Japanese manufacturer Honda produced the H1300 for five years (1969-1973) as a front-engine, front-wheel-drive compact car. Manufactured as sedans and coupes, the H1300 was the largest that Honda has ever built at that point. Honda has intended for the model to compete with internationally-recognised Japanese cars such as the Nissan Bluebird, Mitsubishi Galant, Toyota Corona, and Mazda Capella. Soichiro Honda spearheaded this ambitious project. However, engineering delays and the expensive price tag placed on the H1300 hampered the success of the project. The valuable lessons learned here would lead to Honda successfully launch the Civic in 1972 and the Honda Accord in 1976, which succeeded the H1300.
An Insight into the Honda 1300
Honda initially introduced the H1300 at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1968. It went in production in the early months of 1969 and eventually went on sale in May of the same year. Before this rollout, Honda made several changes to the model.
Issues began during development, prompting frequent changes that hampered production. Soichiro insisted on an air-cooled engine instead of using water-cooled engines, which needed air to cool the water.
Remember the car was presented a year before it was made available for sale? Well, during that period, Soichiro was not too pleased with the design and insisted on a redesign. His fondness of the Pontiac Firebird inspired his engineers and designers to change the design of the H1300, adding the split air intakes similar to the ones fitted in the Pontiac. Honda offered the model in two trim levels - the 9S (99 sedan) and 7S (77 sedan).
The Engine
The engine, as Soichiro Honda preferred, was SOHC air-cooled. The flywheel had a fan attached to it with its primary function being to pull fresh air through the Duo Dyna Air Cooling (DDAC) engine block. The warm air from the engine and the hot air from around the exhaust manifold would provide heat for the passenger compartment.
Honda departed from its previous practice of using roller bearings on the crankshaft. They used a conventional plain bearing for the 1300 engine. Two versions of the engine were available. Both the 77 and 99 sedans used a 1,298cc 1.3L 4-cylinder petrol engine. The 9S engine came with four Keihin carburetors and generated 82 kW power and a torque of 112 Nm, while the 7S engine had a single Keihin carburetor and produced 71 kW and 103 Nm. Both powerplants transmit power via a four-speed manual gearbox.
The Running Gear
The 1300 employed rack-and-pinion steering. It had disk brakes at the front and rear drum brakes controlled using a dual-line hydraulic system. The front suspension used MacPherson struts. The rear suspension employed a combination of full-width swing axles and half-elliptic leaf springs, which was quite unusual.
The H1300 was responsible for Honda’s change to its operating structure. They would drop the air-cooled engine for a water-cooled one for subsequent models.
If you're an Australian Honda enthusiast looking to have a feel of the air-cooled Honda 1300 coupe engine, you're in luck! Carpart Australia Australia will connect you to authentic H1300 sellers who will either sell you the auto parts you need or the entire vehicle.
- Eric Anyega