Honda S600 and S800 cars are no longer in the affordable range, if they ever were. Neither are original Minis. But if you look around at alternatives to either of those (and who is really cross-shopping both those cars?) a sort of mash-up of those cars can be found in the Honda N600 and Z600 series of cars. And while they’ve started moving up in price as well, occasionally there’s a deal to be had. It appears today’s car is one of those deals – check out this 1972 Honda AZ600 for sale for $3500 in Anaheim, CA.
The N600 is definitely closer to the Mini in form, but the Z600 adds a dash of 1970s Japanese funkiness. With the rising beltline, vertical door handles, and black fiberglass hatch, nevermind the spare tire hatch on the back, this is a far cry from the blandmobiles Honda cranks out today. If anything, it’s much closer in spirit to the European market Civic – somewhat avant-garde and sporty. And as always, bright yellow works well on early 1970s small cars.
Those side marker lights look positively large on a car this size, as does the fuel filler door. Cosmic wheels look smart, if a bit wide. Confusingly, the car is said to come with factory wheels, yet is shown with the Cosmics in all but one of the photos. The rear bumper is said to be in the trunk, although it’s hard to believe that anything beyond a shopping bag fits in there.
The rebuilt engine is said to run well. Not much other detail is given on the mechanical condition, but the underhood area looks comparatively clean. Note the pseudo-gel-cell battery – it’s got the caps like a standard lead-acid battery, but the brightly colored top of a gel-cell. Either way, it looks fresh and contributes to the impression that the car is drivable.
The interior looks functional, but appears to be missing a whole cluster from the center of the dash, along with floor coverings and other bits and pieces. At this point, the seller might as well have pulled out the mats to show the state of the floorboards. Aside from an odd suggestion to customize this car and make it even smaller, this looks like a decent deal on an un-Mini.
Rusty But Trusty 
May 2, 2014 at 2:10 pm |
Actually, a keg fits in the hatch. It lightens the already nervous steering, but doesn’t slow the car down. It was one of the cars my dad brought home from his friend who owned a foreign car repair shop when I was in high school.
Amazing fun to drive.