ccrunner's N600 VFR800 repower

[maaaatt]

Just spotted SpongeBob SqareCar on the end of one of Matt Farah's videos - Good to see it is still out there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNbSSw6CspI

Capture.PNG

[smsteve]

Hi all,

For anyone still subscribed, or still following Dean's amazing work on the little wonder that is Sponge Bob Square Car a video from Matt Farah's Smoking Tire - One Take series has just been posted today. Please have a look and enjoy!

https://youtu.be/LU4bIsdnbkM

[esp42089]

ccrunner,

I spotted your car today on youtube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU4bIsdnbkM

Matt Farah is driving it for one of his "One Takes"

Evan

[esp42089]

Wow! I didn't see those two posts above me when I put mine up.

[ccrunner]

Thanks for the heads up guys

What a hoot watching Matt drive the car!

..I was giggling out loud and my face started to hurt from smiling as the video went on- great fun


--ccrunner

[DeanD3W]

That was one of the best car videos I've ever seen. The car, the builder, and new owner, and the host all did a great job.

Dean (another Dean who also likes small bike engined cars)

[ccrunner]

Update: December 9, 2019

It's been a long time since I've updated this thread, but there have been a few things with this wee car that have developed over the last few years..

It's gotten a lot of love since I sold it to Steve Mines on BAT (Bring A Trailer) over 3 years ago (June 2016).. As noted above, Matt Farah drove it on The Smoking Tire/ One take at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU4bIsdnbkM&t=2s

It's gotten over a million views at a build/slide show on Cheral Auto's Youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ga9-_Uwwdo&t=783s

The main reason I'm jumping back onto this build thread though is because last month (Nov 2019) she was a featured car in Honda's SEMA booth .. I'm over the moon that this has happened... What an incredible honor and privilege to have this car chosen by American Honda to help represent them at SEMA.. I didn't think this could ever happen.. I'm a one-man-band who does this purely for the love of it; the puzzle aspect.. this tiny vision came together with a Harbor Freight angle grinder and a third-hand Craigslist welder.. Who knew?!

*pic below is one from Honda's pre-show publicity photo shoot.. Honda flooded the internet with this pic (and several other Honda cars) as they pushed to make some SEMA noise 8 days before the show in late Oct/early Nov..

--ccrunner

[ccrunner]

So how did this come about?

If it weren't for Steve's passionate stewardship of this car, it wouldn't have.. Steve is a car/bike guy, and he loves to get out and meet people.. most importantly, he gets out and drives this little classic- he gets it seen, and that of course was key to Honda learning about it and choosing it for their SEMA booth.

The first link below explains it quite well (put out by American Honda's PR dept).. In short, over the spring/summer of 2019, Honda teamed up with The Hot Wheels tour and selected several winners over several shows to be in the 'Get your car in the Honda SEMA booth' final.. of that pool of winners, this car was chosen by Honda to go to Las Vegas and be in the booth.. here are more details-

https://hondanews.com/en-US/honda-corpo ... nds-series

..Below are a few links as to how American Honda disseminated the info in an effort to increase interest for their Honda wares at this year's show.. pretty typical PR stuff... car sites as well as a handful of bike sites picked up the story..

Hagerty- https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos ... o-the-moon

Topgear- https://www.topgear.com/car-news/modifi ... we-need-it

--ccrunner

[ccrunner]

Getting into SEMA..

So SEMA only allows 'automotive industry' people in: The show is not open to the public- you can't buy a ticket .. I've wanted to get into SEMA for years, and until now, that hasn't been a possibility for this decidedly non automotive-industry high school English teacher..

I've been in touch with Steve (the car's owner) these last many years since he bought it, and so cool is this guy, that he asked Honda for an extra ticket for me to come along as his guest.. Honda said yes, and off to SEMA I went

It's hard to describe SEMA, even with pictures.. with each exhibitor trying to outdo each other for eyeballs and impressions, this is not the place for 'ordinary.' The Bigger, the Baller, the Badder, the Better.. Different and excess rule the SEMA aisles..

There's simply too much to see.. in 3 days we walked quite literally miles and still hadn't seen it all. I was exhausted by the end of the last day, but don't misunderstand- no complaining here

Pictures were difficult to get because of the MASSIVE crowds (last year drew 170,000 I think).. I had a pass that let me into the buildings a few hours before the doors opened, so that allowed for many of the following pics of things I found interesting..

--ccrunner

[ccrunner]

SEMA is also about the look, not necessarily the function.. Lots of Brodozer trucks with ridiculous lifts and silly big-barrel wheels (or tracks!) that wouldn't last more than 3 or 4 angry potholes.. But hey, let's not get all judgy.. it's cool to look at, and a little extremism once and again can be fun

--ccrunner

[benny_toe]

Congrats Dean! Well deserved!

[ccrunner]

Last few of the random stuff..

Pic on the bottom is some cartoon-looking fun

That Jag is one of the slickest, most beautiful builds I've ever seen.. I don't know the marque well enough to pick up all of the mods, but she's sooooo smooth I know someone's got thousands of hours in it to end up here.. (I've forgotten who's build this was- shame on me.. if you know, please let me know as this builder deserves all credit due )

With the first pic, I'm gonna get a little judgy.. you can't go to all of the time and expense to show at SEMA and cheeseball your display together like this I get it, you've got this SXS up on the back of the rig, but let's put some blocks into the springs, or find some other way to fake this ill-advised load.. Building your display 'up' is fine, but c'mon

--ccrunner

[ccrunner]

You meet the nicest people in the Honda booth

Finally, the corner of the SEMA universe where the wee Honda ended up..

A very sincere thank you to Steve for thinking to include me in this (Steve left/ I'm right in top pic), and for continuing to take this tiny car out and spread joy with it.. people are drawn to the little oddity, and I love that it's not languishing in a lonely garage somewhere.. You're a hell of a steward Steve- thank you

Had a great time.. now I just need someone to see the value in inviting a 60 year old modified Berkeley into the SEMA fray

--ccrunner

[duratec7]

That is quite the honor, and well deserved from all I've seen of your work. Congratulations!

Glad you found a good steward for your project! Sounds like the right guy came along when you were selling. Really good of him to get you in to SEMA.

My uncle had a Honda Z600 coupe when I was a kid. I wish it were still around as I'd love to make a hot little 'commuter' out of it. Always loved the quirky looks. That car was the easiest clutch change I ever did, 4 M5 screws held the cover over it with the linkage and throwout bearing, and 6 M5's for the pressure plate. I think the disc was about 5 in, and it had little rubber blocks instead of springs. Transmission input shaft stuck out of the crank end, so no alignment tool needed.

[RichardSIA]

Wish I could un-see the Jag!
Hope it's a fiberglass kit car.
I miss my E-Types SO much, but at current prices there is no way to get another.

Nice to see the Extreme T has another lease on life.