WTB: 1st gen with bad engine/IMA/battery (AZ)

[gtmotor]

Hello forum,

I've decided to try an interesting swap I've never seen done before into an Insight. It will retain it's eco-friendly nature and will probably even get better MPG than a standard car.

I am looking for a car to use as the shell for this project. Because it will look, act, and drive like an Insight, I need one that hasn't been wrecked.

Here's what I'm looking for:

- Good body (no crushed panels or major body damage), clean interior
- 5-speed manual preferred
- Any color

Bad engine/transmission are fine. Bad IMA is fine.

I'm located in Tucson, Arizona so the closer you are to me the better. Budget is flexible depending on the condition of the car.

Thanks!

[rayholan]

Originally Posted by gtmotor

Hello forum,

I've decided to try an interesting swap I've never seen done before into an Insight. It will retain it's eco-friendly nature and will probably even get better MPG than a standard car.

I am looking for a car to use as the shell for this project. Because it will look, act, and drive like an Insight, I need one that hasn't been wrecked.

Here's what I'm looking for:

- Good body, interior
- 5-speed manual preferred
- Blue, silver, or red preferred

Bad engine/transmission are fine. Bad IMA is fine.

I'm located in Tucson, Arizona so the closer you are to me the better. Budget is flexible depending on the condition of the car.

Thanks!

What sort of swap do you have in mind? A K20 or something else? Interested to hear more about your project.

[gtmotor]

Nah, the K20 has been done many times before

I will be swapping in a 1.9 TDI engine from a Volkswagen Beetle/Jetta/Golf. I expect good things from this power train. It's capable of 50 mpg in a car that weighs 1000 lbs more than an Insight with a Cd of 0.38 (Insight is 0.25). That along with the +30 horsepower increase and whopping +90 ft lbs of torque should make the Insight an entertaining ride.

I saw someone else had attempted a TDI swap before but after awhile they just stopped posting. I don't know if the project was ever completed or what came of it. He also used an engine out of a VW Polo which isn't available in the United States. I'll be using the fairly common ALH engine which is US legal and available to most people.

I plan on documenting the entire process via a blog. I already have the domain "hondatdi.com" and will be updating there as the project progresses.

[rayholan]

Originally Posted by gtmotor

Nah, the K20 has been done many times before

I will be swapping in a 1.9 TDI engine from a Volkswagen Beetle/Jetta/Golf. I expect good things from this power train. It's capable of 50 mpg in a car that weighs 1000 lbs more than an Insight with a Cd of 0.38 (Insight is 0.25). That along with the +30 horsepower increase and whopping +90 ft lbs of torque should make the Insight an entertaining ride.

I saw someone else had attempted a TDI swap before but after awhile they just stopped posting. I don't know if the project was ever completed or what came of it. He also used an engine out of a VW Polo which isn't available in the United States. I'll be using the fairly common ALH engine which is US legal and available to most people.

I plan on documenting the entire process via a blog. I already have the domain "hondatdi.com" and will be updating there as the project progresses.

I applaud your ambition. I've had several VW TDI's (Passat & Golf) and enjoyed their relatively high MPG (relative to standard gas engine vehicles). Key factor, which I assume you've already considered, would be getting a super low numerical final drive ratio out of the VW tranny. The TDI as you know is a a torque monster especially as compared to the stock Insight 3 cylinder (even supplemented by the electric motor). Stock VW gearing would be way over-geared in an Insight. With a lower numerical final drive, I could see you loafing along at 1500 rpm's at 60 mph and still having buckets of torque available to blip up to 80 to pass traffic. The torque peak of the TDI is down around 1800 rpm or so, no?

Of course, if you're happy with a 50 mpg diesel AND the acceleration potential to embarrass lowered Honda civics, the stock VW TDI drive train in the bantam weight Insight would definitely deliver.

[Rush]

Hey GT, I sent you a PM.

[gtmotor]

Originally Posted by rayholan

I applaud your ambition. I've had several VW TDI's (Passat & Golf) and enjoyed their relatively high MPG (relative to standard gas engine vehicles). Key factor, which I assume you've already considered, would be getting a super low numerical final drive ratio out of the VW tranny. The TDI as you know is a a torque monster especially as compared to the stock Insight 3 cylinder (even supplemented by the electric motor). Stock VW gearing would be way over-geared in an Insight. With a lower numerical final drive, I could see you loafing along at 1500 rpm's at 60 mph and still having buckets of torque available to blip up to 80 to pass traffic. The torque peak of the TDI is down around 1800 rpm or so, no?

Of course, if you're happy with a 50 mpg diesel AND the acceleration potential to embarrass lowered Honda civics, the stock VW TDI drive train in the bantam weight Insight would definitely deliver.

After more research, it's apparently very easy to swap the 5th gear out of the TDI transmission. I will be doing a lower ratio (0.681) on the 5th gear but don't want to change the final drive. Embarrassing sporty cars with an Insight in 1st through 4th is going to be awesome

Rush, any word back from your friend with the unfinished Insight project?

[gtmotor]

Still looking...

Faded or peeling paint is fine also. I have an interesting idea for a paint job

The donor car is here and ready to give it's engine up!

www.hondatdi.com

[jeff652]

Does it need a clean title? Of not I may have just what you need . .

[gtmotor]

Originally Posted by jeff652

Does it need a clean title? Of not I may have just what you need . .

What was it salvaged for? If the body/chassis are straight and the interior is intact then I may be very interested

[jeff652]

You have a PM