1964 Honda S500 Roadster "VERY RARE & IN EXCELLENT CONDITION!"

Description

This is a rare piece of Honda history! One of only a small handfull known to exist. Every part of this car has been gone over and rebuilt. The body has never been damaged or rusty.

The car was purchased in the fall of 2009 from the second owner. Whenit wasbought it had a cracked# 3 cylinder and the crankneeded rebuilding. At the time we had a very large machine shop and we had the equipment to scan and make drawingsof the replacement dimensionsof the cylinder sleeve andthe crank to have them both manufactured. After reproducing the component to the exact replacement specs we sent the crank to a place in Florida called Falaconcranks where they professionally rebuilt and balanced the crank. After getting all the replacement parts we had the motor professionally rebuilt from a guy with over 30 years experience with these motors. The car was complete when we purchased it and we had all the chrome redone and inventoriedthe parts in the tubs you see in the photographs.The body and the frame was taken to the bare metal and the frame was powder coatedthe correct color and all thebolts were plated the original specs. The car was originally white with red interior and we went back that way.Thechain drives were rebuilt as well with all new tensioners and chains and look spectacular! Aftermarket carbs were installed to first run engine since they were pretuned and adjusted. The original carbs and ultra rare airbox come with the car and are pictured in the ad. So to finish the car you will need to install the wiring harness and button up the interior as well as a few other small items but all the parts are there and could be finished to whatever level you wanted to take it to. We were not Honda experts but networked with a lot of people while working on this car and the consensus was that no more than 1-12 of these examples are left of this first year Honda production of a roadster.This car isextremely rare and belongs in a museum or a high quality collection. We have other projects that we want to pursue and this one is up for sale. All the hard work is completed and if it does not sale we will simply keep and finish it. Some history on the S500....

Eventually, the S500 gave way to the S600, which sported a peppier engine, but this diminutive convertible will always be in the history books as the car that made the Honda brand a hit in the U.S.

While Honda's first four-wheel vehicle was officially the T360, a mini-truck, it was the S500 (manufactured later that year) that gained worldwide acclaim. The S500 had a twin-cam 531cc engine and had a 4-speed manual transmission. The car was innovative, as it was one of the first cars to have 4-wheel independent suspension. It was tiny, though. The average Japanese man was about 5'5", and it was even a squeeze for them. That being said, the interior boasted a beautiful wood-rimmed steering wheel and luxurious black-rimmed gauges. The seats were also comfortable and firm.

While Japanese journalists didn't think much of the car (they called it, "just a four-wheeled motorcycle"), Western car critics adored it, and this was the first Honda that the U.S. enthusiastically welcomed to its shores. Not many were sold and only 1,363 were produced, but this little car helped Honda gain a foothold throughout the world.

Sochiro became interested in Formula One racing and decided to transform the S500 from a fun convertible into a racecar. He wasn't successful until 1965 when it won the Mexico GP. Sadly, this was its only victory.

HERE IS A YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE ENGINE RUNNING FOR FIRST TIME

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If you have any questions about the car please feel free to call me at 901-487-9356 or e-mail at pacecarcorral@aol.com

Thanks for looking, Jim