I know what you’re thinking: Why doesn’t Honda offer its 2024 Civic in orange? A daily driver as cute and happy looking as this 1972 Z600 is bound to wipe away the commuter blues. The alternative of course is to simply buy the original, and if you’re handy in the garage, you may be able to have this one on the road in no time.
The seller has gotten the Honda running on starter fluid (something I don’t personally practice), but says it will need a fuel pump (which comes with the car). None of this will come as a shock to anyone who has revitalized a long-dormant automobile. It also doesn’t take a professional sleuth to determine that it might need a battery, given the jumper cables in the picture.
From what I’ve read, the little Honda 600s found the most success in California, where you’ll still find them for sale from time to time. Given that we’re the home of the Big Three, few of these made their way to Michigan, which is too bad. They look like a lot of fun to own and drive. Unfortunately, few would have survived the 1970s given our propensity for using road salt.
For those of you who haven’t spent much time around these early Hondas, the basic architecture is this: The Z600 has an air-cooled two cylinder producing about 36 horsepower, powering its front wheels. Considering its diminutive size, however, it’s still capable of freeway speeds today (although that would be a terrifying experience).
One can see why Honda gained a foothold in America with these little cars. Like a Volkswagen, they were cheap (around $1800), efficient (35-40 mpg), and reasonably practical as long as you didn’t have too many people to drive around.
Once you get this one back on the road, you may consider a few interior upgrades, such as seat covers. Fortunately, the Honda’s interior is fairly spartan, but upholstery is bound to be a specialty item.
The back seat doesn’t look too bad, so maybe a couple parts store seat covers could get you down the road while you searched for some upholstery. I smile every time I see a Honda 600 for sale, partially because of how fun they look, and partially because I could fit about 12 of them in my garage: It’s a whole different world from American stuff. This one is currently for sale on Marketplace in California (of course) for $5250 with a clean title.
I have some experience with these, having traded an AN600 “sedan” in for a shiny new AZ600 “Coupe” (it said so right on the C-pillar!) in 1972. Put probably 60K miles on it, loved it, but finally sold it and bought a Mazda RX-3.
The big enemy of all Honda 600s was rust. Even in “dry” California, they’d rot. I looked at a few some years ago, and all had corrosion ranging from minor surface to major rust-through. If I were going to take one on today, I’d be VERY careful with the inspection.
Parts aren’t impossible, though there seem to be few sources left. A big hindrance with the car shown here and probably 95% of the 600s I’ve looked at is interior materials. I remember thinking they were thin to the point of being almost flimsy when new (I guessed Honda REALLY wanted to keep the wight down) so seat fabrics and carpet to match the originals are likely extinct now.
I guess a car that rolled out of the showroom for less than $1800 brand-new is going to draw a buyer at $5250 now. Leaving aside a few restored examples, which are pricey, this is as nice a Coupe as I’ve seen. Appears to be complete, too, which is a plus.
My only quibble with the author of this article is that driving a Honda 600 on the freeway is not “terrifying” at all. All you have to be concerned with is other drivers, and that’s just as bad if you’re driving ANY car these days. I drove both my 600s from L.A. to San Francisco and back on numerous occasions, with neither concern nor drama.
I did, however, learn the basics of slipstreaming. Tucking up behind an 18-wheeler was good for fuel mileage and added a little bit to the top end. When I later watched Dale Earnhardt race on the NASCAR superspeedways, I knew exactly what he was doing!
Ha ha – my use of the word “terrifying” was meant to imply that today’s freeways are a free-for-all. Large trucks doing 90 mph, weaving in and out of traffic – that sort of thing. It’s not meant to denigrate the Honda, but rather its current environment.
Very large trucks with lift kits, oversized tires/wheels, huge brush guard bumpers and folks speeding while talking/texting on their cell phones . . . usually driven by men with low testosterone levels coinciding with their low self-esteem issues.
Elbert: Too bad my “thumbs up” button doesn’t work…
:-)
Thumbs up
I’ve gone on more than a few road calls to replace tires on large 🚚 s. That’s about 100 pounds of rubber. Drafting and having one blow out could end badly 😢. A form of Russian roulette.
Someone should buy this and keep it in the back of their Escalade, just in case they get a flat.
I still remember when 6 of these (brand spankin’ new) showed up on the front row of the local Ford dealer in Emporia, KS.
Based on the gawking crowds, one would have thought that they were flying saucers, just arrived from Mars.
LMAO.
I remember those, I do wonder if the local one I see occasionally is one of those from the Ford dealership.
Mike, if you’re anywhere near Emporia, KS, the one that you see could possibly be one of the ones from John North Ford of Emporia. As I recall, it took several years for them to unload all of them to the locals. Also, folks around Emporia are notably frugal.
One more note about John North Ford. The Honda 600’s were not the first strange vehicles that they took a flyer on. I also recall some weird little car (barely) where the door was essentially the hood? and the engine was in the back.
I drove one just like it to college. Biggest problem was finding it after the football players picked it up and carried it up stairs to a polished floor lobby. I had to drive it back down the stairs. My dad never did find out why the axle broke a week later! Oh! Top speed was 84 mph and it red lined a 74 mph! It was s tough little car.
In today’s world of large suvs and trucks it would be scary but at least it has orange paint. I wonder if one could put in a newer more modern engine from a motorcycle or Honda car so parts would be easier to source. Still it would make a good dingy or tow behind an rv car.
I’ve seen Goldwing motors in VW Beetles, it’d surely propel one of these down the road just fine.
If I remember correctly,there’s a business in Southern California
called Merciless Ming that sells parts for these & does repair/restoration
work on them.
I knew a girl who drove one of these from Salt lake City to Eureka,CA,
& it had no radio in it.
My mom drove one from new back in the early seventies- orange too!
Great fun to ride in – this brings back some really good memories. I remember being able to stuff my string bass through the back hatch with the neck resting near the under dash gearshift.
I don’t see how driving this is any more “terrifying” than driving a motorcycle. You have to be very conscious of the people around you at all times. I never drive my cycle on the highway – backroads are much more fun – and I doubt that many folks will drive a car like this Honda on the highway for much longer than an exit or two.
You are either going to be okay with it, or you aren’t.
I worked a guy back in 78′ that had one in Red.
yup, bobk, these show up not long after the isetta 3000 round here.
Id B more interested in the other 600 (SM600). The hard top, FB. It had dual chain drive each side (=4 or wuz it single?) R&P sterring. The 4 Keihins (1 per cyl) might do right well on it too…
8^ 0
back when honda was known asa cicle company’n made a few cars (21 yrs after The War).