The Islands of the Fraternal Order of Moai

Way back in the days when Nixon was in the Whitehouse, there was a whole lot of military travel across the Pacific. Many of the aircraft were empty on the trip back. Some pilots and crews stuffed motor cycles, velvet paintings, and small sports cars into the empty aircraft and ships. This one came over from Okinawa with the US Marines. My Dad picked it up in the mid seventies. I rebuilt the engine as a teen and drove it as a "Sunday car" until I moved out on my own.

791 cc water cooled DOHC inline 4 with a roller bearing crank shaft. Redlines at 12,000 rpm (search youtube to hear the sweet sound).
4 speed, short throw manual transmission.
This one has a live rear axle. the 600's (Jay Leno's) and the early 800 had chain drive.

Arriving from my Dad's California Garage 30 years after I parked it. The Spawn likes it:



Since the truck couldn't make it on to my street, I had to tow it to the house:


Yes, it is that small.

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I outsourced the refreshment. My garage space is not suited for a multi year project.
Off to Middletown New York


The leak down test showed a flat cylinder. All that was left of the coolant was glycol crystals. The rubber dust covers on the ball joints are dust. All the hydralics need to be rebuilt. Of course, these parts aren't stocked in the US since American Honda never brought these cars into the country. So, I can't open the phone book and buy a rebuilt master cylinder but have to reverse engineer and manufacture what can't be found as NOS in Japan.

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I can still fit in the driver's seat, really.

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Sweeeeeet ride!

Who's restoring it, Paul?

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Formula H Motorsports
http://www.formulah.com/

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that thing is super cool!!! i hope to be dragging a small (small in size, NOT in the work that has to be done) project home this weekend. hopefully it will be driveable to bring to the HRHH in 2013!!

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As a Moai, you should dream, and then together we can try to find ways to make that dream real.
-Ahu

I got the call that the engine case is back from the machine shop and the head is close behind!

Time to order the gasket set from Germany and an exhaust system from England.

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The excitment is mounting.

Packages of parts have arrived from Tokyo. The first round of boxes have left Germany. The gas tank and radiator are at the radiator shop.

I heard that the English built exhausts need rework to fit up right. If any of you gearheads have a line on shop with a mandral bender in the USA, I can use the lead.

All the hydraulics need to be rebuilt. I expect everything will need to be bored and sleeved. I found the replacement hoses in Germany. I hope the front brake rotors can be reused.

Here is what the cylinder sleves and engine case looked like after 30 years soaking in old fashioned anti freeze and tap water:

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I still can't believe, but love, that these engines were twin cam.

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30 minutes later, I was a millionaire

Since I am sure the Honda is the smallest car here, I thought I might also claim the longest. I just inherited a '94 Lincoln Town Car. It's going to make those trips to Ohanas like sitting on the sofa at home.

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There is a good possinlity that this ride will be on the road by spring!
Chasing down some carburetor parts here reminds me of my dad's search for a dashboard clock for his 1929 Pierce Arrow.

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Any new pictures of the progress?

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-James

I outsourced the mechanicals to a specialty shop near Velveteen Lounge, NY. I haven't seen it in spell. The slow progress is because of two factors: my thin pockets and parts for rare foreign cars are also rare.

The good news is the strong US dollar has helped.

Right now, the search is on for some internal carburetor parts. There might be a set in Canada.

It makes sourcing Alfa parts look like a trip to Autozone.

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Talk about unobtainium.

CV carburetors have been around since almost the days of locomotives. Two of my bikes have racks of them. I can order all sorts of jets, springs, seals, o rings, etc for Japanese bike carburetors. Why can't I find a set of piston springs for the rack on a mid 60s Honda car when they almost sell CB450k1 carburetors at Dennis Kirk?

In the meantime, my European roadster (fuel injected) is still chugging along, and all four jugs of the Katana have compression after a ring soak & valve adjustment. Another vintage Vespa came to live with me last fall. I might bring the two to Ohana to make the run to the A&W.


Sent from somewhere exotic

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For the first time since 1984 the little Honda engine is running.

This Ohana trip is looking possinle.

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It didn't make Ohana this year. But, it looks like I can keep my original California black plates.
Running and ready for pick up!

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How many years?

37 years since I have driven the little Honda. She is now safely at home in the garage.

Runs like a top.

I am not as flexible as a was the last time I drive her.

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Excellent, that must be a fun ride!!

whooooooa

I am delving into the factory stock Kobe Industries AM radio. Replacing the electrolytic capacitors has corrected the high noise floor.

It is a long shot. Does anyone have experience aligning superhetrodyne IF stages? Maybe in audio engineer school, or messing with analog synthesizers?

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Playing in the garage and thought I should take some pictures in the light of the day.

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12K???? 12 frickin' K?!?!?!?!?! Sounds like they took a motorcycle race engine and threw it in a small car. And I thought the 9k redline of the S2000 was high. Dimension wise - it looks tiny. Is it the side of a Midget, or more like a Triumph or MG?

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I think at the time it was closer to a Formula One engine. The CB450 was the big bike at the time. The S engine seems to me more advanced than my dad's 1965 CB450A0.

The engine configuration is much closer to Alfa Romeo compared to the Datsun Fairlady which seems to mimic Austin Healy (or John Deer?). It has a roller bearing crankshaft so it wouldn't need the high oil pressure for babbit bearings at that speed. But, I think the high redline is more related to the cam and valve arrangement which you don't see on motorcycle engines until several years later (KZ motors).

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