Ecky considering another Insight

[Ecky]

I have also begun characterizing the lithium batteries I have, so I can get them working in an Insight. Characterizing involves finding how the state of charge relates to the voltage, as well as determining the health of the cells.

These modules are rated 216Wh new, 5.0 amp hours. I tested the accumulated watt hours to be 207.969Wh, and accumulated amp hours at 4.817Ah, suggesting they have >96% of their rated new capacity.

[freebeard]

So you have wheels and batteries. Any leads on an actual Insight?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by freebeard

So you have wheels and batteries. Any leads on an actual Insight?

I found a seller. He's finishing doing some bodywork - repainting rear bumper cover after it was scratched and dented from a low speed collision. 160k km and mechanically needs nothing. I believe he's getting a good rate with the shop he's working with by having it "low priority" and sit and wait until they have idle techs to work on it. Might be a month or two. I'll update with progress.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Nice color!

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Is the bumper cover the only damaged part? Wouldn't you be quite tempted to get it quicker and fix it yourself?

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Is the bumper cover the only damaged part? Wouldn't you be quite tempted to get it quicker and fix it yourself?

There was a small dent in the sheet metal behind it. That made the car not roadworthy until an engineer signs off on it.

It just passed its inspection to be road legal again. The current owner is waiting on a rear engine mount in the mail before it can pass final inspection, then it's ready to pick up. Knowing how long the mail takes here, I'd wager 3 weeks.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Ecky

There was a small dent in the sheet metal behind it. That made the car not roadworthy until an engineer signs off on it.

Being from where I am, and having already seen some awful makeshift car repairs, makes me wonder to which extent the signature of an engineer who didn't inspect the job getting done would be so effective to ensure the car is roadworthy according to the regulations there. Sure I wouldn't expect it to be done in such a reckless way that I often see in Brazil anyway...

[Ecky]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Being from where I am, and having already seen some awful makeshift car repairs, makes me wonder to which extent the signature of an engineer who didn't inspect the job getting done would be so effective to ensure the car is roadworthy according to the regulations there. Sure I wouldn't expect it to be done in such a reckless way that I often see in Brazil anyway...

The safety regulations for vehicles in New Zealand are borderline absurdly strict. A vehicle with any kind of accident damage needs essentially to be put back into the condition (in the areas affected by the accident) that it rolled out of the factory in. NZ's bureaucracy doesn't care about emissions, but one sheet metal screw into the unibody anywhere is an automatic fail. I'll be receiving a file with the vehicle, for something that, outwardly, left just a scratch on the paint.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

At least safety is a valid concern, even if something wouldn't really match the NZ criteria of looking as good as it left the factory.

[Ecky]

I have a date set - September 17th.