The place to share your stories and experiences. We welcome contributions from all members. You don't need to write a huge essay – just a few lines and some pictures can tell a story. If possible please sent pictures in a jpg or jpeg format. Please send new articles to website@s800scc.com. Following our recent website upgrade you should be able to read your Revs! on a laptop, tablet or PC as well as your phone.

Replacement of the rear ball bearing in the S800 gearbox

Pierre Planteline – 7th February 2026

We are indebted to Pierre for producing a detailed article about this longstanding issue with the majority of S800 gearboxes. Replacement of the rear ball bearing was long thought to be impossible and later boxes were sought after as these had the ability to replace the errant bearing much more easily. These later gearboxes had pinion gears which were on splines such that they could be slid off the shaft to get to the bearing.
Pierre outlines in his article the process of removing the earlier pressed on pinions in the earlier boxes so that the worn ball bearing can be replaced.
The article is detailed with photos which cannot easily be reproduced in our Revs format. To access this article please – click here – to download this item as a pdf file.

Honda S800 – Front Suspension Bump Steer Tuning

Pierre Planteline – 16 January 2026

If you own a S800/S600 car with which you experience an instable road handing on large turns (wandering typically) or if you feel important moves of the steering wheel on bumpy roads, this article could be of some help. You will find a way to tune the variation in the parallelism of the front wheels. This may not only fix these issues, but also improve significantly the handing on winding roads.

Such tuning is always carefully done on race cars.

The principle is not complex but its implementation is rather lengthy because you need to disassemble/reassemble
several elements and it must be done carefully to obtain the expected result.

Also, you will need to buy or build a jig allowing to measure easily the variation of the parallelism (over 7 cm max in bound and 7 cm max in rebound).The range is actually smaller because of the real travel of the shocks absorbers. The range also depends on the static ride height of the car.

If the geometry of the front suspension is changed significantly (camber, or ride height variation >= 10 mm), it is highly recommended to check/tune the variation of the parallelism.

WHY WE MUST CARE ABOUT BUMP STEER?

All front suspensions are designed to limit the variations of the parallelism. A front wheel shall never too in during bump (wandering, risk of oversteering) and the variation of parallelism must be reduced as much as possible. But a “relative” symmetry of parallelism variation must also be targeted between the two wheels (especially on bump).

For a given wheel, the location of ends of a tie rod must be “compatible” with the ones of A arm (lower or upper one) in order that the instantaneous center of rotation (Rc) and its path 1) for an A arm and thetie rod,to be the same as 2) the ones of the upper and lower A arms (without tie rod).

The ride height of a S800 can be slightly modified by rotating the height adjusting bolts of the torsion bar. The S800 that I have examined for LHD cars had the same tuning forthese adjusting bolts: 3rd position for the left-hand side and 2nd position for the right one, the 1st position being the one giving the lowest ride height. In such conditions, the ride height can be modified by approximately +- 6 mm.

If the ride height is significantly lowered (by 10 mm or more), the steering case will have to be raised so that the tie rod retrieves approximately the same angle. This is done with the use of shims placed between the car frame and the steering case fixing points.

If a ride height higher than the usual stock one is targeted, the steering case would have to be lowered which is not recommended because the steering case would have to lowered and it looks pretty difficult if not impossible to mill its fixing points by more than 2mm (the steering case is very close to the frame).

There are other methods to adjust the location of a tie rod but they will not be dealt with as they may be strictly
forbidden.

WHICH VARIATION OF PARALLELISM SHOULD BE TARGETED?

One might think that the ideal tuning would lead to zero parallelism variation. Actually, from the static position of the wheel, a front wheel should slightly toe out on compression and toe in on rebound… at least for a daily driver.

Toe out decreases tire grip and toe in does the opposite. And in any case, a wheel shall never toe in on compression.

For a race car, the maximum toe variation per wheel is in the order of 0,05 to 0,2 mm /cm.

For the S800, the mean variation per wheel we can obtain is in the order of 0,2 mm / cm (measured at rim edge).

This mean variation is not necessarily the same for compression and rebound. Typically, as the hub is raised (compression wise), the variation will decrease. The variation will look higher for rebound than for compression.

Your results will be limited by the geometry of the suspension, silent block deformation, and the thickness of the shims used to set the height of the steering case.

TOOLS TO MEASURE THE PARALLELISM VARIATION

The principle consists in moving the height of a plate attached to the wheel hub and recording toe variation with the help
of one or two comparators.

As for me, I first bought a plate specially designed for this purpose (brand: Longacre) and able to adapt to differentwheel studs designs, but the height of the plate was limited (so the bound/rebound range), and I finally made larger plates from a thick plywood board. The only thing that matters is the surface of the plate: it must be flat and smooth.

Nowadays, Longacre seems to propose a more operational plate.

Regarding what has to do with the measurement of the toe, I made one jig using only one comparator attached to a frame with a hinge in the bottom part allowing the tool to follow the lateral movement of the plate that occurs when the hub is moved vertically to simulate the travel of the suspension.

