Lamborghini style doors for your Insight?

[devin1955]

I've often thought that the Insight would look very cool with up-swinging doors. Last weekend I saw a car that had been modified so the doors opened like Lamborghini doors, swinging out to unlatch and then up. I stopped to ask who did his conversion and it turns out to be a local company. I've emailed them about the possibility of doing a kit, since their web site doesn't list the Insight (surprise). They seem to be respected for doing quality work, plus their kit can be removed to put the doors back to a stock out-swinging configuration. It's a bolt-on kit, and is owner installable. You can check them out at http://www.verticaldoors.com

I plan on paying them a visit and get a closer look at their work. I'm trying to convince them that the Insight would be an easier than average kit to engineer since the doors are light weight, and they could cover the entire 2000-2006 year range with just one style kit.

I've seen a few comments about these style doors here in the past, so I told them in my email I know of others who are also interested. The prices seems to be about $1600. I'm wondering how many of you would be interested. If there's enough, they might be swayed. In fact, if they get 10 orders they'll do a a custom kit, but I'm thinking that might be tough.

What do you think?

[IamIan]

While I do like the idea of more futuristic type of doors.... I would have to say that adding a Booster battery to be PHEV is were I would sooner spend $1,600 than on doors.... that being said... I don't have $800 to spend on such things... so it is all mute.

[devin1955]

I hear ya. It is a lot of $$$. And from what I read on their web page, it's mostly a set of special hinges and a couple gas shocks. I'm reserving judgement as to whether it's worth it or not until I actually inspect a modified car, and try out the doors for myself.

They do look ultra cool though..

[Aaron Cake]

Another thing to consider is that every 2nd Civic with an 8" exhaust tip and 3 foot high wing has "Lambo" doors these days...

[b1shmu63]

I googled Lambo style doors and found a Canadian company as well as a Turkish company, a second US company (LSD), and a Chinese company making different models.

[devin1955]

Originally Posted by Aaron Cake

Another thing to consider is that every 2nd Civic with an 8" exhaust tip and 3 foot high wing has "Lambo" doors these days...

So, like, what are you saying? That up-swinging doors are cheesy?

When I saw the car I mentioned the other day, it was the first time I'd seen an aftermarket installation. Guess I need to get out more?

[Guillermo]

I first saw a civic with doors like this about 4 years ago. Since then I've seen it done a few times, specially common at donut shop parking lots late at night.

[boogetyboogety]

So, like, what are you saying? That up-swinging doors are cheesy?

Nooooo, it's a styling statement. Your car, your dime, your need to impress other, lesser, drivers. Whatever floats your boat, I always say.

I think most car-loving peeps out there will be duly impressed by the surprise factor and the technology and the effort and the expense, roughly in that order, when you first open your Insight / Lambo doors. Then they'll just say, "seen it before on other cars," and motor on.

Now, those wheels that keep spinning after your car stops... I laughed out loud the first 4,000 times I saw them, too, before I got over them...

[b1shmu63]

Asside from any personal taste issues, they did get my attention, and I found the concept interesting enough to check it out.

It seems to me that the doors don't rise up enough to actually facilitate entry. In a video clip it became apparent that they had two axis of rotation which made it look like the door was rather wobbly. I'd want to check it out on a currently equiped car before laying down cash.

[Aaron Cake]

Originally Posted by devin1955

So, like, what are you saying? That up-swinging doors are cheesy?
When I saw the car I mentioned the other day, it was the first time I'd seen an aftermarket installation. Guess I need to get out more?

Kind of, yeah.

Also I've had the displeasure of working with a lot of cars with these conversion kits installed (both during and after the install of the doors) and I must say that EVERY ONE OF THEM SUCKS.

Most commonly the kits do not support the doors properly so the wave in the wind like sails. Eventually this begins to bend the door frame and crack it. Doors swinging in the wind also look kind of dorky.

The lower priced kits to not counterbalance the doors, meaning that for the first few inches you are lifting the full weight of the door. Probably not a huge deal on the Insight.

The ones that do counterbalance require modification to the door jam and the inner fender to fit the counterbalance weight. And those weights are not exactly light. Most are at least 30 LBs. After the first few inches of movement, a gas strut takes over.

Some of the kits just allow the door to move vertically up which ends up making a smallish and odd sized opening for you go get into. Forget about putting large objects (ie. some fat people as well) in the passenger seat. An actual Lamborghini moves the doors out and up, meaning that the door opening is almost totally unobstructed.

There's also a slight impracticality with moving the door straight up. May be an issue for some parking garages, may not be.

There are certainly some good kits out there but the prices start around $10K because the company has done the development and testing to assure they operate correctly. To me, that sounds like a heck of a lot of money for little gain. For that kind of money you could have a nice paint job and a custom interior, which will have a much longer lasting "wow" factor.