368 Honda Beats & S660s gather at the “Holy Land”
On October 22, 2023, the “THANKS! Yachiyo Industry Co., Ltd. BEAT & S660 MEETING” was held. Owners from all over Japan gathered for the event. 162 “Beats” and 150 “S660s,” a total of 368 Honda mini-sports vehicles, including those of exhibiting stores and staff.
Found a 1995 Beat Version Z in good condition
Among the Beat and S660 models of various colors and rich personalities, a Beat in a subdued body color with a strong presence caught my attention and as I approached it, I noticed that it still had a two-digit license plate.
The “Everglade Green Metallic” body color was that of the Beat’s last special edition, the “Version Z. The owner, Mr. “Bocchi Toshi” from Niigata Prefecture, has owned the car for 28 years since it became his favorite car in 1995, which of course means he has owned it since it was brand new.
I bought it because it was a convertible with a mid-ship layout, and the maintenance cost was lower than that of a regular car because it was a mini car,” he said. Yes, I was surprised when they announced the discontinuation of the car two weeks after it was delivered.
Fully restored at Body Shop Kamimura to a beautiful appearance
The car’s normal exterior is in outstandingly clean condition, probably due to the way it has been maintained and stored for nearly 30 years.
“The damaged body was sent out for repair. The damaged body was sent out for repair, and many parts were found that were not in good condition, so it ended up being a full restoration rather than sheet metal work,” he said.
“I live in an area where it snows in the winter, so there was fatal corrosion in the areas where the panels were overlapped, probably due to the effects of snow-melting chemicals. We had all those areas finished with different panels.”
The restoration work was completed at Body Shop Kamimura, a specialist for the Beat and S660, and the beloved Beat was back in shiny condition.
“I want to enjoy the beat until I pass it on to my daughter someday”
Once his beloved Beat was restored to a shiny new look, something unexpected happened.
“My daughter, who had never given it a second thought before, became very interested in it. She wanted to ride with me, so last year we attended “Meet the Beat” and meetings at Yachiyo Kogyo together, and I’m glad that we have more conversations. It may be an exaggeration to call it an unexpected development in my life, but the Beat gave me that opportunity, and it has become an irreplaceable part of my life.”
“My daughter says she will take over the car when she gets her driver’s license back, so we are trying to keep the best parts of the original while tuning the car to make it easier to drive. The Recaro bucket seats also provide good support for my body, which makes it even easier for me to steer the car.”