The mobile part of the jig has a comparator at one end and at the other end a fixed rounded tip that follows the surface of the plate as it moves.

The tool allows to set the distance between the comparator and the fixed rounded tip as well as the height of the horizontal bar to which they are attached.

With a jig using a single comparator, the advantage is that a single number has to be recorded for each hub position to determine the toe value (once an initial value is subtracted).

On the photo, the mobile frame of the jig has been more tilted than necessary to better see the jig design. In fact, the ideal tilt is around 15° when the hub height corresponds to the static ride height.

PREPARATION:

1. Check camber and caster

2. Check that the tie rod ball joints have no play

For this, disengage the steering dust covers, ask a person to sit on driver seat and move the steering wheel to left and right. You should not see the ball joints move in their seats. In case of play, if it concerns the ball joint on steering case side, you can insert a shim between the ball joint seat and its spring or between the spring and the cap (thickness 0.5mm up to 2 mm depending on the play, internal diameter : 10 mm, external diameter : 20 mm); if the ball joint on wheel side is to loose, replace the ball joint.

3. Set the toe to zero. Make sure the length of the tie rods is the same.

4. Set jacks at frame level, lift the car and remove the front wheels

5. Disconnect the ends of the anti-roll bar from the lower A arms and rotate the anti-roll bar to clear it

6. Disconnect the tie rods on wheel side

7. Remove the shocks

8. Remove the torsion bars adjusting bolts. For this, first disconnect the ball joints from the lower A arms to clear the torsion bar fingers from the bolts.

9. Reconnect the ball joints to the lower A arms.

10. Install used shocks with shorten bump stops (length = 22 cm between anchor points when fully compressed by hand). This is not mandatory, but it prevents any damage to the ball joints when the lower A arm is jacked until the suspension is fully compressed.

11. Reconnect the tie rods on wheel side

12. Lock the steering rack on both sides, for example with collars tightened symmetrically on the rack against the steering case.

Remark: if the steering case is not centered in relation to the chassis, the steering rack ends must be centered.

13. Install the plates used to measure the toe variation on the wheel hubs et set them level.

You can buy such plates (from Longacre for example) but you can also make ones from smooth and plane plywood or so, drilled to fit the hub studs. Draw a horizontal line aligned with the center of the hub and additional reference horizontal lines at 1 cm interval over a ~ 6-7 cm range on each side.

14. Set the height of the hub to move for toe measurement to the one corresponding to the static ride height (with the driver).

The distance between the center of the hub and the bottom of the wheel arch is an easy means to achieve this.

15. Install the jig so that the nose of the comparator is aligned with the reference line in the middle of the plate when the mobile frame is tilted by about 15°. You may have to move the jig and/or move up/down the chassis.

Adjust the length of the fixed rounded tip sliding on the plate as necessary.

Set the comparator nose mid-way.

16. Use a manual (for better progressivity) jack below the lower suspension arm ball joint of the suspension side for which the toe variation has to be recorded.

MEASUREMENT OF TOE VARIATION

1. Set the suspension (by hand) to its lowest position.

2. Set the plate level.

3. Raise the suspension with the jack placed below the lower ball joint, in order to line up the comparator nose with the nearest horizontal reference line of the plate. Make sure the plate is horizontal while you jack the plate and correct the level as necessary.

Record the value of the comparator and the location of the reference line.

4. Jack up slowly the suspension by 1 cm increment while checking that the plate stays level. Record the values
of the comparator for each reference line.

Never go back if you miss a reference line. You can either jack up the suspension to the next line, or restart from the lowest position of the suspension.

Record the indication of the comparator for each reference line. Le value recorded for the reference line aligned with the center of the hub will be subtracted from the other values to be able to compare the results obtained with other shim thickness.

RESULTS INTERPRETATION AND ADJUSTMENTS

Assuming that the genuine suspension parts (A arms, tie rods, steering arms, spindle) have not been modified, there are only 2 cases to consider.

The following figures represent very roughly the possible cases of toe variation you may encounter. The real curves are never perfectly linear over the whole range except on short segments.

1st case : The wheel toes in on compression

Fix : Raise the steering rack so that the wheel never toes in when the suspension is compressed.

2nd case : The wheel toes out too much when the suspension is compressed

Fix : Lower the steering case. Target a slight toe out on compression.

The thickness of the shims placed under the steering case must be decreased in order to get a more upright curve, but make sure the wheel never toes in on compression.

Several trials may be necessary to obtain the best result.

After the best result is reached, the height of the steering height on this side is kept, then we carry on the same procedure on the other side.

Once both sidesare dealt with, you will generally notice that toe variation you recorded on the first side has been modified. This is normal as the height of the steering case on one side effects the height of the tie rod on the other side.

A second and last iteration may be necessary to complete the tuning.

Remark: You should keep the results you got for each shim thickness you tried, because it may not be possible to get toe
variation similar on bump for both sides. If this case occurs, it is recommended to set the heigh of the steering case so that 1) toe variations are similar on bump for both wheels and 2) that a wheel never toes in on bump. So, the result of the “best wheel” must be lined up with the best result you got for the other wheel.

