I'm seriously considering one of these as a resto project but not sure that i know what im getting myself into...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Z600 

Anyone ever owned one?

I'm one of the world's worst mechanics but thought it would be a fairly simple one to learn on?

I've never owned one, but I had a mate who had one when it was new. It was great little buzzbox, which could carry 4 people and really whizz around and keep up with the traffic.

It has a roller bearing motor cycle engine with not much torque, which means that they need to be kept on a high revolutions boil all the time. They rev to over 10,000 which can be a bit disconcerting until you get used to it

I think that the tin worms have killed most of them over the years. Mechanically, They are a bit complex, but Hondas are always good.

I'm sure there will be a Honda owners club/forum where you can get more info

THere was a guy in RACE tech magazine last year that had a sport sedan based on one of these. Suzuki swift gti motor midmounted. uses it for hill climbs.

I've seen two of these in a wrecker's down at Cooma. Flynn's Wrecking yard is the name of the place. It's quite famous. Full of all sorts of old cars.

the Z600 was never sold in Australia, possibly only England, the 600 motor only came to Australia in the Scamp or N600, although most Scamps sold in Aust had the 360 motor , the N600 Scamp was as fast as a Mini Cooper (998cc) The Z came to Australia in only 2 models, the Z360 of which a number were later converted to the N600 motor which was interchangable - & about 1972 the Z360 Hardtop, which although visually almost identical to the Z360, had pillarless windows & a liquid cooled motor which was far quiter, smoother & more flexible than the aircooled motor - unfortunately there was no larger capacity motor you could convert this to - I forget the redline but can remember driving about 30 or 40k at 110kmh on tthe freeway at about 8500 revs I think the redline was just under 10,000 but I did accidently hit over 11,500 revs at Amaroo Park dirt circuit

Hmm having google imaged them, the one i've spotted definately isnt a Scamp so its either an imported z600 or a z360..

Either way, will have a closer inspection of the pillars and let you know (although i think the bonnet is rusted shut which will be the first job to fix..) cheers for the info, keep it coming

Have I got this wrong or did they have the gear stick coming out of the dash?

I actually own a Z360 with my dad. It's under his house as a future project track car. It is the water cooled 360cc engine with the twin keihin 36mm su type carbs. These cars are a buzz to drive and if you love revs and smooth all the way to the redline and out the other side in top gear!! I also owned the honda Life which was a 4 door sedan and the predecessor to the civic. It had the watercooled vertical twin 360cc with just a single dual throat carb. Even with a crook motor i managed to wind the little thing out to 78mph on the freeway!!

All the noise of formula 1 without the speed LOL

kombikim is right tho the Z600 didn't come to Australia. Only the Life with the 360 watercooled, the Z360(aircooled and watercooled) and the Scamp with the 360 or the 600.

My Dad has actually owned a hell of a lot of those old things in years gone by and the 600 scamp was pretty quick for what it was. to like 100km/hr it was as quick as stock EH sedan. How do I know?? My old man will have a go at anyone in anything if he thinks it will be funny!!

WOW! So that little Honda Z was a 360!!

It had lots of get up and go for such a small engine.

They actually break the magical 100hp/litre equation.

Thinking about it the Honda Zot had the gear stick outa the dash, or are they one and the same?

I only knew them as the Honda Z car

there was one in Scone for many years...

they were like a car with a motor cycle engine

when Honda first started making cars..

the S600 & S800 were similar sports cars by Honda..

Lee

Zot was a nickname for the Z360 , the aircooled cars had the gearleaver coming out of the firewall, this gave a bit more room, the only similarity to a motorcycle engine was that they were aircooled & the capacity, the aircooled engines had roller bearings but the water cooled engines had plain bearings & even a balance shaft the capacity was necessitated by Japanese tax laws, the S600 & S800 were in no way similar except that they had wheels