2006 Honda Insight MT Build Thread

[cowmeat]

That would be awesome. Still incredibly noteworthy with what you already get, but it would be headline material IMHO.

Yeah, those numbers are way beyond what I could do in either of my Insights!

I once recorded a 725 mile 80.8 mpg tank in Ron Burgundy after two miserable weeks of hypermiling the crap out of it, and I was so pumped I got an 80+ mpg decal for the back.

This guy's pulling better numbers than that while delivering pizzas!

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by samwichse

Same thickness, but it weighs more, cost more, draws more power/makes more heat, and the extra headroom is wasted on me since I just got it to fill in the bass, not going thumping down the road.

Good point. I noticed that the frequency range was the same between the 8" and 10" subs. Like you said, not looking to shake the car but just fill in the lows a bit more to make music sound better.

Originally Posted by Snax

That would be awesome. Still incredibly noteworthy with what you already get, but it would be headline material IMHO.

The record tank in an Insight is 2254.4 miles, albeit on a larger tank: The Insight Marathon 2006 -- World Record 2,254.4 miles on one tank of fuel | CleanMPG

Originally Posted by cowmeat

This guy's pulling better numbers than that while delivering pizzas!

These recent days around 90 mpg aren't from any additional mods, but more from because by this point I've pretty much memorized every road within a 9 mile radius so I can drive them all for max economy at the posted speed limit.

I don't have the option for free charging, however, so I can't come close to your cost per mile.

[19bonestock88]

I’m openly admit, I’m watching your build with some envy... with most of my miles being commercial use, my mpg is so bad I can’t even rightfully log it... even when I can get in a tank with all personal driving on it I can’t get near that average, no matter how I may try...

Excellent work so far, and I’m anxiously waiting for more!

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

I’m openly admit, I’m watching your build with some envy... with most of my miles being commercial use, my mpg is so bad I can’t even rightfully log it... even when I can get in a tank with all personal driving on it I can’t get near that average, no matter how I may try...

Excellent work so far, and I’m anxiously waiting for more!

That was me every time I would read a thread on here about someones Insight...or CRX...or Metro...or pretty much anything that beat what I was getting in the Civic. You should get an Insight! And even so, what you're doing with the Saturn is really even more amazing - the Insight was already built for efficiency, so I'm just improving on it, while you've taken that Saturn to well over 50 MPG and over 70 MPG on that one trip, which is just crazy awesome.

--------------------

Beginning the carpeting process. First thing to get redone was the custom armrest.

Before:



After:



The black fake leather have looked and felt a little better, but it was constantly making my right arm sweat, so it had to go.

Parking brake is also fixed after replacing the parking brake lever and cable.

Rockville 8" sub installed today, sounds really good for the price.



Next up is working on recarpeting the rear - while listening to my upgraded sound system with the 12v tender plugged in, that is.

[19bonestock88]

The sub doing well for ya then? I considered getting one just like that to put under my seat for exactly the same reason you did yours... of course some non stock speakers would also help lol

How expensive was your sub if you don’t mind the inquiry?

[Ecky]

You could always make one:

[mpg_numbers_guy]

I'm not an audiophile by any means, and it won't shake your car apart like some 400 or 600 RMS system would, but it adds the bass that you can't get from door speakers, and a bit more. Plenty loud enough to fill the cabin of the Insight. It's rated at 600w peak, 150w RMS, and cost $99 on Amazon. I opted to spent the $6 extra to get the wiring kit for it. I was able to turn the bass down in the door speakers and eliminate 90% of their rattling due to just being mounted to the plastic (I haven't mounted them to the doors yet). Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/Rockville-RW8...dp/B073W5ZMWN/. They also have a 10" variant as well.

I wanted a powered sub so I wouldn't have to mess with a separate amplifier, and from researching it seems to have the best specs for the price, and one of the lowest prices for the specs. It comes highly reviewed as well. I'm really pleased with the output, it's pretty impressive for just a 8" under-seat sub without much space. It comes with rubber mounts that can screw into the floor carpet. Others have used rubber tubing to hold it in place.

I also spent $8 for 1 1/18" acetal rod to make spacers for the seats to lift them up slightly for the sub, and $5 on longer, grade 8 bolts for the seats.

Since I'm ditching the rear speakers for now, the sub was really quite easy to hook up. Power connected to one of the Meanwell outputs behind the seat, and I used spade connectors to tap into the rear speaker connectors, and then connected both grounds to a bolt behind the center console. I mounted the sub beneath the driver's seat since the passenger seat is out at times. Really the hardest part of the install was threading in the new bolts when putting the seat back in, since the bolts are at an angle, which made installing them with the spacers somewhat difficult. I ended up putting a small tear in the front right of the seat when installing them.

Ecky, that's really quite an ingenious location for a sub, while keeping the spare tire! I like it! Is that still your current setup? What sub is it? Any issues with rattling in the rear?

I may add some rear speakers next year - with my rear design the biggest I can go with would be 5x7s if I want any kind of depth behind them. But for the price they would only add a small benefit, and I would then need an adapter for the sub since I wouldn't be able to tap into the rear speaker wires anymore. Maybe next year.

[Ecky]

Sub is an 8" Planet Audio from Amazon, I believe it was around $25 shipped and I'm pleased with the sound. I still use it, and in fact it's part of the support for the rear floor. No issues with rattling!

For a while I used one of the rear driver seat bolts as a ground - they work quite well.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Welcome to Ecomodder!

127 MPG was on a warm day with no wind or accessory use and with the stars aligning perfectly, it isn't a regular occurrence. Normal driving without efficient driving will be quite a bit lower, but still fantastic.

Congrats on your purchase of an Insight! What year is it? CVT or manual? Color? These Insights really are remarkable cars. I have really enjoyed owning mine and I hope you enjoy yours well too!

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by evilchargerfan

it is a 2000, manual, has ac, and is Silverstone Metallic.

That's probably 90% of Insights! I have two like that!