PROJECT S800 #1. MEET BRUCE.
July 11, 2010

In or around 1958 Soichiro Honda, the founding father of the marque that bears his last name must have had an epiphany of sorts. An engineer and a self-confessed dreamer (the humble origin of Honda's official mission slogan - "The Power of Dreams"), he decided it would be a good idea to start producing automobiles; a stark departure from the motorcycles that propelled his fledgling Honda Motor Co. from obscurity to one of Japan's largest manufacturers in the post WWII era.

Enlisting the help of fellow engineer Yoshio Nakamura who went on to manage Japan's first F1 team to head his new Honda Sports Series project, the Honda S360 was unveiled at the 9th Tokyo Motor show in 1962 along with a few other prototypes the new automobile team had been developing. Whilst its chic body styling alone won its fair share of accolades, what had caused the most sensation was the heart of the car - an all alloy block, dual overhead camshaft, roller bearing crank, quad carburettor setup, which, when compared to the iron block single or dual carburettor motors of other sports cars at the time seemed like a machine from the future. As the S360 was unveiled a larger capacity motor was already in development, making the S500 (492cc) the first ever car Honda offered to the public. In a strange domino effect, as each new model rolled off the assembly line Nakamura and Honda already had its successor waiting on the sidelines due to their relentless pursuit to perfect their project, going from the S500, to the S600, and finally resting on the 791cc powered S800. This was the start of Honda's legacy of engineering and pioneering modern engine technology breakthroughs through their extensive and almost obsessive R&D processes.

Produced in two versions - the fastback coupe and the convertible, the pinnacle 791cc motor from the Honda Sports project had a stunning 10,000rpm redline, all-new live rear axle, and produced peak power of 70bhp @ 8000rpm. Whilst it may not break any necks in today's market, it was a mind boggling achievement that turned the automobile press upside down during the 60's; including the notion of an economical engine that could also perform as a sports engine when needed. When the production line and project finally came to a halt in 1970, only 11,500 S800s were produced globally. The Honda S series was shelved, until 30 years later with the release of the Honda S2000 in '00, whose F20C engine also reset the record books producing 125hp/L and an average piston speed of 25m/s; carrying on the spirit of technological breakthroughs and these magnificent cars from the golden age of Japanese motoring.

And of course, the man who made the car a global sensation - legendary Japanese grand prix driver Tetsu Ikuzawa, and his infamous class winning #58 Honda S800 Coupe at the Nürburgring 500km in 1967.

Needless to say, as a Honda fanatic, I've always wondered what it was like to drive this iconic sports car. Although cars have been a large part of my life, it's been a very long time since I've devoted myself to a car project, especially with the travel schedule of the past few years. The automobile is a subject rather close to my heart; having contributed to several automotive publications, co-ordinating large scale car events (autosalon - RIP, D1NZ, etc), owning far too many vehicles to be considered sane, and spending more money than sense on these four wheeled machines. In 2002 I was also amongst the founding members along with Simon (pxpx) Cullen and Steve (Pharnos) of the NZHondas club, a thriving community today.

The last car I built was a zeemax kitted '82 Mini for Ivy. Unfortunately the car was stolen when I was away on business last year, and whilst the insurance paid out in the end, we had a hard time looking for a replacement for her.

Until last week, that is.

As fate would have it, we chanced upon a retiree named Jack Nicholson Mickleson out in Cambridge, Waikato who had an S800 gathering dust in his garage... for the past 19 years. Luckily for us, the S800 was available as a brand new car in Australia (for the prince's ransom of AU$3700+ in 1968) and New Zealand, which meant a few ended up landing on our shores in the late 60's/early 70's out of the 11 odd thousand that were built. Having purchased it with the intention of restoring it over 20 years ago, he was sidelined with restoring and racing classic Velocettes and at 78 years old, he was keen to clear out some garage space for more bikes. After a nerve-racking online auction and much colourful language, we finally headed down to Cambridge with a trailer to pick up the car.

(click images to enlarge)

The original ownership papers for the car from 1975, when the car first arrived in the country from Australia. I asked Jack if he knew where the original owner was now - "Oh, he's dead, that joker." Right.

Naturally, it shows its age. The body is in a rough condition, but the motor still starts (perhaps a wonderful testament to the engine's design) and the electrics still work (!), and there's a few little issues that need to be sorted to bring this car back onto the road;

- Exhaust leak in the manifold
- Reconnecting the fuel line to the fuel pump
- Brake Master Cylinder seal replacement
- Fluids/oil (20 year old oils and fluids)
- Brake check/pads/rotors/shoes
- Re-registration/compliance for the road.

And the question - race car replica or classic original restoration?

But all in all, it's a fantastic example of an iconic sports car of years gone by. I'm not quite sure why, but on the drive home Ivy decided to name the car... Bruce.

So, world, meet Bruce.

I'll be updating the blog in stages as this car project and restoration progresses over the next few months.

See you at 10,000rpm soon. Hopefully.

Next update - Firing up Bruce.