John Brown’s 1970 Honda AN600 with a Kawasaki KZ1300 Inline-Six

John Brown owned a Kawasaki KZ1300 and a Honda AN600 in the 1980’s. Back then he wondered if the motorcycle engine could used to power the small car. John took a lot of measurements and filed them away. Fast forward 40 years when John found the notes and reignited his interest.

The project started when John purchased a stockpile of Honda AN600 parts which included a body shell cut in half. John assembled a complete body with help from his brother using N360 and N600 parts. They cut the roof to make way for a sliding soft top. They used the leftover roof metal to modify the hood for more clearance. The steel fender flares are from a VW Jetta Mk1 and the front valance from a Honda AZ600.

John knew the factory subframe would not work. So he designed a custom subrame using PVC conduit and the Honda subframe as reference. He then fabricated the custom subframe using .120-inch wall DOM tubing. The rear subframe is from a Mazda Miata that John narrowed 12 inches.

For the front suspension John shortened and raised the struts to keep everything aligned. In back he installed Tein Miata shocks with custom springs. For brakes John went with Honda VX disc brakes in front and Mazda Miata disc brakes in rear. A set of factory Honda VX 13×5-inch wheels hold 175/50 tires.

In the engine bay John installed a 1286 cc inline-six motor and five-speed transmission from a Kawasaki KZ1300 motorcycle. It is capable of 120 hp at 8,000 rpm and 85 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. John installed new cooling fittings, fuel injection, PCV system, and heavy-duty clutch. The motor is kept cool thanks to two radiators mounted inside custom air scoops in front of the rear wheels.

Gears are selected on the five-speed sequential transmission using a Honda Accord shifter modified for sequential shifting. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a magnesium Elite MX200 differential. This unit has a mechanical reverse and limited-slip differential.