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Old 08-30-2020, 10:06 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
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Quote:
Originally Posted by serialk11r View Post
Just how bad is the gas mileage on that thing? It's light and the displacement is fairly modest but the compression ratio is LOW.
It's ... not great. I try not to even calculate it, other than smiles per mile. I think when I did do it, it was around 22mpg. I do have a dragging front brake, which doesn't help. Once I fix that I would imagine it would be around 25.

Anyway, small update:


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Old 08-30-2020, 11:22 PM   #12 (permalink)
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Welcome to air-cooled world. Remember: antifreeze is poisonous to puppies and kittens. Consider this:

Hot VWs magazine took a Beetle from 28 to 39.9mpg with their Mileage Motor build.

It was based on work by Jon Karcey, described in a seven page The Samba thread here: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/vi...er=asc&start=0



The work was carried forward by Jake Raby into the Type IV (912) world: Raby Aircooled Technology – The Most Advanced Aircooled Engines for Vintage VW and Porsche cars.

The Hot VWs series was at CB Performance but now it 404s: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=97269. Maybe try Internet Archive.

TLDR; square bore/stroke, high reciprocating mass, Hall effect ignition, air dam, Jet-a-Vator, low-friction lubricants, 145s on the front, etc, & etc.

If you don't want to go Type IV, then the Emorys cut flat sixes down into DOHC flat fours. https://www.emorymotorsports.com/the-engine/



Best mileage I ever got with my 1971 Superbeetle was 38mpg over 1300 miles, running through Eastern Oregon in the middle of the night at 45mph, on the way to Bonneville.
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Last edited by freebeard; 08-30-2020 at 11:28 PM..
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Old 08-31-2020, 03:18 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Cool project. I hope your user name reflects your bank account.

I started a similar project about 20 years ago on a 1972 914. I was in a front end collision and decided to use the insurance money to to the build I wanted. What I found out in that the Porsche logo adds at least a zero to everything. I started a spreadsheet, priced out what I wanted to do - saw that it was $15,000 - and sold the car.

I kinda wish I had that car today - especially now that they went from black sheep of the Porsche family to red hot appreciation. It is crazy to see them selling for $20 - $30,000 now.
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Old 09-06-2020, 12:44 PM   #14 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSH View Post
Cool project. I hope your user name reflects your bank account.

I started a similar project about 20 years ago on a 1972 914. I was in a front end collision and decided to use the insurance money to to the build I wanted. What I found out in that the Porsche logo adds at least a zero to everything. I started a spreadsheet, priced out what I wanted to do - saw that it was $15,000 - and sold the car.

I kinda wish I had that car today - especially now that they went from black sheep of the Porsche family to red hot appreciation. It is crazy to see them selling for $20 - $30,000 now.
Nope, student loans keep me pretty freakin' poor until I"m about ready to retire. Hence why I am doing everything I can myself.

Updates: This video is honestly more of a comedy; the fact is the fan SHOULD have slipped off the alternator....but it refused to do so.

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Old 09-06-2020, 07:27 PM   #15 (permalink)
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Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
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7:22 ... ... lots of patience went into that effort. 4 days?

+1 for saving and restoring the original hardware. I like the salvage approach most.
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 09-08-2020, 01:26 PM   #16 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
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Small update: Drilled out my engine bar to make an RSR style engine bar... rennline sells these for $250. I spent... $20 on some hole saws or so.



Pretty simple stuff, using the paper template is my only protip on this one.
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Old 09-08-2020, 06:43 PM   #17 (permalink)
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Black and Green - '98 Honda Civic DX Coupe
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90 day: 66.42 mpg (US)

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Modest weight reduction there. How much?
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 09-08-2020, 08:37 PM   #18 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
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Lol, idk, I'll bring hte scraps inside tonight and weigh them for you.
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Old 09-09-2020, 10:15 PM   #19 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
90 day: 52.94 mpg (US)
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I removed 8 ounces from the engine bar, and 3 ounces from the intake runners. :P
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Old 09-10-2020, 01:18 PM   #20 (permalink)
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Spaceship - '00 Honda Insight
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Alright... the most expensive part of my project so far, because i farmed it out: A transmission rebuild. This trans is magnesium case, so a weight savings of 30lbs over the aluminum versions (super rare and desirable!).

I go over the basics of a 915 transaxle, a cross section showing how they work, and some of the upgrades I sprung for during the rebuild.


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