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

Jonnycoupe · 16 Sep 2018 at 23:19

Bit of an update. Changed the oil myself as honda last time did a crappy job with Mobil 1 and overfilled it.

Undertray access is pretty slick.

Following on from the thread here:

https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/t...ur-car-today.18472267/page-1178#post-31739194

Well please after finally exhausting all routes, so stumped the cash up and will send the other driver the invoice and see how that goes.

For once all 3 of the cars are clean.

Jonnycoupe · 30 Oct 2018 at 13:57

1 year with it now, suprises how many miles I’ve done. But it’s a much faster car and those 2 rear seats have allow more use over the weekends unlike the Insight. Fun little car, I’ve enjoyed it and looks great in pearl white.

Jonnycoupe · 30 Oct 2018 at 23:19

Yeah I guess I’m an odd ball as it’s more practical than my previous commuter. App is Road Trip.

Jonnycoupe · 6 Dec 2018 at 23:23

Time for MOT and the CRZ needed pads all round. Went for blueprint as I liked them on the mini, accurate backing plates rather than pattern ones roughly cut and coated in thick paint and only £38 for them all.

Both rear pads were wedged, and a slider stuck. Typical honda caliper issue. Freed everything off but took some time. Love the proper wind back tools although managed to get one piston slightly twisted and stuck :rolleyes:

so had to rebuild to press the pedal. Second time rather than the large disc on the piston rim I figured a large socket in the piston to then push squarer would be better. It worked. Sometimes I do like working on the car in the dark

would have been nice to be daylight with a pressure washer as there’s some serious dirt in there.

Honda are better now with trying to avoid rust. Rear arches the metal lip between bodyside and outer arch is rolled at the factory and the seam sealant applied for 80% of the join.

Time to get it sold now. :mad:

Jonnycoupe · 5 Jan 2019 at 11:27

If anyone fancies one of these!

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201812083109115

EDIT. Just realised the older photbucket images are now working and I’m coming up to 10 years with Insight!

Jonnycoupe · 14 Jan 2019 at 23:39

So she went on Saturday to new owner.

Reasonable MPG really. Never really tried but had a good commute as you can see from the mileage - fair few short trips too. Nice having that rorty (although no screamer) engine rev out with the slick gearshift and IMA really adding the the experience.

Jonnycoupe · 15 Jan 2019 at 11:59

Guess direct injection is what the CRZ needed for next gen. the elegance is in the simplicity I guess and love how clean starting that car was with no starter motor clatter..

Jonnycoupe · 14 Apr 2021 at 15:50

Jonnycoupe said:
Epic thread fail now with photobucket.

It’s at 272k now!
MOT runs out tomorrow and I still don’t have a windscreen so decides to scratch an itch and buy this, collect it tomorrow. I’ll decide what I end up keeping from then.

Well, MOT ran out Oct 2017.... and that's how it stayed. So revive the thread and car is now the plan! CRZ sold 2 years ago now - put 12k on it and sold for £300 more than I paid for it

Big fail on various brake lines which I' ve had fixed today. The front to rear and also the one that cross engine bay very low down to LH jump hose.

Next item before retest is a handbrake cable that seized solid in the ally collar here in the steel sleeve... bad design. Thats on the way as a pattern part, not sure what will show up and also some smaller engine bay brake lines coming from Japan as Amayama still have good stock at sensible prices and here in 2days! Another advisory is the worn brake pedal rubber :cool:

Hopefully get that sorted ahead of the weekend and drive ready for a trip to Caffeine & Machine.

Comedy compared to the IPACE - 20 year age gap and not far off a 1/3rd of the weight!

Comedy compared to the IPACE - 20 year age gap and not far off a 1/3rd of the weight!

Jonnycoupe · 14 Apr 2021 at 16:18

Good spot, yes gave a quick once over with some scratch X which made it much better for MOT but will dig out the proper headlamp restore kit I still have.

Jonnycoupe · 15 Apr 2021 at 17:48

ShiWarrior said:
saw a white CR-Z today, it did not look as good as yours !

Lowered and rear spacers seems to be the trick :cool:

Jonnycoupe · 23 Apr 2021 at 21:28

Been plugging away at this the last few nights. Gave it a good clean to get its hibernation grime off.

bit of weight saving after that and cleaner to attack the handbrake again, the pattern part only arrived today, £17 but from Germany - 12days in total!

Success, glad I had goggles on drilling it as a drill bit snapped and a chunk hit me and lodged in my cheek! Thankfully for the design flaw the ally is soft.

