Hardyards

I owned one of these from new, between (approx) 1967 and 1970. (Anyway, from whenever they were released.)
I lived in Sydney and bought the car from a Honda motorbike dealer in Parramatta.

The car was primarily used to drive from Eastwood to Chippendale, where I worked but about every four to six weeks I'd do a round trip up the Pacific Highway to Port Macquarie, where my parents lived.
That car could sit on 60 mph all day without a problem and stirring the gearbox up hills (Buladelah) just made for more enjoyment.

I had the wheels widened and chromed and fitted with Dunlop SP Sports Aquajets. The fake wood-rim steering wheel was replaced with a smaller leather-bound item.
Nothing was done to the engine.

There was a 6-month warranty on it and the services were done by the dealer at Parramatta.

A couple of years after I bought it it dropped the camshaft chain as I was passing over Ross Glen bridge at 1:00 AM. A "clunk" followed by silence as I coasted to a halt.
The NRMA guy from Kew turned up, took one look at the car and said "What the $#@! is that?!!" - which was all I needed to say "Just tow me to Kew please, I'll arrange to have the car taken to Taree".
Which I did, and it was repaired by the local Honda motorcycle guy there.

Not long after that episode I decided to replace the ball bearings in the CV joints and did it myself. I am not a mechanic, by any means, but I still found it a relatively easy job.

The moral of this long-winded story, if there is one, is that anyone with a bit of mechanical nouse can work on these gems. Tracking down parts will be the hardest part, I would venture to guess.

I would love to own another one, just for nostalgia's sake, and only came across this forum because I was doing a search for any that might be for sale.

All the best with it.

Bruce
Canberra