Back with a Beat after seven long years in the wilderness of non Beat ownership

[Andrew Fisher]

Hello everyone a new old stock owner here.

I first saw a Beat at the Japanese Auto Extravaganza at Billing in the late nineties.

Loved the car, loved the owners. ('We haven't washed them. We use them every day.' They had a car sticker 'I'd rather have a cup of tea', a possible reference to mortal enemy the Cappuccino.) I was in my Suzuki Sc100 then, my dream car of childhood (I'd set my sights low no Ferrari posters on the wall), and something of a predecessor being a semi souped up kei.

I finally bought a Beat in 2002, M294TOB seemingly now broken up and gone with a Momo steering wheel and gearknob, spoiler and subwoofer. Loved that car, for years after selling it in 2009 the kids said 'Daddy why DID you sell the little red car?'. It did my back in, was the honest answer.

Since then I've discovered Mackenzie's exercises for the back and gone through a gamut of old crock cars, including an incredibly rusty Cappuccino, and selling a funny little red soft top with a tiny engine a month ago (Fiat 850 Spider) I exhausted all possible possibilities and today drove home this little fellow:

http://www.angliacarauctions.co.uk/en/classic-auctions/results/results-from-saturday-17th-june-2017/1992-honda-beat/

It didn't sell on the day I think mainly because of the over optimistic reserve but also the MOT ran out two days before the sale. Not very good timing. So I offered them the low reserve if they MOTed it, which they did.

It shimmies like it's on a dancefloor at anything over 60mph and looks as though it desperately needs a cambelt change, but it has those PROPER wheels and it even has a service book and manual in Japanese.

It's so good to be back. This was always my favourite ever forum.

[Mobius]

Hello and welcome back. Was a regular at Billing in the late 90's and it was me who Printed the sticker! I'll try and sort out some old pics from then.

Did the same as you and sold my car in 2003 complete with Mugen hardtop. Regretted it straight away as they get under the skin like no other car. I actually broke my back in 2006 so never thought I'd get in one again but thanks to modern medicine was walking again weeks later.

Even stranger was my old car turning up on fleebay ten years later minus the hardtop. Bought it back and got it on the road early last year.

Yours looks really nice and genuine and a good spec so well done.

[Andrew Fisher]

Wow that's great. I'd love to see some pics from those days I can't understand why I didn't take any myself. That sticker was very funny.

I'm glad you sorted your back out the correlation between Beat ownership and spinal issues is slightly worrying. Beats do get under the skin I keep on looking at it like a first car. I think it's the combination of perfect proportions whilst also being unbelievably small that does it. I know that as soon as I first saw one I thought "I really like that."

It doesn't surprise me you saw your own car crop up again. It's a rather small pond to go fishing in. If you got it back on the road that must be really rewarding.

Thanks for the comments about my latest one, you're always worried you've bought a turkey. I thought 'I don't want a project', but they're all projects really. I can't believe that the a/c seems to work, it revs over 7000, and plays CDs.

[Gavin]

That is a very nice example you got there one of the nicer red ones I've seen recently, but yes 100% get the timing belt done asap been through the whole belt snapping heartache myself years back and it was a pita.

Welcome back anyway!

[Andrew Fisher]

Thanks Gavin I'm sweating at the thought of the cambelt.

As far as I can tell the last time it was changed was when the engine was rebuilt after the belt snapped before.