If the ride height of the car has been significantly lowered, you may have to use shim thickness in the order of 3-6 mm.

As an example, here is a curve showing the toe variation recorded for a S800 (after similar results were got on
compression for both wheels):

The toe was recorded for a width corresponding to the one of a rim.

SOURCES

If you want to increase your understanding on this topic, here are some interesting readings:

The document at the following URL: https://www.fichier-pdf.fr/2024/04/03/les-epures-de-suspension-07/

In particular, It gives information regarding the effect on road handing of toe variation for front and rear suspension.

The book entitled « Construireune voiture de course suspension-châssis » from Bernard Gironnet edited by Dunodin 1973.

The book « Competition car suspension »from Allan Staniforth. Haynes Editions

The book « Advanced Race Car Suspension Development » by Steve Smith

There are numerous other sources.

I believe that the most comprehensive and precise description of the suspension geometry is the one found in the book “ « Construireune voiture de course suspension-châssis ».

Pierre Planteline

Restorer of the Year!

16th January 2026

Our very own Alan Stanyon has been named Restorer of the Year by the well respected Practical Classics magaazine. The article in the March 2026 issue talks about Alans restoration of his Honda Z600 – and then goes on to describe what was done and even includes a road test of the finished item. No less than six pages in total occupying one of the main classic car magazines on every shelf across the UK. Well done Alan!!

Buy a copy – and bring it to the AGM where I am sure Alan will gladly add his signature... although we must be careful not to let all this fame get to his head – I mean they are tiny cars and it would be a shame if his head no longer fitted!

Happy New Year!

We hope you are all raring to go with the new season of car events approaching. We are currently adding lots of events (including details about how to take part) to our website. Some of these are already well subscribed – so if you intend joining us, please don't leave it to the last minute.

If you need help getting your car 'over the line' then tune into our Show and Tell events. Remember, there are no 'daft questions' – we are here to help!

Christmas Lunch 2025

2 December 2025

Following last years succesful inaugural Christmas lunch at the Gaydon Motor Museum – we decided to repeat it this year!

The location will also be well known to past participants of the lamented Norwich Union run as Gaydon often featured as a stop off point on that car run. This time, however, there was no chance to sample the banked test track circuit. Instead we were soon inside the fascinating museum amongst the many exhibits.

The museum was originally part of Rover UK and held mostly historic British motoring exhibits and icons. Some of the exhibits are a rather sad reflection upon the inability of Bitish engineering to push ahead with designs which would surely have become world beaters. For example, a hatchback replacement for the Mini was designed in the 1960s but management at the time decided not to put it into production. Imagine beating the Golf to market by some 5 years...

The location is ideal for this winter event being central for many members. I think Steve Sykes had the longest journey of some 2 hours 40 minutes from northern Yorkshire but many members had a journey of less than two hours.

In true club tradition spares were swapped on a bleak midwinter car park with Barry sending some S800 engine liners to Tony S for his latest project!

As our alloted lunchtime approached we headed for the Sky Suite which has views somewhat akin to an aircraft control tower. The room was decorated with numerous trees and trees had festive decorations and crackers. We had two tables this year with much chatter about all kinds of subjects. Dominika Fourt produced some Christmas cards she had created which were laser cut and featured the S800, a Christmas tree and the Honda logo – fantastic.

James Cowell produced some table name place holders manufactured by his company Printa. There are details of the other items he can supply elsewhere in 'Revs' including the ever useful carburettor float gauge.

After lunch we had the opportunty to further explore the museum exhibits. Now the building is part of Jaguar Land Rover there is a building set aside to Jaguars history which you need to explore if you get the chance.

Last stop before leaving was the gift shop. Sadly nothing that was Honda related but plenty of other stuff for petrolhead Christmas shopping.

Many thanks to Tony Sighe for organising another great event. We are looking to return next year – so if you missed it please mark it in your diary as soon as dates are announced.

Tony Lowe

3D Printing

December 2025

Club member James Cowell runs a 3D printing company and has recently added some S800 related items which can be purchased. Please have a look at his site by clicking on this link – https://www.printa.uk/parts/ The main fuse box has been difficult to source for years but is now accurately reproduced. The float adjustment gauges are a MUST for any S800 owners tool box, enabling you to easily set the 19mm float height on each carburettor.

Looking ahead to 2026...

'This one goes to eleven...!'

The first Honda S800s arrived in the UK in 1966! So next year we are celebrating 60 years of our high revving sports cars... Look out for new events arriving soon – together with specific logos and graphics to celebrate the occasion. We really hope you can join us!

The NEC Classic Car Show

7th – 9th November 2025

If you missed the show, or indeed want to be reminded of what was on show here is the Official Show Guide for a sneak preview of the NEC Classic Motor Show.

Click here for the Show Guide

The Honda S800 Sports Car Club enjoyed a successful three-day outing at the 2025 NEC Classic Car Show, situated in Hall 3 next to the S2000 stand.

