“IT HAS THE MOST AMAZING ENGINE NOTE IT REVS OUT BEAUTIFULLY”
transferred the mechanicals lock stock and barrel over to the ‘old’ car. And so we made one really good car out of two.
“It took a bit over six months. I have to give a shout out to Rob Painter of Road & Race Refinishing in Wagga Wagga, who did an amazing job.
“We adapted some parts for it. The pedal pads are out of a Toyota Hilux, while the windscreen washer motor is out of a Commodore. There are a number of custom made items, such as the roof lining, carpets and exhaust. I pretty much had the rest.”
So does Andrew have any tips for would-be Coupe 9S owners? “There’s a website called the Honda 1300 Coupe Register (honda1300-coupe.com), established by a guy called Lindsay Thatchuk in Canada. He bought a Coupe 7 new when he lived in Adelaide and then took it back to Canada with him. He still has it – a one-owner white Coupe 7.
“People tell stories about their cars and trade parts on it, and it has all the road tests. It’s a brilliant website.”
We took a quick spin in the thing and it’s definitely an experience. The engine is feisty and there is a surprising amount of room inside. “It’s amazing to drive,” says Andrew. “You have got to remember it’s a 1971 car, so you can’t expect the noise reduction, and the smooth ride you get in a modern car. But it has the most amazing engine note, it revs out beautifully and it’s got a little crackle on over-run.” Sounds good to us…