are part of the sale.

a 600cc in line-fourpaired to a 4-speed manual gearbox power is transferred to the rear wheels through an unusual differential to chain-case setup unique to the early Honda s series.

The seller is not unfamiliar with the marque, and has at one time owned nine Honda s600 cars, restoring five of them as premium drivers several which reside with owners of Honda dealerships. The seller’s vocation brought him frequently to Japan Europe and Australia where he was able to meet with other enthusiasts and through his network find many OEM reproduced or reconditioned parts.

This matching numbers car was originally sold inJapan before being exported tothe USA via Guam. The serial number is that of a very early Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) and was manufactured before Honda had even contemplated selling the s600’s overseas. Believed to be one of the earliest s600’s in existence in the USA, it features the very rare and very desirable Stanley glass bubble headlamp covers (only found on the early 1964 s600 and typically replaced by plastic reproduction covers), and the rare wooden Futabaya Tennis Racket Company two piece steering wheel, the rare clear fuse box cover, as well as many other features distinct to the 1964 Honda S600.

In the first half of 1964 Honda produced about 1500 s600’s strictly for the Japanese Domestic Market, all these cars were RHD. In mid-1964 Honda added optional features to the RHD models that enabled the cars to be exported to other RHD countries (Seat belts and padded dash were only an option in the early 1964 s600). In late 1964 early 1965 a LHD version was introduced to allow export to Europe, Canada and other LHD countries. The rare Honda s600 was not exported to the US and most cars entered through returning servicemen from Japan and Guam. This 22,000 km (14,000 mi) car was discovered in California by the previous owner who wanted to start his restoration with the best possible vehicle he could find. Hespent many weekends working side by side with a renowned engine builder in upstate NY to bring the engine back to specifications.

When the previous owner’s family circumstances changed, he offered stewardship of the project to me as he knew the project would be completed. I knew the car well and respected the work that had begun.

Having restored several s600’s, resumed therefurbishmentemploying various specialists and includeda vintage motorcycle expert who is professionally a jet engine mechanic to finish and tune the engine. The chassis and wheels received a “to the bare metal” sand blasting with multi-layer powder coating. Bead blasting of the body revealed some previous restoration and filler, so the car was sent for an “old school” complete bare metal restoration by Bent Metal Customs. This is not patchwork; this is metalwork! The metalwork included 1964 NOS front fenders that were sourced from a specialist in Japan (the 64 fenders vary slightly from the 1965 because of the headlight configuration) Rear quarters were also rebuilt, and the spare tire well was replaced. In the process all previous filler was removed and the metal shaped back to its original form.

http://bentmetalcustoms.com/portfolio/1964-honda-s600/

The restored body and chassis were united in Erie Pennsylvania at Harborvette, where the body was prepped and the final finish applied. The exterior repaint is noted to be period-correct, in the white color designated as “Y-6”. In The powder coated chassis was adorned with new master and slave cylinders, new brake and gas lines, body rubbers, and new shocks at all four corners. The body had rubbers replaced, new soft top, door seals, and boot weather stripping. Thepowder coated factory rims are wrapped in Kumho Solus KR21 tires at all four corners to ensure a smooth ride. The rare clear fuse box unique the 1964 s600 was sourced and the electricals sorted to ensure all signals gauges were in order.

A reproduction factory-style exhaust system including the center box and two period correct square resonators was built and shipped from an Australian specialist who recreates Honda s600 exhaust components from scratch to the factory specifications.

Inside, the seatswere found to be in solid condition with good seat foam and rewrapped in a vinyl to match the original red color. Door panels in matching vinyl were added. Matching OEM style reproduction carpeting produced by a specialist in Europe finished the interior. Currently the padded dash (an option in mid-1964) has a couple of small splits in it; but included in the sale is a period correct and very rare reconditioned hard plastic original dash. Also for those interested in originality, a pair of original metal interior door panels will be included in the sale. Metal door panels are period correct to mid-1964, later door panels were Masonite backed.

The600cc inline-fouris matching numbers and paired to a 4-speed manual gearbox (configuration is unique to the 1964). The engine was rebuilt by a noted specialist in New York State. A restoration shop in Erie completed all major body and mechanical work in 2015, and the car was moved to Granville, MA where it has been undergoing final touches and tuning. The car is said to have been driven approximately 200 miles since the rebuild. Unique to the Honda, the fuel pump is triggered by a sensor on the cam, and in most drivers this is typically replaced by an electric fuel pump to make starting more responsive. In this car to have reliability and keep the originality, the factory fuel pump was restored, and a discreet prime switch was added to aid in providing a prime for easier starting. .

Undercarriage pictures are shown included

Now for full disclosure; The original and very rare 1964 spare tire hold down mechanism with the knurled handle is included, however the Solus spare tire is wider than the OEM spare, and the spare tire hold down cover is riding high and the hold down does not engage the threads (Probably the best solution is to substitute a skinnier spare tire). The parcel tray (the shelf behind the seats) had the usual environmental stress cracking that has been repaired, but it is not perfect. As mentioned above, there is some cracking in the padded dash that is in the car, a molded period correct reconditioned dash is included in the sale. The battery hold down hardware is not complete. The paint on the shelf below the master clutch and brake cylinder was discolored by some brake fluid. The main front bushing in the suspension is showing some wear, this should be replaced, as it will cause wear to the tires; it is not a safety issue. (The OEM busing is unique to the 1964 Honda and is very rare, the specialist has suggested manufacturing a replacement out of Nylon). The exhaust, as mentioned in the text, has a newly reproduced to factory specifications center box and two resonators reproduced to factory specs. The pipes that connect the center box to the resonators need to be manufactured and welded (slip fittings can be used). To do this you need an old school exhaust guy who can bend the pipes.

For those not familiar with the car….this level of driving restoration with a complete engine rebuild is a multi-year, patience challenging and expensive task. The Honda s600 was the first car Honda brought to mass market (preceded by the s500 only JDM). The Honda Motor Company in 1964 - 1967 changed suppliers and parts configurations frequently, and during the production year, so finding the correct replacement parts takes some research and lots of patience, if the right part is even available. The Seller recognized that most Honda s600’s are sold in pieces and in boxes by owners who lost the will or patience to complete the project or their situation changed. These boxes are passed from enthusiast to enthusiast in hopes that the car is reassembled.

The cars were complicated and arguably advanced for their time, when properly restored they are reasonably reliable and really fun to drive. This restoration began with a low mileage good condition example 1964 s600 purchased from a gentleman who was a perfectionist. Over a ten year period, the correct parts were used and specialists brought the car to a premium driver. Not only does the sale includes a professionally restored driver, but also, a battery of rare OEM parts which could bring the car to close to concourse level.

The legal stuff:

Notice to Bidders: This vehicle is offered locally. We reserve the right to end an auction early. Deposit: We require a non-refundable $2000 deposit within 48 hours of winning the auction via PAYPAL.

We ask that the transaction be completed within 7 calendar days of auction close. The vehicle has a free and clear PA title in the sellers name. Price does not include Title, License, Registration Fees, State or Local Taxes or Processing Fees, Vehicle is available for inspection, please verify vehicle condition before you win, as a winning bid is not a right to inspect, it means you have agreed to purchase the vehicle. No expressed or implied warranties.

Buyers are responsible for paying tax, title, license and documentation fee. Buyers are responsible for registering the vehicle in their home state. Buyers are responsible for transportation cast from Granville, MA