Preparation Highlights:
Our show preparation was led by John Tetley, who organised the stand logistics and ensured members received display vehicle documents. Exhibitors, including Philip Ronn (S600 Convertible), Marc Hughes (red S800 Coupe) and Duncan Martin (red S800 Convertible) confirmed arrival times and brought equipment, such as spare chairs and lots of polish! John Tetley brought the club backdrops and desk whilst Tony Lowe donated a camping table!

Set-up day saw us successfully place all cars on the stand by Thursday afternoon. A minor logistical challenge arose when members noted that the wristbands issued by the organisers contained incorrect dates (stating 8th to 10th instead of 7th to 9th!). We agreed this would not be an issue for entry but just proves that the most meticulous of planning can go astray. Attendees participating in the set-up and break-down days were reminded to bring their own high-visibility yellow gillets.

Events over the weekend:
The stand was exceptionally busy and received lots of public interest throughout the weekend. Tony Sighe and Trudy were unfortunately absent due to illness caught while travelling. You were both missed and we wish you a speedy recovery.

Merchandise and Gifts:
Robert Fourt provided popular posters, and James Cowell's key ring float gauges were enthusiastically received by members.

Club Hospitality:
The club cakes were described as the "Best cakes in the show", a treat enjoyed by attendees.

Car Sales Announcement:
Member Colin Adamson informed the stand that his 1967 S800 Mk1 Coupe, which Tony Sighe had recommissioned, would shortly be listed for sale via Bonhams, estimated at £16k – £20k.

Logistics Success:
The overall operation, particularly the breakdown on Sunday, was smooth. Andrew Dunnell offered presidential felicitations, congratulating John Tetley for his hard work in organising and handling the set-up and break down. As a side note we were delighted to see Andrew on our stand for two days looking a picture of good health.
Marc Hughes humorously noted his "Le Mans style exit," where he may have run over his drip tray.

The event was deemed a great success, with attendees thanking John Tetley for his excellent job coordinating the stand. The 2026 show promises to be extra special, as it marks the 60th Anniversary of the S800 in the UK, and planning for this major celebration will shortly begin.

Did you enjoy hearing about the fabulous stand, the key ring float gauges, and the legendary club cakes? Don't miss out on the next big event! Look out for further details as planning shortly begins for the 2026 NEC Classic Car Show, where we will celebrate the S800’s momentous 60th Anniversary!

Mimms Honda Day at Three Sisters Circuit, Wigan

12 October 2025

Stewart Hutchinson brought my attention to this 'Honda only' gathering up t'North. Mimms Honda days started at the local Honda dealership in South Mimms near London many years ago. They have grown over the years and arrange several 'Honda only' gatherings across Europe where people can show off their cars and even drive on circuit if they wish.

One such venue is the motorbike and kart racing circuit at 3 Sisters near Wigan. The circuit proved to be wide enough to enjoy the little green racing S800, where it had fun chasing down the more powerful VTEC Civics.

We arranged to bring along a selection of historic Hondas for the younger crowd to see. Indeed it did turn out to be an education for them with many saying how they've never seen the likes before. Crowds certainly gathered around our little historic wonders.

On display were Stewart Hutchinson's lovely white S800 Convertible. Tony Sighe's green historic S800 race car. Andy Thompson's N600, Barry and Mary Fernally in their unique S800 pickup, and Steve Sykes in his red S800 Coupe.

The event includes a beauty show where people can vote for their favourite car and there really was some lovely cars to choose from. This years winner was a lovely original early red NSX. We should enter an S800 in the competition next year.

These Mimms days are great fun and we plan to attend them again in 2026. They also hold an event at Goodwood race circuit with opportunities to take to the track which sadly clashed with the NEC classic show this year. Their other venues this year were at a circuit in the Netherlands, and the Nurburgring in Germany. Not sure if fancy taking a S800 around the 'ring though with all them fast Civics driving over me!

