Insight edges closer

[aerohead]

After many, many months,I told my neighbor Dennis that he'd have to take me off the list for purchasing his 1st-gen Insight,as I'd re-tasked the funds for the upcoming Darko trip in September.
I was doing community service work at our front park a couple days ago and Dennis came by to tell me that he'd 'give' me the car.It requires 'work' (he'll make a list).
I told him that I'd love to have the car,but it would be October before I could begin to do anything with it.He wants me to have it and see if I can improve on the 73-mpg he was seeing with it.
I'll let you know when it's in my 'driveway.'

[fusion210]

I hope you mod it to the moon!

[Daox]

Woo, I think you have just about everyone here jealous. A free insight! Congrats!

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Don't let the hybrid battery sit idle for months.

regards
mech

I think it's already shot,along with some other issues,ergo the 'free' price.Also,Dennis has been a pretty serious environmentalist since the 70s (earth-sheltered passive solar home,photovoltaics,etc.) and he's heard about what EcoModder members have done to their Insights and wants to support the madness.
If I can make it into the 100-mpg club,I think he'll be real pleased.(he was seeing 73-mpg hwy)
I've peeked at the Hybrid Forum,and will be leaning on hybrid members for advice and recommendations.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by fusion210

I hope you mod it to the moon!

That's the plan.Also,if they're easily removable,I could in theory,get it to Darko one day,run it modded,then yank everything off and rerun it naked to compare it's baseline Cd with what CAR and DRIVER got at the A2 tunnel.This would give us another comparison point between the sister wind tunnels.
I figure that,if Illuminati Motor Works (X-PRIZE) can get Cd 0.165 out of a (essentially) Cd 0.34 1956 Porsche 356 A,then we ought to be able to match,or beat that coefficient.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by Daox

Woo, I think you have just about everyone here jealous. A free insight! Congrats!

Yes,it's a great gesture.And I'll try and reciprocate by getting some killer drag coefficient with it,and mileage to go along with it.And I've got a lot of inspiration to feed off by all the Members you've already been plucking fruit from the Insight Tree!

[freebeard]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm happy for you.

IIRC Insight are hybrid. Are you going to leave it stock for comparison purposes vs converting to pure EV? Massively increasing the battery energy density shouldn't affect the aerodynamic result.

Apparently, Insights have a 22" tire height. BMW i3 tires are about 26", a 10% overdrive. My vote is for 19" aluminum motorcycle rims laced on Model A ford hubs. Else old MG wires with knock-offs. You're going to need the re-gearing.

[iveyjh]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm happy for you.

IIRC Insight are hybrid. Are you going to leave it stock for comparison purposes vs converting to pure EV? Massively increasing the battery energy density shouldn't affect the aerodynamic result.

Apparently, Insights have a 22" tire height. BMW i3 tires are about 26", a 10% overdrive. My vote is for 19" aluminum motorcycle rims laced on Model A ford hubs. Else old MG wires with knock-offs. You're going to need the re-gearing.

I get about 18% overdrive over 22" tire.

[Ecky]

Subscribed.

I have a lot of info in my build thread about basic bits that these cars need, but will be following (and hopefully duplicating) your more extensive mods.

[aerohead]

Originally Posted by freebeard

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. I'm happy for you.

IIRC Insight are hybrid. Are you going to leave it stock for comparison purposes vs converting to pure EV? Massively increasing the battery energy density shouldn't affect the aerodynamic result.

Apparently, Insights have a 22" tire height. BMW i3 tires are about 26", a 10% overdrive. My vote is for 19" aluminum motorcycle rims laced on Model A ford hubs. Else old MG wires with knock-offs. You're going to need the re-gearing.

*I want the mods to allow for a 'stock' condition to be achieved within a matter of minutes.Like BamZipPow has allowed for with his single-wheel boat tail trailer project.
It will allow a trip to Darko for 'fully-modded' testing,then denude the car for a naked baseline,and then reattachment again for continuing the trip west.
This way,we can compare to the Cd 0.30 CAR and DRIVER measured for the 1st-gen Insight at the A2 tunnel.
I'll be traveling light,so stock wheels/tires will be necessary (I'm not going to pull a trailer full of additional bits and pieces ) to get mpg numbers along with drag data.
I may pay an mpg penalty with the stock gearing.It will just have to be.At least I'll know the Cd each way.And if the 10%/5% metric holds,I can reverse-engineer the penalty for not gear-matching.