LocostUSA.com

Welcome to the site BMF!

I'm glad you checked in and are going to mod your own N600.. being a welder/fab guy your vision is just several hundred hours away

LOVE what you're planning! I had an offroad buggy a few years back with a 2.2 Ecotec (NA).. what a hoot that little engine was!! My buggy was so light it never even occured to me to turbo it as you're planning.. The car was so spooky fast my wife refused to even ride in it as a passenger..

You're ahead of me on your path/engine choice- I'm researching using an LSJ (turbo)/T5 in my next car (Little British Car).. those little Ecotecs are some truly amazing motors- incredible output in a tiny, light package.. I'm showing a 2.2 to be about 25" long/wide, and tall.. not a perfect cube, but close.. On your N600-Ecotec, I'd have to think you're going to lose the back seat somehow? If you go front engine, you're going to push the firewall back about 8 or 9" to get a radiator up there.. No worries, you'll just shove it all back to clear? Or, you could go rear engine and use the donor car FWD as your cars RWD? (this might be easier if you're open to it-- there are terrible clearance issues with the N600 steering if you go front engine....

Anyway, please keep in touch and let us know where you build log ends up.. you have many hurdles to overcome- it will be cool to see how you cram so much performance in such a tiny package..

-ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Thanks for welcome.

I agree that the Ecotec is under-utilized. A guy I work part-time for swapped one into his VW bug, and it is really sweet. I actually thought about picking up a '77 Honda Civic CVCC for cheap because the ecotec would be much easier to fit in it. But your build thread convinced me to try to fit it in this thing.

I want to keep the interior mostly stock and able to seat 4, so it will be a challenge. I have a few ideas on how to fit it all in there. Dry sump oil system to keep height reasonable. I want to use a single core aluminum/plastic radiator(about 9"x18"), cut the plastic tanks off and fab my own aluminum tanks. This should keep the radiator only an inch thick. Two small 8" fans should put the thickest parts of the fans on each side of the engine.

The steering rack issue has been on my mind also. I think I will end up using different struts and moving the rack forward.

Thanks for the advice, and I will let you know when I can finally get started.

November 2013

An update that really isn't..

Not much progress on the car, and as anticipated, life has taken over for a spell as my focus now is preparing for a lonnnnggg dual sport ride later this month..

I'm new to this breed of offroading, and this dualsport thing is so interesting to me.. Over the years I've been interested/involved in various forms of offroad fun (quads, buggies, side-by-sides, 4x4 trucks, and dedicated dirtbikes).. This latest thing for me is a street legal dirtbike. The premise behind a dual sport bike is to take what is basically a dirtbike and register it for the street (they're usually sold as street legal from the dealer); the result is a bike that is legal to ride virtually anywhere. It can be tough take 'true' dirtbike (green or red stickered in CA- not street legal) out for a long ride and go anywhere you want- as you'll likely run into a blacktop; these dualsport bikes allow you to stay legal for the street part (at a bit of a compromise as they're not 'race' bikes, but then again, I'm not a 'racer' that needs a go-fast bike ).

Anyway- I bought an 06 Suzuki DRZ400 (pretty popular with the DS crowd-- simple/ low maintenance).. I'm in the process of making my own Farkles (function-sparkle).. Sadly, I've always had more time than money, so I usually end up making my own stuff instead of buying the bolt on stuff (wich would save sooo much time..).

And here is where I am. I've signed up for an organized ride that will take 500 riders from LA to Las Vegas over 2 days (nearly 500 miles off road). The bike is nearly ready- the trick is to not overload it (the 'adding lightness' thing is even more important on a bike) with crap you don't need, but then again, who knows what dohickie you're gonna need when you break something in the middle of nowhere?! I'm trying to plan for the unexpected as best I can..

Some pics of the bash plate (made of steel as I can't weld aluminum).. the tool tube (super hi-tech from home depot bits), and a seat rack.. I keep chipping away at my list of needs/worries..

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

DRZ's super-amazing scrap-steel bash plate!

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Mighty fine lookin' bash plate ya got there, Pardner...

_________________
JD, father of Quinn, Son of a... Build Log
Quinn the Slotus:Ford 302 Powered, Mallock-Inspired, Tube Frame, Hillclimb Special
"Gonzo and friends: Last night must have been quite a night. Camelot moments, mechanical marvels, Rustoleum launches, flying squirrels, fru-fru tea cuppers, V8 envy, Ensure catch cans -- and it wasn't even a full moon." -- SeattleTom

December 2013..

Went out and did the 400 dirt miles between LA and Las Vegas.. what fun! Truth be told, it wasn't as much about fun as it was a personal challenge.. going in I didn't have much sand experience.. this took me way out of my comfort zone, and I'm so glad I did it.. If I can convince my wife to let me abandon the family next Thanksgiving, I'll do it again!

**below is proof that hot chicks dig unshowered stinky old guys

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

A slow 2014 (so far)..

My little clown car project has been idle for some time.. I rolled it over to the side of the house and put a tarp on it while I turned my attention this winter/spring to prepping my old F250 for sale.. The old Ford is getting close, so it's almost time to start back up on the N600..

Over the winter I've gathered a few parts as the sorting of the car is ongoing.. In April of 2012 I had 150# coils front and 125# rear... too soft in front..

So September of 2012 I swapped over to 200# front and left the 125# in the rear.. close, but not quite enough..

Next month (June 2014) I'll swap yet again, and try these 250# coils in the front, and bump to 150# in the rear.. We shall see..

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Is it the fore to aft balance of coil strengths or the overall stiffness you need to improve?

_________________
mobilito ergo sum
I drive therefore I am

I can explain it to you,
but I can't understand it for you.

