A Beater of an Insight

[101mpg]

So with the engine & tranny & battery pack the thing STILL weighs 1800 pounds? You'd think they could have cut some weight SOMEWHERE with all that aluminum. The '87 CRX HF weighed less, although there are all those airbags and such safety equipment.

I've thought of having hood, doors, roof and trunk redone in aluminum for the CRX, at same rigidity but about 30% lighter weight. Also thought of having a few other parts redone to save weight. Yes, expense, but can you imagine having a 1200 pound CRX with VTEC-E D15Z1 engine and six-speed tranny?

I'm interested to see what they do with the CR-Z when it comes out.

I've also thought of seeing what I could do with moving as many parts from an Insight to a CRX (extensive body mods but live in NASCAR country where you can actually find mechanics who can turn a donkey into a zebra with very little effort.) to see how much could be lightened.

[GasSavers_Red]

1800 lbs is light IMO. The average car weights about 3200 lbs? Almost half the weight. Plus I'm a little longer than an CRX. Friend of mine has an HF, I think I have maybe a foot of length on his. Air bags and their associated electronics aren't that heavy. The Insight doesn't use the traditional foam bumper, just a tiny bit of foam up front, a few pieces of foam in the back and crush cans. There are impact beams running through the doors. Then the mondo glass hatch in the back. Dunno, if I ever have to tear it apart I'll weight all the bits and see what happens.

[GasSavers_Red]

New stuff, got my parts in only downer is that one of the little clips required to retain the quarter panel window is on back order. Enough so the Majestic removed my order after its been sitting for a month. So I've got everything I need to to replace the window except that clip. I figure I'm going to attempt to save the original clip and try to reuse it. Else I find some heavy duty sticky tape and use that instead. The two front clips along with all the RTV should hold it in just fine.

Got a new hood lock to replace the busted one. No amount of greasing was able to save it or so I thought. The new one helps some, but the whole thing is still too loose and the hood is sitting too high. Got a dead blow hammer from HF so I'll wail on the rad support a bit more and knock in back into position.

Due to all the recent rain my car smells like mildew again which is a pain.

Need to find some cheapo way to remount all the under body panels. Honda wanted something around 120 bucks for all the ones I need to replace. There has to be a better solution.

Front parking lights are both blown and for some reason when the emergencys are on, nothing up front flashes. I'm hoping new blubs will correct this. Else time to run through the schematic.

Still need to figure out why bank 1 sensor 1 O2 keeps claiming its shorting to ground.

Need to buy my spark plugs, seems like I have an all B head.

Clean out the intake

Clutch feels funny cause the master was empty. Refilled it, going to keep an eye on leaks

School and rain have been the biggest time killers. But its slowly getting ready to get inspected and registered.

[MD2000]

In reading this thread, I would say you are running into many of the common issues with the car.
High humidity in the car due to the broken window or other leaks can set codes.
The O2 sensor and Catalytic converter codes can be caused by the ECM software, and honda is offering to replace the ECM if people are having those codes. Hondas policy as far as warranties on salvage cars is clear,warante is void if the car has ever been salvaged, but I suspect that product recals may still be available???

I just joined this forum. I have 3 insights,
the one I drive: http://www.99mpg.com/Projectcars/mikesinsight/

I have worked on and helped diagnose issues with many insights, with people calling me from all over the country, Austrilia and the UK.
I have the full set of service manuals.
My website has a lot of information about the battery packs and other Insight related issues.
After checking out my website, http://www.99mpg.com/
feel free to give me a call to discuss any further issues you may have with the car.

[GasSavers_bobski]

Originally Posted by Red

I figure I'm going to attempt to save the original clip and try to reuse it. Else I find some heavy duty sticky tape and use that instead. The two front clips along with all the RTV should hold it in just fine.

Reusing the clip is probably fine if you can avoid damaging it. I hope you aren't actually planning on using plain old RTV. I wouldn't trust RTV to bond to glass that well. 1/4 PSI applied over the surface of that rear window - say 1.5 square feet or ~200 square inches - is 50 lbs of force.
Pick up a tube of 3M Windoweld. It's a polyurethane based sealant. I've used it to repair rotted out engine mounts, but as the name suggests it's meant for mounting automotive glass. AutoZone carries it IIRC, but I may be thinking of Advance Auto.
What's that saying... "Do it right or do it twice"?

Originally Posted by Red

Clutch feels funny cause the master was empty. Refilled it, going to keep an eye on leaks

You bled the air out? There should be a screw on the slave cylinder.

[GasSavers_Red]

True bobski. I've seen tubes of the stuff at Pepboys, I'll check out Autozone.

No bleed yet, just refilled it, rain has been a pain in the butt.

Mike, far as I know in CA a recall can't be voided but according to the service records I've found, the ECU has been replaced atleast once for that problem. Warrenty, I know is void as soon as it has a salvage title. Considering its mileage it is possible it could just be dead. I don't know, I haven't really spent all that much time trying to figure it out. Wilco on the call, spring break is coming up, I'm hoping to have it good to go by then

[BumblingB]

Remount underbody panels? So you have the panels, just need clips?

Front parking lights......the whole time I had mine I thought I had a bad wire - should of checked the bulb first! DOH! Idiot! That was just one though. Now, if/when you have problems with your low beams - remember I mentioned there was a recall on the headlight switch.....at least I think I did

Originally Posted by Red

Need to find some cheapo way to remount all the under body panels. Honda wanted something around 120 bucks for all the ones I need to replace. There has to be a better solution.

Front parking lights are both blown and for some reason when the emergencys are on, nothing up front flashes. I'm hoping new blubs will correct this. Else time to run through the schematic.

[GasSavers_Red]

Originally Posted by Wazabi Owner

Remount underbody panels? So you have the panels, just need clips?

Front parking lights......the whole time I had mine I thought I had a bad wire - should of checked the bulb first! DOH! Idiot! That was just one though. Now, if/when you have problems with your low beams - remember I mentioned there was a recall on the headlight switch.....at least I think I did

Yep, I have the rad skid and all the associated under belly panels, I just didn't fork for the replacement hardware. I think I have all the inserts still in place on whatever is left underneath. Panels I was missing was the rad skid, all engine covers the the drivers side front wheel defuser.

Nah the bulbs blow. They are tiny little things.

You did post a reminder about the head lights, no worries

[Three6Eight]

Good luck on the car. I was always intrigued by insights but they arent too common. Cant they pull off 70 MPG?

[GasSavers_Red]

Thanks Three6Eight, thats their claim to fame, 60-70MPG