[glitch]

I don't know. I've been toying with the thought of nitrous in my mind. I love my car, want to take great care of it and all but wouldn't mind it being a little quicker. I didn't get the choice of manual like many of you did, I had the option of CVT or CVT. It's pretty peppy in Sport mode, but it's still sometimes not enough.

I was wondering, if done professionally, and using a lower grade nitrous just how bad it'd be for the motor. I wouldn't use a very strong nitrous, one that could damage the motor, but a lighter grade just to bump up the horsepower now and then, and not a tank nearly as big as his, just a small canister would do for those very rare occasional times you want to hit the button.
Would be nice to pull up to some hopped up civic with a teenager that thinks it's all that, would be nice for a Insight Hybrid to leave it in the dust.

So it's normally very fuel efficient with the hidden ability to smoke most cars out there in speed if need be. Hidden power, I like it. That's why I got the super shoebox sub for my car. I'll keep it down most of the time, but when push comes to shove, the system can get loud and quite powerful.

Anybody know of a very nice and safe way to add just a small canister of nitrous? I know it comes in different shots, ie 10 shot gives 10 hp, 90 shot gives 90 hp, etc. And I've heard that with the lower shots you can get away without getting custom headers which are expensive and ruin gas mileage.

 

[Insighter]

No, no, no. . . a thousand times no!

Time to go get a Civic SI if extra speed is what you want.

 

[Allnighte]

Whenever I think about modding the engine, my next thought is the CVT.
By nature, they can't take too much torque, and ours probably aren't tuned for more than what our stock engines can put out.
But I'm no engineer. I'm just going off common sense

however, a small shot would be kinda nice :twisted:

 

[Thorian]

I wouldent Reccomend it unless you want to plan on keeping a spare engine in your garage. NOS can do some nasty things to an engine especally a small engine Picture a Piston shooting through your hood. Saw it happen once in a "Drag Civic" (stock except for some bolt ons). I wouldent do it but if you do let me know what happens. Then again Im the kind of guy that when hopping up a car the only stock part is the block and even it is not left alone.

 

[Rick]

The other toy I have for the weekends is a 1970 383 Camaro on nitrous (hey, I gotta get the aggressions out on the weekends sometimes). The engine in it was recently rebuilt The thing is a beast, I'd be astonished it it got 7mpg. To handle a 100 shot of nitrous all steel mesh gaskets had to be used, good forged pistons and crank were used as well and it's still pretty hard on the engine, it only occasionally gets used and I keep the bottle turned off to keep myself from indulging.

Don't do it, not to the poor little engine. To really make it take it you'd be looking at an engine out rebuild pretty much. Again, apparently there was a guy here in town who put a 50 shot of nitrous to his Insight, piston 3 came to rest sticking half way out of the head.

 

[Willie Williford]

Extra Horsepower

I don't believe in nitrous, it is fake. It doesn't show the potential of the engine, it is chemically obtained. I have developed and modified my insight to probably over 100 HP (Only a DYNO run will tell) It has been under development and construction since 12/02. Pictures can be obtained if You E mail me. (Still under extensive testing, and modification.) Unveiling will probably be at the end of this month at a custom/hot rod car show in Boulevard, Ca. (Golden Acorn Casino). Numerous hours of R&D have been employed. I have done it as an individual and a privateer, not as a manufacturer or a retailer. It is a ONE OF A KIND and and constitutes a lot of thought, research, dedication, fabrication, and testing. No reduction in MPG over 1300 miles of testing has been seen, as long as stay off of "boost." Will eventually ask for volunteers in the San Diego, Calif. area for a final comparision run with stock Insights. (Lets make it a fun run). My INSIGHT looks no different than a standard INSIGHT from the outside, except for the "speed stripes." But, DON'T OPEN THE HOOD. The main objective of my FINAL MODIFICATION, as I am getting too old to play antmmore was to achieve HIGH HORSEPOWER and still obtain HIGH MPG......Which I think is still possible....and will be evident with further testing.....Willie* 'Little Red Rocket".

 

[glitch]

Definately looking forward to hearing more about those mods to your insight and how you did it w/o sacrificing mileage.

This forum helped me realize then that nitrous isn't a solution. I just would like a little more get up and go. The car looks sleep, aerodynamic and it just looks fast, and for the most part it is, but it'd be nice to make it faster. But if a complete engine rebuild is needed and it's still not friendly or easy on the engine and can take away from the lifetime of the engine, I'm not willing to do that. I was hoping a smaller shot and minimal mods to the engine could make the occasional use of nitrous alright to the engine with little to no long term side effects.

I don't like those hopped up civic's, I didn't even bother test driving a civic hybrid at my dealer as I knew I didn't want a civic, too many kids have them, the insight is rare and a thing of beauty.

 

[coolcat]

I think that Nitrous is a good idea, if used correctly. A 50 shot of nitrous on an Insight may not be correct use. Nitrous is very safe and extremely effective when installed correctly, used within the car's limits and tuned for the vehicle. I've been considering it for my Insight very seriously. I'm also now considering doing a turbo, as Willie's experience has proven it to work well and it gives about the same horsepower gain as what I'd be looking at with nitrous (~40 HP).

Nitrous has got to be the most demonized power modification. There are always stories of how some idiot blew up his engine with it, when the reality is that it is very safe when used properly. The engine must be able to spin up freely, which means no hitting the juice in 5th gear at 30 MPH. Duh. You must also take the same precautions you would without nitrous, exessive redlining is a very bad idea.

BTW, I do like "those hopped up Civics." While in the midst of my airbag dilemma I nearly traded in my Insight for a new Civic Si, the thoughts of all the things I could do to it practically made me giddy. Not to mention that its got 160 HP stock, about 2.5 times what the Insight has.

 

[Aaron Cake]

BTW, I do like "those hopped up Civics." While in the midst of my airbag dilemma I nearly traded in my Insight for a new Civic Si, the thoughts of all the things I could do to it practically made me giddy. Not to mention that its got 160 HP stock, about 2.5 times what the Insight has.

No comment. I wish people would realise that modifying econo-box Hondas is just utterly pointless. So many other cars with real potential...

However, I have been actually considering a little N2O on my Insight. It is obvious that the original poster needs to read up a little on nitrous, but I believe that it should be safe to run a 50 shot "sneaky pete" type system. Yes, nitrous is most definitly "fake" power. But rarely in the Insight do I need any real power. Occasionally, it would be nice to run a little faster then 18.5 at the dragstrip.

Summit Racing has a "sneaky pete" system that is good for 50HP. Obviously, you would want to use a wet shot to provide fuel as necessary.

 

[gomarlins3]

Ah heck, do it and keep us informed!!