The Honda Z was nicknamed the “underwater glasses”
One of the light cars of the 360cc era, known as the Sub Roc, and nicknamed “Underwater Glasses” for its looks, was Honda’s first generation “Z” launched in 1970. It was a two-door hatchback coupe with a novel vertical knob for the door handle and a hatchback that opened and closed in unison with the window frame, and it was one of those cars that had a playful spirit different from that of mass-market cars. The model presented here is a 1972 SA Honda Z.
Casual light tuning
The first generation Honda “Z” was launched in 1970 and developed from air-cooled to water-cooled at the same time that the base “NIII 360” was switched to the “Life”, and 1972 it also underwent a style change from coupe to hard top.
Hitoshi Akakabe, 54, who owns a 1972 Honda SA “Z” 2-door hatchback coupe, had owned an N360 for some time but wanted a Z as well, so he searched for a good-quality body and bought one. The first model he bought was a GSS hardtop, but after driving it for a while, he wanted an early model hatchback coupe, so he bought one. That was this orange Z.
Mr. Akakabe’s car has a genuine style, but he has partially set up aftermarket parts that remind us of the era. The exterior is completely stock, but the wheels are rare Work Equip 10-inch wheels. The suspension is made with reinforced shocks, lowered suspension, and secret modifications to achieve a lower ride height while maintaining front-rear balance. The engine looks stock at first glance, but it was bored up to 400cc, and an all-stainless steel tacho foot and muffler were also casually installed.
A genuine Honda fan who owns an N360, a Life Step Van, and an S800
The interior was restored to keep the original look and feel, and kept in good shape. Since it would be uninteresting to leave it as stock, a Cobra full bucket seat was installed for the driver’s seat, and a small 3-spoke steering wheel from an unknown maker was set in the center. A horn button with the old Honda logo is set in the center.
There are various types of old car enthusiasts, but Mr. Akakabe prefers lightly tuned old cars with a bit of modification rather than the stock style. In addition to this car, he owns other famous Honda cars such as N360, Z, Life Step Van, and S800, and most of them have been modified to the extent that they can be returned to stock. Still, Mr. Akakabe’s collection of cars can truly be described as a genuine Honda party.
translated by DeepL