Tony Sighe

Events and Competition Secretary

Our 2025 AGM

5th – 7th September 2025

Our 2025 AGM was originally centred on the racing exploits of Tony Sighe who was due to take part in the HSCC race at Mallory Park. Such are the pitfalls of motor racing that the car wasn’t ready for this event having developed a misfire.
This meant our organisers had to scramble for some alternative entertainment for the weekend, and as a result we ended up with an AGM more akin to previous years with the formal AGM being on Saturday morning followed by a visit to a local venue of interest. On Sunday we headed off for some ‘crazy golf’ close to the motorway network meaning an easy run home for most.
Members started to arrive on Friday afternoon. Duncan was first to check in at the hotel having arrived virtually at lunch time. Tony Lowe arrived in the wrong car again with some excuse about getting his Alfa serviced near Cambridge. Sue and Norman arrived all the way from the south coast, whilst Stewart headed down from a much more Northerly direction. All agreed that the central location worked well for most members.
Friday evening allowed everyone to catch up face to face with others who we hadn’t seen since probably the last AGM! Lots to talk about then, but crucially for those less interested in cars, not too much nattering about technical matters.
After breakfast on Saturday we held our formal AGM in the Octagon room which was ideal for our purposes. There was a lot of discussion about club business and the formal minutes from the meeting will be published soon.
Then it was time to head off to our afternoon of cultural enlightenment at the Battle of Bosworth exhibition as well as an excuse to give the Hondas a blast down some country roads. We were lucky with the weather allowing some top down driving and scenic views across the open countryside. The UK never fails to amaze me; our venue was close to the huge metropolis of Birmingham but we could have been driving through the remote countryside of the south west or the Cotswolds given how little traffic or housing we saw.
Once at the venue it was time for bonnets up and the informal judging of the best car. Sorry Mark but when you arrived I had already cast my vote! I will have words with the organisers though about there not being an option to vote for the best Alfa on the forms...
After a tea and a cake there was time to wander around the venue which was the scene of some horrific battles back in the day. All too soon it was time for another jaunt back to the hotel. Various routes were used on the return suggesting it’s not always a good ploy to follow the car in front!
A relaxing brush up at the hotel and it was nearly time for the annual dinner. This year we had four tables of participants – good numbers given how small our club is. This meant four eager (?) teams for the annual quiz which centred on identifying celebrities and their ages as well as putting names to Japanese cars. A close and very competitive battle for the honours ensued with the winners being treated to goody bags prepared by Sue. She must know her club members very well as the contents included drinks, sweets, chocolate and an air freshener..!!

Before the prize-giving we had a surprise presentation to our Treasurer Duncan who was celebrating a BIG birthday on the Saturday. Every big birthday deserves cake so we presented Duncan with a cake and a trophy cup to mark the occasion.

Then it was time for the prize giving. Furthest travelled were Sue and Norman Truran closely followed by Robert and Dominica Fourt. Onto the best car and our winner by quite a margin was Stewart Hutchinson.

We don’t have runners up – so highly commended this year was Robert and Dominica’s yellow left hand drive coupe. Having said that, the standard of the cars was very close with only a handful of votes separating many of the cars.
The final part of the night was the prize raffle. It seems that several members had spotted the newly released Hot Wheels racing Honda S800 in yellow when on their travels this year and thought that would make an ideal and possibly unique raffle prize. We inadvertently ended up with eight yellow S800 models on the raffle prize table proving that members do think alike!
Barry donated a number of spares which were either bought or raffled proving a boost to club funds – many thanks Barry! Barry’s vintage battery charger failed to find a taker and was photographed back in its usual spot in the garage a couple of days later. Likewise Stewart’s concours trophy returned to his sideboard occupying the same ring of dust evident when he moved it a couple of days earlier!
As the evening drew to a close members drifted back to their rooms carrying trophies, raffle prizes and spares. In some cases getting the stuff home would become a problem!
Sunday morning was much more relaxed. A leisurely breakfast and chat followed by another run out – this time to the Stonebridge Golf Centre for 18 holes of ‘crazy golf’. Rain stopped play for a little while but when the scores were in it was discovered that our Chairman had beat known low handicappers and multi prizewinning putters from the North West. Tony Lowe had a 19 on the outward 9 holes (one over par) but the least said about the back 9 the better! We can only assume that Chairman John, who originates from Blackpool, must have spent a great deal of his youth on the tourist mini golf attractions of the resort...
Sue and Norman headed back to the hotel for a leisurely further night before heading home on Monday whereas everyone else said their goodbyes at the Golf Club and headed home. The weather had just turned at this point but everyone got home safe and sound.
Since the AGM there has been a lot of chat on the WhatsApp group and swapping of photographs. It seems the weekend was a great success so many thanks go to John Tetley, Tony Sighe, Lawton Chen and Sue Truran for their organisation of the event. If you missed it this year we really hope you can come along next year for more fun.
In the meantime we have a number of other events looming up of which the biggest is probably the NEC Classic Car Show at Birmingham although before that we are at Classic JapFest at Goodwood Circuit AND the Mimms Honda Day at the Three Sisters Circuit, Wigan. Full details are on the website and on WhatsApp.

New Website Software

14th September 2025

Just a quick message to say our website hosts have completely updated our website software. This means some slight changes to the layout and look of our website. We feel the changes are positive but if you find anything that doesn't look right or needs tweaking please let us know.

Part of the upgrade is the return of the ability to change your own password! No more bothering Tony Lowe for a reset – woohoo!! There will be a further tweak during October when the website is moved onto a series of faster servers. That should mean that pages load faster at your end.

New WhatsApp Community

1st September 2025

After some sterling work by Lawton we are proud to announce we have launched a WhatsApp community for club members. Use of this is entirely your choice but there are many advantages especially the immediacy of being able to ask other club members about something. Imagine being stuck as to how to do something... just WhatsApp the Honda S800 Club, community and all being well the answer will come flying back!

For full details about this new innovation please click here and all will be explained.

Helmingham Hall Festival

4th August 2025

Duncan Martin

On Sunday, 3th August your club had a presence at the Helmingham Festival of Classic and Sports Cars. This event, held annually in the gardens of Helmingham Hall near Stowmarket in Suffolk, brings together over 1,000 classic cars and raises tens of thousands of pounds each year for the charity East Anglia Childrens' Hospices (EACH).