Next was the knock sensor, wasn’t sure if this was fuelling issue but research suggest another frequent issue with the plastic coming away. This was the last NTK sensor from Rock Auto in the states, specific for insight otherwise a £15 K20 civic etc would have done the job - £80 and 3 days later it arrived.

difficult access, plastic manifold and the funky EGR plate slid out, glad to see no real carbon build up since last time and much better access to use an adjustable spanner as I didn’t have a 24mm deep reach.

Interesting Califonia carcinogenic warning on the box, no idea what’s in the sensor. Comedy packaging in a massive box with air pouches
So just rattled around

Love the orders from Amayama, parts can be like 1/3 of the price of UK, arrived in 4 days! 5 brake pipes there to replace advisories on runs from the ABS modulator and a new brake pedal pad. Did well to get an advisory there - that’s Taxi territory.

Thankfully passed today the MOT so back on the road turning heads doing what it does well. (My lad reached over for that shot)

Jonnycoupe · 26 Apr 2021 at 01:50

Yaayuh! said:
Aww look at it . What a little beast.

Looks like the headlight lenses are discoloured and need a buff, or at least looks it compared to the IPACE.

Your wish is my command.

Before above
After below just right lamp in image.

To freshen up the front I replaced the vinyl plate and have since shut the bonnet properly.

Jonnycoupe · 26 Apr 2021 at 09:08

Indeed. I think that’s the most impressive part of the car. Need to get a window sticker

I’ve got a Buzz Lightyear sat in the load area. To infinity and beyond :cool:

Jonnycoupe · 27 May 2021 at 15:25

Some pictures from a few weeks ago.

Jonnycoupe · 27 May 2021 at 16:23

Just under 180 left I think and only 250 ish UK cars originally sold.

just spotted this:

Reasonable coverage of the Insight at this age, but the XL1 really has him won over, strikes me as noisy and that canal boat chugging with the CF tub! :cry:

Jonnycoupe · 15 Oct 2021 at 10:20

Bit of an update from summer.
Went to the Late Brake Show and a couple of Gaydon Gatherings

Late Brake Show #2 Leicestershire and parks up in RARE BUT NOBODY CARES area.

September Gaydon Gathering

This one the ad hoc 'Our Tim' Youtube chat :cry:

3:00 for the Insight.

https://youtu.be/69RWLjiFLzY?t=180

Jonnycoupe · 19 May 2022 at 17:59

Great explaination of the car with such enthusiasm - how everyone mocked me 13 years ago! :cry:

Good to see my handbrake pain was shared! Need to MOT mine again. A couple of brake pipes this time and maybe the rear dampers too.

Jonnycoupe · 5 Jul 2022 at 09:47

MOT'd it again for a few summer events i want to go to. Then finally refitted the A pillar cladding after a poor refit after a windscreen (missing 4 clips per side and not seated correctly) - clips again ordered from Singapore after my previous order got thrown out in the Xmas recyling surge : the joy of parts being shipped in brown paper packaging.

Then inspected where some water leaks were, the sealant around the big clip is fine and prevented the wet seat belt issue these cars have for the last 7 years or so, the clip sits in a natural well in the body where the ally A pillar extrusion is welded to the body - however the caulking is shrinking and drying out. So ive scrapped it out, removed loose bits and made more of a V groove for silicone sealer to get in properly. Image below was before so remains of the old stuff was still there, ive been far more liberal this time.

New clips as the old ones basically break sacrifically to protect the cladding.

Smart these Honda engineers, the clips all float to a degree apart from thet mid point one with teh tab to lock into the cladding and hence act as a datum between the part and bodyside, after all the curved door profile and primary seal sit against this part so getting it right is key.

Combo of the tabs into the metal clips and the traditional clips (plus a bolt fron at the front that also secures the cladding to the wing to the body) means you really have had to screw something up for these to come off.

All on now and wind noise is much better.

Worth updating anyway as the ownership somehow continues. :eek:

Jonnycoupe · 13 Jul 2022 at 09:51

Took the Insight to Caffeine & Machine for one of there "I Love you man" evenings where there is a discussion with their guy Alex Goy an a car celebrity - This months was Jonny Smith. 1 hour discussion after his career and amusing stories from Max Power, Fifth Gear etc, a break and then 30mins Q&A. Then of course loiter around at the end. Got directed under the tree where the talk was talking place (previously ive only been to ones in the tent)

Was nearly 9pm here so the lighting was dropping off.

Amusing chat with Jonny explaining the finer points of your car to ex-Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum :cry: