In a world where cars are increasingly viewed as disposable items, it’s nice to see that PHers are still ensuring that not all love has been lost from the car ownership experience. This week’s Reader’s Car is a great example of just that. PHer Rocket has set about saving a Honda Beat that’s been left standing outside, exposed to the elements, for four years. He bought it for £550, about a fifth of the price decent Beats go for, with the knowledge that much elbow grease would be needed to bring it back to its best.
It wasn't perfect, to say the least. A 1991 car with 179,000km (about 111,000 miles) on the clock, almost no service history and a probable engine issue given that it was said to “smoke like a trooper”, Rocket clearly had work to do. But the Beat did at least come with tiger print seats. With help from a friend, Rocket has begun working on his new kei car, preparing its 656cc three-cylinder (which came with standard-fit independent throttle bodies) for a return to life, fitting a new hood and, erm, de-snailing its guttering.
We’ve caught this project in its infancy, so there’s a long way to go. But already we can tell this is one to look out for. Good luck Rocket!
Read the full thread here.