Micro Car Find: 1972 Honda Z600
The first time that I saw a Honda Z600, I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. A Honda car? What’s up with that, is it like a four-wheel motorcycle? The questions continued, How do you fit in it? How slow is it? Will my feet fit in it? Will it fit in the back of my Impala station wagon? And on and on. Well here’s one to review, and hopefully, we’ll answer some of those questions. This 1972 Z600 is located in Eureka, California and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $5,600 with nine bids tendered so far.
The Honda Z600 (600 for 600 CC engine) was introduced in the U.S. in 1970 and discontinued after the ’72 model year though the Z continued on in other countries through 1974. A total of 40K or so Z series cars were built though that represents total worldwide production. A single two-door coupe was the sole body style.
I can’t remember the last time that I encountered a Z600 but this example looks pretty much as I recall, color and all. And this one is in nice shape, strong finish, no dents as the seller claims, “NO RUST AND GREAT PAINT“. The seller adds that he’s owned this little Honda for about five years but gives no back story on where it has been or how it was stored – apparently pretty well, based on its appearance. The odometer reads 34K miles, but there’s no claim to that being the actual mileage. Of note are the non-OEM wheels, they do a nice job of perking up the overall sedate appearance.
Power, all 36 HP of it, is provided by a 600 CC, two-cylinder, water air-cooled engine, connected to a four-speed manual transaxle. The seller states, “fixed most everything that needed it… rebuilt the carbs and the rack and pinion“. The seller doesn’t detail this Honda’s driving characteristics but does proclaim, “This is one of the most fun cars you can own“.
There is only one image of the interior, and it is typically micro-car spartan, but it looks to be totally functional and not particularly undersized – yes, my feet would fit in there. From what can be seen, the black vinyl upholstery, door cards and floor mat (or is it a carpet?) look to have been gently used and belie this Honda’s almost half-century of age.
The seller states, “Everyone waves and honks at you and wants to look at it“. and then adds, “It will fit inside a Chevy van to transport“. So there’s another question answered. Honda has done magnificently over the last 50 years and if you want to experience the origins of their automotive progression, here’s your chance. You won’t even need a trailer, just a big trunk, right?
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Comments
Someone shrunk my civic…
I thought that picture at the airport looked familiar –
Eureka’s my old home town.
I don’t remember ever seeing this there.
Fan forced air-cooled, not water cooled.
Fixed, thx.
JO
The wheels look like RUPP mini bike and go kart mag wheels……..very cool. I want. Getting this shipped to the East Coast or anywhere in between will be pricey. Not much truck traffic in that part of Calli. Now in the back of a U haul truck…….let me do some figuring.
When I lived in Eureka,I sold a MKI Cortina to a guy in
Texas.It’s not legal to bring a tractor trailer rig over a certain
length (48 ft?) into Humboldt county,so I ended up driving it
to Anderson (off of I5),so it could be shipped on a carrier.
I did the same thing with a ’68 MGB.
First time I saw one of these was in Washington DC. A yellow one
I also saw my first Subaru in Mississippi that trip. A gas station was the Subaru dealership
Age 12. Car nut even then
I had the same car in the same color with the same wheels, those are Shelby wheels. I like the license plate also.
luv ’em. Remember my eyes following the big blk plastic window down the st for the 1st’n 2nd of them when first models showed up in my town (early ’70s). Like the S600 coup even more. The chain drive kinds worries me tho. Bet U could put the drive line from this in one. Now that would B an interesting DD (for a yr). My ol MO (but hobby, geta “free car” that way) wuz that kinda business model. Net’s ruined that (along w/all the auctions v sales).
Had one on of these I paid $100 for and an S600. The S600 is an absolutely amazing machine when it actually ran and/or wasn’t waiting for parts. The S600 had a really stupid starter arrangement that had the bad habit of stripping the threads on the end of the crankshaft, a very expensive fix.
I can’t believe these things command this kind of money today.
Interesting survivor and article, Jim. I had the same reaction when I saw my first one of these little canned hams up in the DC area (but not driving/peddling on I-95). “A Honda? With four wheels? They’ll never make it here in the U.S. Best stick to motorcycles.” Wrong again…
My friend sold Chevies. They took on Honda. I drove a new 1972 Z600. Out the door price with all fee, taxes a 50,000 mile Quaker State warranty was $1967.
I bought a new 1972 V6 4 speed Mercury Capri. I sold it in a year and bought a used 1972 Honda Z600 in orange. I remember buying parts from the dealer, because that was the only source. I bought a battery and an exhaust system, but they were cheap. In 2 years someone had to have it and it was gone.
My next Honda was an original series Accord. I liked the Z600 better. I just looked under the hood of my 2020 Acura MDX and it reminded me of the Z600 engine with all the plated hardware.
My buddy had one. With 4 skinny high school kids, it would NOT accelerate up a 2 degree grade, and I don’t think it EVER got over 25 miles an hour cruising Van Nuys Blvd. My buddy lost a race with a kid on a Sting Ray (Schwinn, not Chevrolet).
There was something wrong with your buddy’s car.
I drove mine from Dallas Tx to Denver Colorado and on to the Winter Park Ski area and I can assure you the grades up I-70 between Denver and Winter Park were substantial. They did slow me down, but I could still pass the loaded 18 wheelers which had to gear down for the grades.
I only remember seeing one in my life and I recall it was really small I I couldn’t believe someone was driving it because it was SO RUSTY! Like holes which I could see into the car through!
I’ve always like these and thought about getting one that needed work. I could drop in a modern MC motor and restore the rest.
Mine was stolen from me around 1980 and it had my favorite roller skates in the back, if yours came with skates, it was my hot one.
What does a single door coupe mean? It has two doors.
A single two-door body style.
I fat-fingered it and didn’t catch the error on final edit. Fixed now.
JO
I had a neighbor in Sunol CA years ago (Stan?) who had at least 2 of these. Parking was always an issue in the canyon so two of these, or even 3, could fit in a one-car space. He was an engineer for a company just 10-15 miles away so it was an easy commute and he would work on a car every weekend.
I remember wanting one as a 14 year old when I saw a magazine ad. Coincidentally, there’s a camo painted one on FB Marketplace here in Virginia Beach for 6500, I don’t want one that bad now. It’s originally yellow, and from Cali also. For a laugh, check out Duncanimports, I bet they have one or two.
Almost managed to grab one of the first east-coast Honda combo car-bike stores. Turned out our funding was mob money and were warned off before the perp walk. Wince. Hey, it was Philly.
Regardless, mine was mid-OD-green, with a hot cam and tweaked bits underneath. Unimaginable fun, for its time. Slow car, driven fast as it would go. That meant full throttle, most of the time. Even with that, 40 mpg.
By the way Jim, us old guys know there were TWO Honda 600 models: This sporty coupe and a more mundane version that presaged generations of boring Civics soon to come. Ah, the good old days.
SOLD for $7,300.