2001 Honda Insight Mk1 - The OG hybrid now joined by a CRZ

[Jonnycoupe]

Jonny, where did you find yours for sale, out of interest? There's one near me with the CVT. I'd like to have a look at a couple but since there are only about 250 of them over here I'm wondering what the chances of that happening are

Mine came up whilst I was just about to get the Integra payout and scooting around in that helphire Mini Cooper S. Came up on Honda Revs (possibly had changed to Evolution then, regardless its a dead site now) then pistonheads and Ebay a week or so later but I knew of the guy as about 3 years either I bought a SPA oil gauge off him when his had a well setup CRX.

At the time there was a site called 'getaninsight' or something where some guy in Wales was getting them from all over the UK and selling them on. That seems to have gone now. They are predominatly private sales although some Honda dealer pop up with them and the one place that regularly has them is Goldseal garage. Most of these appear to be import so getting the free tax can be a pain and not driving them often (ie longer that 3 weeks) does the battery no favours as NiMH has a self discharge characteristic and it varies between cells so you end up with an out of balance pack. Exactly why I didnt mind the mileage on mine due to it meaning frequently use.

America CVT versus manual will come up a lot and how the CVT doesnt have lean burn. That was for the US emission ratings I guess and NOx output. The Import JDM CVT's still have the lean burn feature so you dont really take a hit on MPG compared to a manual. Not sure of the viablity of importing one to save some cash but I know Johnny at Tegiwa imports got one over from Japan about 12months ago for his own use.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Mainly US forum, hence CVT is no lean burn for SULEV NOx. The import JDM HAVE lean burn. Its been at Goldseal for months which is an issue and could do with an off the grid trickle charger to balance the pack I imagine.

Its just the culmulative effect of self discharge rather that overnight drop. Ie. Years buts thats where we are with cars now. Id like some new gen low discharge NiMh but no ie on current capacity and they need welding in series.

What you have to bear in mind is hybrids a have big batteries to deliver the desired motor output not for capacity.

Mine needs new tyres now and i have no idea what to get !?

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I think it is as its Goldseals forte, the rear fog light position is the first clue.

Interesting link below how it started as the JV-X, which now seems to share some ideas with the CR-Z (production and the first concept with rounded rear lights)

http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/development/index.html

The VV certainly has a much sharper rear end as I would expect with an aero car, ie Prius 3 and VW L1. Probably Federal bump ruled that out, could be a nice feature to add...

 

[Jonnycoupe]

did you damage your brain or eyesight when you crashed the DC2?


Thats horrid IMO.

Eyesight maybe?

Brain. Well I think this a car you buy with your brain and not heart, its ensured that I took a break from modding cars whilst I have two young sprogs which is good for cashflow and freetime, let alone the actual running cost reduction.

I get to play with cars at work anyway on a much better rate than paying for the privilege.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

But with a fuel saving alone of £1500 a year its only going to take two years to get that money back, even less if you factor in the tax saving, plus this will hold its value better than a generic jap hatchback.

I think were now in the free car running phase The additional purchase cost over a 51 1.4 Civic has now been cancelled out. In day to day as a benchmark its about as fast a 2.0 TDI Audi A3 (as tested last night) at legal speed, after that mine then has the legs.

Had a meet last year at a classic car show in Glossop

Mine was getting a control system soldered in by Peter (Police sergeant by day, Electronics Whizz by night) on the Insight forum and hence under cover incase it rained. The car now has manual command & control of the IMA system and allows me to start and stop the engine whenever, also a developing OBD2 gauge to monitor the usual things like a scangauge but also HV battery Voltage, SoC and power output/regen aswell as controlling battery fans, it also has an LED to show when the car is in lean burn.

Nothing has let me down other than the radio shorted and didnt turn off after key and killed the 12V battery when i got back to the car 10hr later so i needed a jump start.... well a simple 12v connection to close the HV relays. 177k miles now.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Jonny, do you not miss a "performance car" at all? Not even a bit?

Nothing to miss. I just don't need to pay for the privilege

I tend to find the drive to work pretty damn annoying in anything fast anyway as i bumble along the A5 at 40-50mph for 8 miles before a selection of motorways depending where Im going.... if im then travelling between the sites in the day Ill use a fleet car and the roads are far clearer with no fuel costs

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Love the blue one, hardly ever see them in that colour, mainly black or the goldish colour.

Its only a recent colour, French Racing Blue is available on the low volume XKR-S model. 542bhp backs up the shouty colour aswell as the sound of the thing

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I work at Jaguar so they are a mixture (and these are just some of the ones I have pictures of on my photobucket) of engineering cars, management cars and fleet evaluation units.

XKRS isnt mine - £97k new but I've over 500miles in it for personal use and then occasional moving between sites. The white XKRS convertable is even better through tunnels though

Insight is great as I literally dont worry where I park it, I can get it into spaces that simply dont exist for other cars aswell and I just get in and drive each day to and from work in something with some character and minimal running costs. Its not really frowned upon where I work as its a bit of a petrolhead culture rather than shiny Audi key ring rat race.

192k miles now!

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Great to see it's still going strong, have you had many problems?

Nothing really, got a dicky lambda sensor heater circuit on the wideband sensor but waiting on an secondhand one that in typical 'enthusiast' community style I haven't got yet even though I bought it in Nov.... Also had the EGR refurbed around 180k as the stock setup has quite a sharp metal finger on the carbon track inside the valve to feedback it's position, this wears and causes low speed 'herky jerky'. Refurbed one has the finger rotated to avoid the wear and onto a fresh part of the carbon track. Only other issue was failed MOT last year due to corroded brake pipes! Now nickel copper so I'm de-steeling the car

Today I got it tracked....

Whoops, that should help MPG.

It's literally been the pennies to run car that I expected it to be

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Cracked the 200+ club

Last few tanks have certainly benefited from the warmer conditions! The 59.3 tank was during snow week with the queuing and slow driving etc.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Yeah the battery is far more spritely aswell such that the car tends to feel peppier in warmer weather. Doesnt really cool off but Ive only seen the battery get as high as 38C. Tend to park at work with windows open a little and sunshade in.

Main benefit from warm weather for MPG is the warm up to reach 90C coolant is no more than 2 miles and the higher Inlet air temp makes the lean burn mode piece of cake to use. I still probably drive a little too fast to make a big increase in the time in lean burn though. My 37mile drive to work has something like 10 roundabouts aswell. Brillant car for penny motoring... Im still in 45p per mile for business use of my LTD co so if you take the 20% corp tax reduction I 'make' 9p per mile.... and over the last tank the fuel cost was 8.4p per mile.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Yeah, 335bhp and also available with AWD in some LHD markets. Also in the XJ.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

We celebrated our 5 year anniversary yesterday no hypermiling here, just genuine use. (Photo from last year)

 

[Jonnycoupe]

I love a cordless mouse

Tough luck there.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Yeah just the usual grid charger to balance the pack occasionally by topping up all the cells with a 350mA current.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

As a REAL average its loads more to be fair, barely slower and uses petrol not diesel.

Plus i dont have to put up with a diesel noise. I cringe when my neighbour starts her A3 TDI tractor.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Still got a Civic 1.8 and Countryman S for those duties. No diesels here

 

[Jonnycoupe]

86JR, how have you been driving of late?

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Thought this was a good photo from last year.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Aero of course. 0.25 Cd and a low frontal area was good going at the end of the 90s.