I am new to the forum so thanks in advance. I mainly collect and tinker with old cars now as my health has taken a turn and my wife tells me I am too old to ride anymore. I am building a small bike for my grandson and I picked up this Honda engine that I can not find information about the serial number. E36-0004. It is a mint condition early push rod engine I assume between 1958 and 1962 but the serial number stumps me. Any information would be of interest to us both. Could it be an early experimental number??
Thanks for your time and interest,
E is for engine not expiremental. Lots of Honda's engine serial numbers have E in them right before the actual production number. It's a low serial number for sure being 36004th engine produced, certainly part of the first years production run. It would be easier if you knew what bike it came out of to tell the year. It's not a cub because it would have c102e before the 36004 number.
You have written it E36-0004 but the actual stamping is E-36004. That would lean toward the 36,004th built not the 4th. I'm not basing that on direct knowledge but it would make sense. Cool motor either way.
I should add here as well that honda did not look at their prototype stuff as "precious" or worth saving at the time of development and were very efficient about crushing or destroying their prototypes that remained in their possession. They even did this with race bikes which is why so few exist today. those that were saved were saved by the efforts of individuals outside of honda who had possession (like Jim Redman who once left his used RC164 race bike in a shipping crate in south africa until the late 1990's).
Looks to me like a C110 sport Cub which had a different frame - more like an S65 or S90 but predating those. I don't have my records close by but back then the first digit indicated year, so it would be a 1963 C110. The odd thing is that the number should have an additional digit and model number should be there too. Makes me wonder if it's older - maybe 1959 model.
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