The weather forecast for the day was for heavy rain, which was somewhat ironic considering that we had been enjoying an unbroken heatwave for weeks beforehand! But at 5am on the day itself, with possible rain forecast only for later in the day, I decided to take the chance and set off at 6am for Colchester where I met up with Lawton Chen for the last leg of the journey to Helmingham Hall, a stately home which dates back to 1480. Almost as old as our cars, then!

This year, once again our club was attending as a joint venture along with S2KUK, the UK Honda S2000 owners' club. Our club was represented by my S800 and by Philip Ronn's superb and very rare 1965 S600 as well as his S2000.

The S2000 club had two cars on show, one owned by Phil as above and the other by ur very own Lawton. On the day we were also joined by a Honda NSX owned by Bob Holmes, which was booked to display in front of the Hall but whose owner spotted our display and asked if he could join us!

As you can imagine, our cars attracted a lot of attention and we spent the day happily chatting to our visitors. We were delighted to welcome several S800 club members including James Cowell and Rob Williams. Great to see you, guys!

Don't forget, everyone – if you're planning on showing at, or even just attending an event – let us know so that we can publicise it for you and give you the chance to meet up with fellow members.

And what of the weather? Well, the rain held off until I left for my journey home whereupon theheavens opened and a storm of biblical proportions forced me to stop for a while in a layby on the A14 as I literally couldn't see where I was going.

By the way, did you know that an S800 convertible with the roof and windows up still has a gap at the top of the window which in monsoon like conditions allows the driver to be soaked when overtaken by a juggernaut? Thankfully though the old girl didn't miss a beat and we got home safely.

All in all – a great day out. Thanks for organising, Lawton, and here's looking forward to next year's event!

Home Made Evaporust!

12th August 2025

Following Sues trials and tribulations trying to separate liners from an engine block, club member David Barnes in Australia has been in touch:

Hi Tony,

In today's WhatsApp trail regarding Susan's problem in removing liners from the block I posted a links to a homemade rust remover which outperforms "Evaporust" at a fraction of the cost.

The video is very comprehensive.I suggest that you watch it and if OK I would post it on the club website.

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

If anyone tries this can they feedback if its any good. Please be aware we haven't tested this process or formula so its very much at your risk!

More Events!

August 2025

It seems as though club members have been making the most of the summer by taking their cars to various events up and down the country.

At Saxbys Cider Farm Show we had an excellent turn out of four cars with more promised for next year.

The following week Tony Sighe was at Castle Combe for the Dick Mayo sprint and Sue and Norman Truran added their support. all the way from Sussex.

Alan Stanyon seems to be spotted at just about every show in the South East – and even managed to get TWO Z600s at one event. Is that about 20% of all these cars that are left on the road?

Remember, if you are planning on going to a show we would love to hear about it. Better still we can let members in your area know – such that you might find a friend when you get there.

Carburettor Update

11th August 2025

As you will read later my car decided that 3 cylinders was plenty having driven several hundred miles since the carburettors were rebuilt!

Luckily at Oulton Park I had on hand several renowned club experts who were able to give their opinion. We checked for a fouled plug initially but this is an unusual occurrence in my car. Swapping the plugs for another set made no difference so we had a look at the carburettors. Limited tools on hand meant it was easier to swap them for a spare set I 'happened' to have (see earlier articles on ultrasonic cleaning...)

Nevertheless, we still had a look at the old set. Despite the floats being set at bang on 19mm this was considered to be merely a guide by most present. There are several crucial elements: -

• Firstly. the tang on the float MUST sit parallel to the end of the needle valve. If it doesn't, then there is the risk of a sideways force pushing on the plunger and jamming the needle from moving smoothly. Mine were fine in this respect.
• Secondly, the floats MUST switch the fuel off properly. Sounds obvious but I had installed washers under the needle seats. These were only 0.5mm thick but are sufficient to make the floats foul slightly on the carb body before fully switching the fuel flow off. Interestingly Barry doesn't use any washers and doesn't have an issue. I didn't either until I installed the washers...(!)

Given the use of washers is considered to be a 'good thing' the float height needs to be adjusted to suit. It seems the standard 19mm is just a starting point – what you ideally want is the floats to bounce on the spring in the needle valves when laid horizontal. This is a system I have never used before – but it seems to work. There is a logic to it as by using this approach you can be sure the floats don't foul on the top of the float housing before switching off the fuel.

I had another issue as well! The Taiwan sourced float chamber gaskets must contain too much rubber – and expand in petrol. Once the float chamber was opened these gaskets pinged out to a size some 20% bigger! – hence the replacement carb set being used. I have now bought yet another set of the right gaskets from Ortmanns. (John – be assured I used the cheap kit on mine only!)

I think my problem was exacerbated by using old floats where bending of the main support tangs had also occurred. Replacing the floats with new ones is another good idea.

