1966 Macransa
SPECIAL
Macransa was a racing sports car based on the HONDA S800. The initial plan was a fairly serious machine of FRP monocoque construction with front and rear sub-frames and original suspension. In fact I fabricated a center monocoque section constructed of a polyurethane-foam-injected honeycomb FRP twin tube frame. However, while I was devoting all my time to working part-time as I ran out of money, the monocoque, being left out in the open due to lack of storage place, became miserably deformed. Unavoidably I was forced to mount the monocoque on the S800's original frame, and as a result the TOJIRO-III managed to take shape. This became the base for Macransa. The engine of the later Macransa that protrudes from the front cowl is a remnant of this base car, whose body was designed with the intention of later mounting the engine in a lower position at the sub-frame design stage. This shows that I could not afford to rebuild the master model of the car body, and the car looked ugly to me.
With a then-uncommon supercharger, the Macransa participated in the Third Japan Grand Prix Auto Race. However, the supercharger drive belt, which was replaced just before the race as a security measure, became over-stretched just after the start probably because it was too new, thus the supercharger failed to engage and the air inlet remained closed. The car retired from the race all too soon.
 

DOMEZero02