Honda T360
The Honda T360 of 1962 was the first Honda pickup truck, the T for mini truck ( small truck ) and the number for the Displacement in cc stand. The vehicle had the type code and AK250 Product Code: 500 548 562.
This van has been unveiled on 25 October 1962 at the 9th Tokyo Motor Show, next to the sports car pre-production model S360 and S500, Honda's first passenger car, the public.
Development and presentation
The Japanese government, represented by the MITI had in 1962 decided to pass a law in which only three companies should be given the rights to build automobiles.
The whole car development at Honda began in 1958 with a small group of 50 new employees, who formed the first development department for automobiles. Yoshio Nakamura, future Formula 1 team manager, was responsible as project manager of the Honda Sports and vans series. 1957, at the age of 39 he left Kurogane for Honda and his third Honda Research Department at Honda R & D has been transferred. First, only seven young engineers were put to him to side.
In October 1958, the first designs were done. On 31 May 1960, the first prototype XA -120 was completed and made the first attempts. He had a longitudinally arranged air-cooled 60-degree V- 4 cylinder engine. This test vehicle was designed only for the first test and had a semi - monocoque frame with a flat bottom. The hood and fenders were bolted from sheet metal parts and. The roof and the doors were made of plastic sections and were clipped.
On 2 June 1961, the 2X -120 was provided as a further prototype with the longitudinally arranged air-cooled 60-degree V4 engine to the wheels. Due to various limitations of the air-cooled engine principle of this V4 - cylinder engine was initially rejected as unsuitable. Air cooling was actually been Soichiro Honda's favorite, but he was convinced by the engineers of the benefits of water-cooled unit.
In the prototype, 3X -120 in April 1962 and in pre-production XAK -250 in June 1962, for the van T360 also a longitudinally -lying water-cooled 360 cc four-cylinder engine ( AK250E ) are used.
The vans T360 ( Product Code: 500 548 562 ), there were four versions. As T360F is a flatbed without walls but reinforced corner members, T360H with hinged parts than T360V fixed platform wall and frame with tarpaulin or solid construction. As a further and very rare variant of the snow operation of the T360 crawler was available, the place of the rear wheels had a caterpillar drive and was fitted to the front wheels with runners.
The press was able to take test drives on the 1963 Honda Arakawa own test track in August. The T360 came in August 1963, the Japanese market and was in Saitama (now Wako Plant) built from April 1965 to November 1967 in the work of Sayama, a total of 108 920 pieces.
Technology
The small water-cooled 360 cc four-cylinder high performance engine made of cast aluminum with double overhead camshafts ( DOHC), was forward along and about 90 degrees placed to the left around the longitudinal axis inclined in the engine compartment to allow for a lower installation height under the cab. For the bearing of the crankshaft and connecting rod bearings as the lower Honda used exclusively needle bearing, which had in addition to smaller friction losses also reached lower lubricating and cooling problems. He produced his effective 354 cc 22 kW (30 hp) at 8,500 rpm. This resulted in a power output per liter of 84.5 hp / l The maximum torque was given with 2.7 mkg or 26.47 Nm at 6000 rpm. For each cylinder has its own Keihin carburetor with throttle and unterdruckgesteuertem slide was provided. The engine was accessible through the flip-up driver seat, which provided a check of the cooling water, engine oil and transmission oil, ignition, alternator, carburetor and air filter.
The force was transmitted through a propeller shaft to a differential on the rear axle. The conventional rigid axle with differential was suspended on leaf springs and shock absorbers. The front wheels were suspended on wishbones with shock absorbers and coil springs. The delay took four drum brakes.
In the Japanese brochure a top speed of 100 km / h was given. The maximum load was given as 350 kg, the turning radius of 4.3 m. The dimensions were: LxWxH 2990x1295x1525 mm. The fuel tank could hold 20 liters and the tires had the dimension 4.50-12.
The instruments were housed in a rectangular housing and consisted of a speedometer to 80 mph, in a cooling water thermometer, fuel gauge and warning lights with symbols for turn signals, battery charge level and the handbrake. Links which were pressure switch for the wipers, parking light and driving light. The van was built only with legal control.
With the length of the car by 2.99 m had the Japanese commitment to provide a parking space from 3 m length, simply bypassed, thus achieving a large group of buyers. This small delivery van was called in the 60s in Japan as the K -car class.
Honda T500
The T500 (type code AK280 and the product code 501) came in 1964 to the Japanese market and the motor ( AK280E ) was effective with 531 cc 38 bhp at 7500 rpm now. The maximum torque was given with 4.3 mkg or 42.2 Nm at 4,500 rpm at. In the Japanese brochure a top speed of 105 km / h was given. The maximum load was 400 kg, and the turning radius of 4.4 m, dimensions: LxWxH 3190x1295x1545 mm. The fuel tank could hold 20 liters and the tires had the dimension 4.50-12.
These vans T500 (product code 501-503 563 ), there were three versions. As T500F with fold-down bunk walls, as T500 with fixed bunk wall and frame with tarpaulin. As a further and very rare variant of the snow holding the T500 crawler was available, the place of the rear wheels had a caterpillar drive and was fitted to the front wheels with runners. The T500 (now Wako Plant), built from 1964 to March 1965 in the work of Saitama from April 1965 to 1967 in the work of Sayama. Just 10,226 pieces were produced of this type, and sold mainly in Japan and in very small numbers in Australia.
Model Overview
(Super Plus 98 ROZ )
(Japan only)
(Japan)
( Number of items)
Successor
The T360 was in 1967 replaced by the TN360 (product code 567 ). This now had the air-cooled two-cylinder, similar to the N360 sedan. He had with effective 354 cc hp at 8,000 rpm now 30. The maximum torque was given with 3 mkg or 29.44 Nm at 5,500 rpm. In the Japanese brochure a top speed of 100 km / h ( 62 mph ) was specified. The maximum load was 350 kg, and the turning radius 8 m, dimensions: LxWxH 2990x1295x1625 mm. The fuel tank could hold 26 liters and the tires had the dimension 5.00-10.