The car is running well on the spare set of carbs. I still need to set the floats on the old carb set properly now the new gaskets have arrived but I will try to achieve a 19mm float height AND at the same time make sure the floats do shut off the fuel fully.

I hope the above helps some others. Remember we will be back at the Gold Cup next year – so if you have an ailing S800 please feel free to come and park alongside mine!

Oulton Park Gold Cup 2025

25th – 27th July 2025

This years Gold Cup was probably the best in years. Oulton Park had decided to celebrate 75 years of BRM and courtesy of Hall and Hall an impressive display of machinery was mustered. The display of cars on the track on Friday and Saturday was a highlight of the weekend, particularly the V16 thundering around the pretty parkland circuit.

BRM V16 laps Oulton – turn up the sound!

The club had an impressive turnout with no less than five members cars on display over the weekend. Tony's car had behaved impeccably taking part in the Weaver Wander classic car tour and venturing south to Leamington Spa as well as Gawsworth Hall. On Friday it was running perfectly.... On Saturday it decided that three cylinders was enough! Tony carried on to Oulton thinking it was simply a fouled plug but it didn't clear. The decision was made to leave the car at Oulton and bring spares on Sunday. Four new plugs was a must – but Tony brought along a set of rebuilt carburetors looking factory fresh for good measure! Why tinker with your carbs when you can just swap them completely?

With the 'new' carbs in place it was back to running on four cylinders and the AA recovery team were stood down.

As ever with these events its the company that matters and it was great to catch up with Barry Fernaly, John Tetley, Stewart Hutchinson and Andy Thompson. We also had Steve Sykes come along all the way from Yorkshire in his immaculate red coupe. Great to see you Steve!
John Tetleys coupe still needs a bit of fettling, but he did negotiate a fantastic sponsorship deal with the British Hamper Company who kept us supplied with a mountain of quality biscuits all weekend long.

Our cars always attract interest and in recognition, Oulton always seem to get us a front row position for our stand and gazebo. We also welcomed club member Roger Ibootson onto the stand who advises his renovation is getting ever closer.

With Tony Sighe looking to attend next year could we potentially end up with eight cars on show? Watch this space!

Recent Restorations

16th July 2025

During our last Show and Tell online meeting club member Nick Camilleri from Malta was able to show us his exceptional Honda S800 convertible which has been restored recently. The standard achieved is magnificent and reflects extremely well on the restoration company Buges Garage within the island. This particular car has been in the family for years and it was decided that after its lengthy ownership that it now deserved some proper TLC.

Meanwhile, club member Tony Sighes's latest project gathers pace. He is building a replica of the RSC race car campaigned in the 1960s. The car will be yellow to match the original and as many racing tweaks as can be sourced will be added.



At the moment the car is undergoing bodywork fabrication within the UK. Tony hopes to complete the project by next year – although can it be done for the NEC Show..??

Cars At The Spa 2025

or The Treasurers Grand Day Out
Duncan Martin

On Sunday 1st June our Club attended the annual "Cars At The Spa" event held at the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington Spa. This event is organised by the local Rotary Club and raises £000's for good causes in the area. We were represented by 3 cars owned by Andrew Dunnell, Tony Lowe and myself, and were also joined by former club stalwart Tony Oakes who brought along his 1966 Honda CB72 motorcycle.

As a matter of fact, right up until 6.30pm the previous evening there was some doubt that I would be able to attend at all in my S800 due to a fault with my indicators.

It's a long story! – but the "short" version (literally) is that a short circuit had caused a great deal of head scratching and fuse blowing before being traced and solved. Furthermore, my flasher unit had been burned out in the process.

Fortunately, however, the flasher unit is a generic item and not an obsolete Honda specific part, so I had managed to replace it having cured the underlying fault. I was also happy to recommend a new unit to your President. He is currently an infrequent flasher, and I felt that it would benefit him and those around him if he could improve his flashing rate.

This year, for the first time, the assembled cars were categorised according to era, and prizes were awarded for the best example in each category.

The local Mayor, who had only recently been elected, would also be nominating the car he would like to go home in. Incidentally, the reason I found out about the Mayor's recent appointment was that your President spotted him at 100 paces and immediately descended on him at Warp Speed 9 to shake him by the hand and proffer congratulations on his new post.

We are sure that the fact that this conversation took place next to Andrew's white coupe was entirely coincidental!

While we were all giving our steeds a final clean and polish, I was approached by one of the traders (a pizza vendor) who wondered whether I had any oil he could use? He was having trouble starting his generator and thought that a low oil level might be the problem.

When he returned a few minutes later and offered payment for the half pint or so that he had used, I told him not to worry about it – in which case, he responded, make sure you come over and claim some pizza. Result – a free, freshly cooked peperoni pizza which we all munched on at lunch time. A favour returned!

The show was held in the Pump Room Gardens in the centre of the town, a delightful location with a bandstand at its centre, from which we were entertained by a brass band, a 50's/60's group and a Rock Choir.

