My Little Matilda: Too Busy Driving to Blog!


Brochure Cover.

We've had an absolutely crap spring and summer for weather here in the Willamette Valley. Having half of Matilda's outer surfaces sealed with only etching primer, has kept her in the garage whenever rain looms. And the fact that we are running without any glass in the doors, has made it a little less fun to drive in the cold. That said, we have managed to have many good days driving Matilda and spreading smiles!
I was anxious to put some miles on the new engine, to both get it dialed in, and make sure the engine builder got everything right. There have been a few hiccups, mostly related to the carb, but the engine runs great. We've now cleared 650 miles, and are going strong!
Overall, I've been very pleasantly surprised by how well the car has gone back together. So far, all of the little things that usually don't work on an old car (dome light, cigarette lighter, etc.) have come back to life, with minimal effort.

Sidewalk Drivin'!

I do have one mysterious electrical issue. The voltage regulator has been clicking on and off at odd, sometimes rapid intervals. The charging system is working, the regulator is just freaking-out. I've checked with all the experts, and even took her in to an automotive electric shop, with no definite cause. The mechanic at the electric shop believes it is the regulator its self, but I'm not convinced. Luckily, I just discovered a great website that actually carries brand new parts for 600s. Honda600carparts.com has become my new Mecca. I recently got a brand new coil, fuel pump and rectifier. They also carry seals, gaskets, brake parts and even some of the tools that came in the factory tool kit. One great item I was excited to find, is the little rubber hold down strap that holds the tool kit in its mount under the driver's seat. Bruce, the owner of the website, also carries both mechanical and solid-state voltage regulators. I've tried using his solid state regulators, but for some reason, the two I've tried haven't worked. Friday I ordered a new mechanical unit from him, so hopefully it will take care of the problem.

I'm happy to report that I have found someone willing to do our final body and paint work! Aaron at McClinton Auto Body is going to make her smooth and shiny. I took her over one Saturday about a month ago, and he was very interested in the job. While there, I was able to look at some of their personal cars, and was very impressed with the quality of the work.
We're having a ton of fun driving her ugly, but are looking forward to getting her into the shop at the end of summer!