Honda Insight Under-body Smoothing Panels (custom belly pan / undertray)

[Cd]

And the question on everyones mind is ........

When you finish this thing, are you going to make a mold of it so you can sell it ???

If I had an Insight, I would pay good money for a 'pan like you have produced.

Very, very professional.
Well done !

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

You mentioned somewhere that you've insulated your catalytic converter to keep underhood temps down. What kind of insulation did you use?

Hi Robert,

The cat is surrounded with fiber glass batting. The same stuff that is used for thermal insulation in houses. Obviously, there is no paper backing, just the glass, which has a melt point of about 2000°F. Steel melts around 2500°F or so and starts to glow dull red about 1500°F or so.

So the glass *should* be able to take the heat from the cat.

Jim.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Thanks for the additional glue tips!

Did you also paint that motorbike fairing yourself? It's pretty darned shiny. (Having seen your attention to detail in the belly pan, I wouldn't be surprised.)

Hi Metro,

I painted the three colors in fast drying lacquer, so the bugs would not have time to stick to the fresh paint.

My brother shot the two-part clear coat in his garage, and guess what... there were flys stuck to it after the paint dried. LOL.

Jim.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by discovery

That really looks nice and healthy, keep up the good work, what are the MPG numbers?

Hi discovery,

My best MPG from the motorcycle is 80 mpg at 45 mph. I've been eco-milling the bike since the spring of 2007.

Typical mileage is from 70 to 75 mpg or so. I ride rain or shine when the weather is above 40°F or so, especially when working on the Insight.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by Cd

And the question on everyones mind is ........

When you finish this thing, are you going to make a mold of it so you can sell it ???

Hi Cd,

I didn't have plans to make any parts that big and the custom mounts to the car could make it harder to sell. Especially those on the back by the gas tank area.

However, I can certainly see the day coming when I would want to make a boat tail for the car.

Jim.

[3-Wheeler]

Here's encouragement for those thinking of under-body panels, and mixing this up with winter driving.

Several weeks back we got about 3 inches of soft, powdery snow at night. Normally this would not be a problem to drive through, but the winds were gusting to 30 mph or so...

On the way home it was already dark, and I turned down an old country road... and suddenly realized the drifted snow is at least six inches deep and the Insight only has 5 inches of clearance, and stock tires.

In the really deep stuff, the car felt like it 'floated' over the snow and did not seem to 'grab' the snow like the old Cavalier did in the same scenario.

Fortunately, the snow was not hard packed, or the situation might have been different.

Knock on wood, but so far, so good.

Jim.

[TomO]

Originally Posted by 3-Wheeler

In the really deep stuff, the car felt like it 'floated' over the snow and did not seem to 'grab' the snow like the old Cavalier did in the same scenario.

I've done the same thing in my VX with the under pan. I actually lifted the wheels off the ground though.

Your Insight has 5" of ground clearance while at rest, but remember that there are a few inches of upward and downward travel available as well. Sounds like you were still catching traction with the wheels on the ground and the snow was lifting some bulk of the car of the suspension.

Originally Posted by 3-Wheeler

Fortunately, the snow was not hard packed, or the situation might have been different.

Knock on wood, but so far, so good.

Jim.

Been there with the hard pack and ended up ripping off half my under pan. good thing I could jsut throw a new sheet of Coroplast back on when I got home.

[silverinsight2]

5.9 inches

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by 3-Wheeler

On the way home it was already dark, and I turned down an old country road... and suddenly realized the drifted snow is at least six inches deep and the Insight only has 5 inches of clearance, and stock tires.

I've been watching your fuel log, and wondering how you managed to prevent your gas mileage from falling with the onset of winter. Summer tires in the winter, eh? You're crazy.

Btw, the Blizzak MZ-03 will hurt your gas mileage, but they're competent on snow and ice, unlike the Potenza RE92's.

[3-Wheeler]

Originally Posted by RobertSmalls

I've been watching your fuel log, and wondering how you managed to prevent your gas mileage from falling with the onset of winter. Summer tires in the winter, eh? You're crazy. ...

Hi Robert,

Snow tires haven't been on any of my cars for about 25 years or so.

Sure there might be a few days when they could be useful, but probably less than 1% of time. If the weather is really bad, then the 55 mph highway is pressed into service, since they are typically better maintained than the old back roads.

As for keeping the gas consumption low, my travel speed tends to slow down this time of year for two reasons:

1) The roads tend to be more slippery
2) They buckle up so bad in Wisconsin, I really don't want to beat up the car's suspension over those nasty bumps.

That tends to keep the gas mileage higher.

Jim.