Lest we grew faint from lack of nourishment, at various points throughout the day there was a constant stream of coffees, cakes and (in my case) pizza to sustain us. Thanks again guys!

As usual the cars attracted a lot of interest from our visitors. Propping the bonnet open is always a sure fire way of pulling in the punters – most visitors were amazed to see and hear about the jewels on display under the bonnet.

And did I mention that there were prizes being awarded..?

Well, not only did Tony's immaculate S800 pick up the award for the best 1960's car, but he managed to trump even this achievement by winning the coveted Best In Show award.

Congratulations Tony! You're going to have to sell the car now, mate – there's no more room in your trophy cabinet!

All in all – a great day out, and thanks go to Andrew, Tony (L) and Tony (O) for your company, hospitality and banter on the day. I'm already looking forward to CATS 2026!

(Details of next years event will be published soon but the anticpated date is 14th June 2026.)

Valve Movement Notes

Ron Royle (Member 687) – 10th April 2025

Firstly, our apologies to Ron for the delay in publishing his technical article. Combined illness (and a degree of brain fade!) with two committee members meant this item got overlooked!

Over to Ron...

At our last zoom meeting the subject of cam and valve operation was discussed, something that has intrigued me, given the rather lively performance of our S800's. Some time ago, I made the effort to plot the valve movement of the standard set up, given that I could not find any information regarding valve movement,and I thought it could be of interest to examinewhat was actually going on.

So, given that I have a spare fully assembled head with standard cams I set to and measured the movement of both the inlet and exhaust cams. I set up a dial gauge with a large flat follower to the cams so as to measure the movement of the bucket and valve, including the initial clearanceof the various components. To measure the angles a large diameter protractor was fitted to the camshafts for accurate angle measurement.

The initial position of the protractor was set with an overlap of 40 degrees between the valves when the total valve clearance was 1 mm or 40 thou, as stated in the S800 Shop Manual, page 5. Previous reading indicated that European practice is that offsets are measured from 1mm (39 thou) clearance and thatAmerican practice seems to be 5o thou, as apparently it is accepted that there is no gas flow until this approximate opening is reached.

I did the measured set-up with no initial clearance, as I wanted to track the cam movement during the period of initial clearance take up, as well as the actual valve movement.

A further factor to be take into consideration with valve timing, is the relationship between the length of the con rod compared to the length of the stroke. In the case of the Honda the relationship is quite low compared to most engines, at 1.75. This causes the piston to accelerate downwards much faster initially than it decelerates to the end of the stroke, resulting in the maximum velocity of the piston being toward the top of the cylinder,in fact at 74 degrees,by calculation, from the top, not 90 degrees, as might be expected.

Any gas flow conclusions drawn from the diagrams must take into consideration the fact that the gas can and will, vary in volume, pressure and temperature, none of which can be accounted forin the diagrams.

Therefore any conclusions drawn must be regarded as a first approximation only, a final result can only be ascertained by experiment and actual operation, which Honda undoubtably did.

Results.

1. There is an initial slow opening and closing of both cams, during the valve clearance from zero to 0.2 mms or 8 thou. This idea of initial slow opening and closing seems to have been introduced by Harry Ricardo, way back, his reasoning being that it would quieten the valve operation. You would think hardly a factor in engines designed for tanks, lorries and aeroplanes of the period. A more likely reason for its inclusion now, would be to lessen the impact of the various components on each other during clearance take up. This slope of this initial take up is, in fact, about ¼ the rate of the full opening rate. This can be seen in the diagrams.

2. The standard openings quoted at 1 mm lift are accurate at 20, 40, 40, 20 degrees.

3. Maximum valve opening heights seem to be often quoted, but rarely is the height quoted when curtain area equals throat area. For the standard Honda valve and throat, the figures are;

Inlet valve Exhaust valve

Maximum valve opening 7 mm 6.5 mm

Opening when

curtain area = throat area 5.6 mm 4.7 mm

In other words, if the valve opens further than these dimensions, (5.6 and 4.7 mm,) the gas flow will be controlled by the fixed throat area and not the increasing curtain area. However, significant advantage is gained by this further opening of the valve past the throat limiting point. A little difficult to explain, but hopefully this is shown in the attached roughdetail sketch of the valve movement.

Note regarding regrinding of standard cams.

In discussion at the last meeting, consideration was given to increasing the total valve opening, and we concluded that this can only be done by reducing the base circle diameter.

I have checked with a local cam grinding guy, speedway engines, who informs me that it is common for them to increase the maximum diameter, that is cam height, by adding weld to the cam peak, and then form grinding.

A suitable special rod is used, however, given that these are competition engines he could not vouch for the longevity of the cam peak.They possibly only survive as long as the mains and big ends, but possibly a solution worth exploring for competition purposes.

We know a man that can!

5h March 2025

If you are struggling to get your S800 to work properly well we might have just the solution. Club member Tony Sighe is offering his services to club members to help get their S800 cars on the road.
He is based near Swindon, but has dealt with cars from much further afield.

If you need help its worth getting in touch via email – tsighe@aol.com – and discuss what you need help with and agree a price.