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Old 03-17-2015, 10:31 PM   #1 (permalink)
MechanicalRandall
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 11
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2001 Honda Insight, Silver, Manual, 168k miles, $6k

2001 Honda Insight Silver MT, 168k miles, 2nd Owner

2001 Silver Manual Transmission w/AC 168k miles, 50.2 Lifetime mpg

My dad was the original owner. He gave it to me when I started college and I have had the car for 11 years, during which time it has never once left me stranded on the side of the road with even so much as a flat tire. I hope you can tell from the list of features that I have never spared any expense when it came to the maintenance and upgrades of my Insight, and until a few months ago I was spending money on it as if I would own it forever. I have used it to win efficiency competitions and surprise many people that a car more than a decade old is still such an engineering marvel. During the time I owned the car I earned three engineering degrees myself and I can attest to the ingenuity of its design. It makes me sad to let go of what I have considered for so long to be my baby, but it softens the blow that I am doing so for the sake of a real baby, my expected daughter. Unfortunately, a two-seater is no longer an appropriate vehicle for me to drive.

I have a 1" stack of maintenance records. Not a complete record by any means, but my dad had the car until the warranty expired and I have only ever had engine, oil change, and other maintenanace work done at the Honda stealership. Electrical and other minor replacements and upgrades I have done myself since I discovered the internet.

The only accident was a couple years ago a driver tried to change lanes on top of me and punctured the front bumper. I got a new front bumper and it was free and looks a million times better than before

Pros:
Bumblebee Battery - less than 1 year old
MIMA 129 - Mike D version
Grid charger - Mike D Version
FAS - Mike D version
OBDIICNC gauge - From Peter, assembled by Eli - No case
RE 92's installed 8months ago (probably about 6200 miles on them)
Original Shift Knob
Custom shift knob which integrates MIMA and FAS controls
Motor mounts - 2.5 years old
Alpine CDA-9847 Head Unit
Alpine MRP-F240 Amplifier
8" Woofer in box
Aux headphone jack for iPod or other music player
[Stereo sounds awesome - car stereo was my former life]
2 Keys with remotes + Valet kEY
New Optima Yellow Top Battery Installed last month
3 Alpine Premier Snow Chains - These are badass snowchains, they go on and off in 5 minutes without moving your car. (Used to be 4 chains - now its one set of 2 and one backup chain)

Cons:
Hard-to-push trip reset
No factory radio
No factory floor mats
Bleeding LCD
Broken temp knob (from climate control panel)
Flaky trim below windows on exterior
Flaky spoiler
Antenna Cracked/droopy
Glovebox alignment - Currently you have to close the glovebox while holding the hinge from underneath.

Parts included but not yet installed:
Cabin air filter
EGR valve/gasket

Pictures:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?...2s&usp=sharing

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