Honda T360 T500

Production period:	1961-1967
Make:	Honda
Class :	Commercial
Body:	van/pickup
Drive:	rear
Engines:	Gasoline 356 cu

This van was first presented to the public on October 25, 1962 at the 9th Tokyo Motor Show.

History

Honda's first passenger car.The Honda T360 1962 was the first Honda transporter, wherein the T for minitruck (small truck) and the number for the displacement in cm³ stand. The vehicle had the type code AK250 and product code 500 + 548 + 562.

The Japanese government, represented by the MITI , had decided in 1962 to pass a law in which only three companies should be granted the rights to build automobiles.

The entire car development at Honda began in 1958 with a small group of 50 new employees, which formed the first development department for automobiles. Yoshio Nakamura , who later became Formula One Team Manager, was responsible for the project management of the Honda Sports and light truck series. In 1957, at the age of 39, he left Kurogane for Honda and was transferred to Honda R & D's 3rd Honda Research Department. At first, only seven young engineers were assigned to him.

In October 1958 the first designs were finished. On May 31, 1960, the first prototype XA-120 was completed and made the first road tests. He had a longitudinal air-cooled 60-degree 4-cylinder V-engine . This test carrier had been designed only for the first tests and had a semi- monocoque frame with a flat bottom. The hood and fenders were made of sheet metal parts and bolted. The roof and the doors were made of plastic pieces and clipped on.

On 2 June 1961, the 2X-120 was put on the wheels as another prototype with the longitudinal air-cooled 60-degree V4 engine. Due to various limitations of the air-cooled engine principle, this V4 cylinder engine was initially rejected as unsuitable. The air cooling was actually Sōichirō Honda's favorite, but he was convinced by the engineers of the benefits of the water-cooled unit.

In the prototype 3X-120 in April 1962 and in the pre-production vehicle XAK-250 in June 1962 came for the pickup truck T360 also a longitudinal water-cooled 360 cc four-cylinder engine (AK250E) used.

The pickup truck T360 (product code 500 + 548 + 562) was available in four versions. As a T360F as a flatbed truck without walls but reinforced corner parts, T360Hwith hinged parts, as a T360V with solid flatbed and bow with tarp or solid construction. As a further and very rare variant for the snow operation, the T360 crawler wasavailable, which had a caterpillar drive instead of the rear wheels and was provided with skids on the front wheels.

The press was able to test drive on the Honda own Arakawa test track in August 1963 . The T360 came on the Japanese market in August 1963 and was built in Saitama (now Wako Plant), from April 1965 to November 1967 at the Sayama plant , a total of 108,920 pieces.

The small, water-cooled, 360 cc, four-cylinder, high-performance die-cast aluminum engine with two overhead camshafts ( DOHC ) was placed longitudinally forward and 90 degrees to the left about the longitudinal axis in the engine compartment to allow for a lower installation height below the cab. Honda used only needle bearings for the bearings of the crankshaft and as a conrod bottom bearing, which in addition to smaller friction losses had also resulted in lower lubrication and cooling problems. With its effective 354 cc, it produced 22 kW (30 hp) at 8,500 rpm. This resulted in a liter output of 84.5 hp / l. The maximum torque was given with 2.7 mkg or 26.47  Nmat 6,000 / min. For each cylinder, a separate Keihin carburetor with throttle and vacuum-controlled slide was provided. The engine was accessible through the fold-up driver's seat, which allowed control of the cooling water, engine oil and transmission oil, ignition, alternator, carburettor and air filter.

The power was transmitted via a cardan shaft to a differential to 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 .The maximum speed of 100 km / h. The maximum payload was 350 kg and the turning radius 4.3 m. The dimensions were: L × W × H 2990 × 1295 × 1525 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, a cooling water thermometer, the fuel gauge and warning lights with indicators for indicators, battery state of charge and handbrake. Left of it were pressure switches for the windscreen wiper, parking light and driving light. The pickup truck was built only with right-hand control.

With the length of the car of 2.99 m had the Japanese obligation to provide a parking space from 3 m in length, easily bypassed and thus reached a large group of buyers. This small delivery van was referred to in Japan in the 60s as the Kei Car class.

Honda T500 

The T500 (type code AK280 and the product code 501) came on the Japanese market in 1964 and the engine (AK280E) had an effective 531 cc now 38 hp at 7,500 / min. Maximum torque was 4.3 mkg or 42.2  Nm at 4,500 rpm. The Japanese brochure specified a top speed of 105 km / h. The maximum payload was 400 kg and the turning radius 4.4 m, the dimensions: L × W × H 3190 × 1295 × 1545 mm. The fuel tank could hold 20 liters and the tires had the dimension 4.50-12.

This pickup truck T500 (product code 501-503 + 563) was available in three versions. As T500F with folding flatbeds, as T500 with fixed flatbed and bow with tarpaulin. As a further and very rare variant for snow operation, the T500 crawler was available, which had a caterpillar drive instead of the rear wheels and was provided with skids on the front wheels. The T500 was built from 1964 to March 1965 at the plant of Saitama (now Wako Plant), from April 1965 to 1967 at the Sayama plant. Exactly 10,226 pieces were produced by this type and sold mainly in Japan and in very small numbers also in Australia.

The T360 was replaced in 1967 by the TN360 (product code 567). This now had the air-cooled two-cylinder, similar to the N360 sedan. He had an effective 354 cc now 30 hp at 8,000 / min. The maximum torque was given with 3 mkg or 29.44  Nm at 5,500 rpm. In the Japanese prospect a top speed of 100 km / h (62 mph) was specified. The maximum payload was 350 kg and the turning circle 8 m, the dimensions: L × W × H 2990 × 1295 × 1625 mm. The gas tank could take 26 liters and the tires had the dimension 5.00-10.