While this Honda 600 has some bumps and bruises, and even a little cancer, it’s now running and driving and ready for a new owner to perhaps take it to the next level (or just enjoy it as is)! It’s located in Lodi, New Jersey and is listed for sale here on eBay, where bidding is currently at $1,500 with no reserve.
There’s a lot of enthusiasm for these little cars despite their tiny size and somewhat unusual styling. With as many folks around that like them, it’s not surprising that these two tiny Hondas were stashed in a garage like this. After being found and purchased by the current seller, the car has been returned to running condition, as you can see in this video. The seller also mentions that there are two cars for sale and to contact them for a package price, so I looked for the red 600 sedan and found it is also for sale here.
The 600 had a useful little hatchback, and early models like this have a second compartment below the licence plate area for the spare tire. Unfortunately, there is some rust as you can see behind the rear tire.
There’s more in the rocker panel. By the way, those are 10″ wheels, just like old Mini’s. That can make locating tires an issue. Of course, with a curb weight of less than 1,400 pounds, you don’t need much rubber under you! Obviously, there’s been a lot of previous body work and some more will be needed if you want the little car to look pristine.
While the interior is all there, again, it’s pretty rough. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the list of specialists I found here–it looks like you can actually get much of what you need to restore a car like this, should you choose to do so.
The power plant sounds pretty good in the video, although I’m not sure if I heard a transmission “graunch” or not. Regardless, this could be a cute driver, and it will get terrific fuel economy as well. Are you interested?
anyone remember the cheap thrills dart from hot rod? the name made me thing of it.
My buddy’s girlfriend had one of these back in the day – close to this vintage anyway. Had “CVCC” emblems on it….thought that had something to do with the model but then discovered that it stood for “Compound Vortex Controlled Combustion”. I think that “CVCC” is why I could never get it to run quite right….actually I was quite far from quite right :)
My 600Z was this color! Being new, the panels were of course much straighter and smoother, but the color (which I called “Gloss OD”) brings back some happy memories.
VERY underrated little cars. Reliable, fun and more comfortable than you’d expect. And to me they didn’t seem as cheaply made as the equivalent low-buck Pintos and Vegas.
Tempting, but I’ve seen other examples that had better body panels, and that’s the work I least enjoy (and am least skilled at). So I’ll keep looking for one that has tired mechanicals and a nice shell.
give me a mini, anyday.
I have several of these. Star of any car show,plus 40mpg
took a cvcc on trade for a paint job back in the late 70s. Nice car small outside did not seem so small inside. if I had 5 or so less projects I really would pursue one of these.
Sounds like the tartis!
I remember these Hondas being brought in crates into a Honda motorcycle shop. When we first saw them,we thought that they were weird and ugly. My how they’ve changed in the last 43 years
Brian, try a well set up Panhard Dyna or PL17 – also two cyls, but 4 doors, 5 passengers, 40 mpg AND 90 mph – not to mention also a star at any car show. Leno has three of them – actually 4 if his Dynamique is included but then it’s in a whole different universe.
This is what a Z600 looks like restored :). (A European spec car):
https://www.flickr.com/gp/80913847@N04/12M7iF
My buddy Ken had one of these the exact same color…we called it “baby crap green”. It got great gas mileage, but that’s about it. Powered by a 600cc motorcycle engine with a 5 speed, the little bugger was fun to drive…except for the non-existant suspension. It rode like a buckboard. Couldn’t find parts for it then, and it had 12″ wheels too. He finally sold it to some nerd professor at Williams College who was going to convert it to electric power. Good riddance…what a piece of crap.
I had one like this, same model, same color–but the left side had been poorly filled with some fiberglass concrete stuff that chipped away leaving the concave door looking like a moonscape. But the engine ran fine, and the manual choke let me start it up even in the Indiana winter of the late 70s. Clutch broke two weeks after I sold it to a friend for about $375 in 1981. (Never sell your cars to a friend.)