In this case it's overall stiffness... the car is just undersprung currently (particularly the front- it's really close in the rear)... I underestimated just how much the engine weight would affect the nose- while it's a light motor at 149#, it's all hanging over the front of the front axle centerline.. right now if I hit a bump at speed it just blows through the suspension and the fatcat bumpstops, even with the Koni's stiffened up- looking for a better balance up there...

-ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

More bits waiting..

My original plan was to have this little monster be a daily driver, but as the build goes on, it's morphed into more of a fun toy/weekend car..

For the first few years of the build, I struggled with getting the exhaust as absolutely quiet as possible- as it sits it has the OEM Interceptor muffler inline, as well as a 'car' style muffler downstream.. While it's not silent, it's very, very quiet at idle, and sounds like a very tame bike at full hum (I should also add that this makes for quite a heavy exhaust setup).

With this in mind, I'm going to redo the exhaust next month (JUNE 2014) and play up one of the VFR's strengths, it's unique and powerful sound..

When you uncork this thing, it's just wicked! A few year ago I started it in the garage with open headers-- the hair on the back of my neck stood up- in a car-guy good way.. If you close you eyes, this little V4 sounds like a small SBC or a Nascar.. Here's a link as to why:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwEbwKBic6w

Anyway, I'm going to put a 12" glasspack just behind the headers (it really just barely takes the edge off- still VERY loud at this point), and I'll add the Supertrapp below at the end of the pipe.. It will still end up pretty loud methinks, but for a toy, I'm thinking it will add a bit of a visceral 'something' to the driving experience- ideally just short of everyone thinking I'm a big a-hole

Found the supertrapp cheap on CL from an offroad guy in Reno- thanks Chris!

-ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

More hunting and gathering..

As summer approaches, I'm still gathering bits to integrate as I plan to get back on this build with some upcoming free time..

Although I've never gone the shaved handle route on previous projects, I've elected to do it on this one because I'm going to a bit of effort to smooth out the body, and I think it will go a long way to cleaning up the looks on the 'slabby' sides of this particular body style..

I'm a little worried in that I've heard the no handle route can be a bit of a hassle (drained battery/faulty bits/lost transmitter/ etc), but I'll be routing a secret emergency pull cable as backup, so ideally I'll never be locked out..

As an aside, years ago I put power door locks on my 79 F250 crewcab.... (you know, the kind that come on virtually ALL cars now )-- best mod ever for utter convenience in an older vehicle..

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

The BEC without reverse problem...

Not sure if this will work, but I picked up a small winch to power my eventual electric reverse.. I plan to mount a small tire (10" or less) on the end of this motor where the spool currently lives, and fab a small drop-down pivot/fork to get the tire/motor down onto the road when reverse is needed, then have the motor activate on a push button switch; when done reversing, it will pivot back up out of the way (maybe a mechanical lever pivot, or maybe with a linear actuator)... sort of a 5th wheel drive ..

(This mod isn't planned to happen until Fall 2014 at the earliest, but the winch was cheap and in great shape so I grabbed it now..)

-ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Summer 2014...

Been away for awhile, but the work continues... had some computer issues and have a bit of work done over the last few months, so I'll be updating here and there..

This is the 5th or 6th version of the N600's exhaust.. I cut out 'old' big, heavy inline silencers (front was OEM VFR, rear was a 'car style' can), and replaced them with a 12" glasspack in the front, and a stubby supertrapp at the tip.. Love the way it sounds now

ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

Where did the summer of 2014 go?

As a middle school teacher, I treasure my time off during the summer.. I had so many plans for my little N600 project, but alas, I didn't get to most of them- time simply ran out (I know, boo hoo for the guy that gets summers off, huh?! )

One of the big time pirates this summer was my beloved 79 Ford Crew Cab. If you look in several of the older posts/photos, you can see it lurking in the background wearing it's original "Poop-Brown" color.. As life goes, I've decided to not only push on with this fun little Honda, but I've also decided to repower a 1963 Volvo with a GM LNF engine..

So the die was cast- my poor, lonely truck needed a bit of TLC and a color change to sell so I could raise $$ for the other projects.. Took me from Jan to early July (2014), but I'm happy with how it turned out.. sold it on Ebay, and it now lives with a very happy new family that will hopefully love it and get some use out of it..

Below is a picture of it the day it left..

-ccrunner

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com

JUNE 2014

My build log is behind again, so I'll be trying to catch up over these next many weeks...

One of the early jobs this summer was to widen the stock VW Passat steelies.. I'm still undecided on whether or not to keep these wheels/this look, but I do like the unique look of them once they're dressed up with a bit of chrome; that, and they're dirt cheap, and the selection of affordable 13" rims is a bit scarce. If I ever find an inexpensive nice set of 13x7 minilights I'll probably run those.. In the meantime, I wanted to change the look of these a bit, and I thought I could get away with my 175-50-13 tires stretched out to 7." Still not sure if I love it... sort of waiting to get my flares over the now wide track to see if it makes sense. If not, I can easily go back to 5.5" wide by getting the oems again..

Below is a shot for reference on the stockers, and a shot at my super-cheesy rim splitting method (which actually ended up working out really well)..

**BTW- gotta state this; some find that 'hooping' a rim as I've chosen to do to be quite wrong and controversial.. For me and my skill set (or lack thereof), it worked out pretty well.. the wider rims run pretty true, and I'm confident in their strength/integrity- YMMV..

_________________
Dean

1972 Honda N600 Restomod "ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower"

1963 Volvo P1800 Restomod
http://locostusa.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=16309

1959 Berkeley SE492 Restomod...
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=19397

"ccrunner's 1960 MGA coupe Restomod" found on MGExp.com