[Insighter]

Read the story on this Insight...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2410561525&category=31839

I guess it's true, but it has to be one in a million.

 

[Motty82]

I was amazed at that story too. I have read though that Honda is one of the car thief's favorite makes to boost. I make sure I always lock my car up and try to keep an eye on it while it's in the parking lot.

 

[Tim Maddux]

dunno about that one... salvage title, seller with no eBay feedback and registered in the past month (shades)... I'd be wary.

But a Citrus with 6k miles is real tempting.

 

[Hambone]

I have read though that Honda is one of the car thief's favorite makes to boost.

I too have seen that Honda's often top the list of theives favorite cars, but you have to look at the specific models, which happen to be the Accord and the Civic, which are baddies favs. That makes sense, Honda sells hundreds of thousands of the Accord and the Civic each year, so when you steal one of them you're able to blend in with so many other like vehicles. You steal an Insight, you're gonna be much easier to find. Notice that the Ebay write up said they found the Insight in a warehouse or something like that, if the stolen Insight had been driven I'd imagine it would have been found sooner.

I keep my car locked up as a matter of habit, but its not the biggest concern for me, I'm insured. What I will be more wary of is once the Insight is no longer being sold, then I'll be more worried about theft for the point of parting out the car. Fortunately our limited numbers help us there too, there's not going to be a huge black market for Insight parts so the suspicious one's should stick out a little more.

All in all, yeah, I had seen that Ebay sale and thought pretty much the same thing, wow, probably too good to be true in some respect.

 

[gomarlins3]

I wonder what the reserve is?

 

[gomarlins3]

Here's another that would Blue Book for $9,300 to a privete buyer in my area:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... gory=31839

the original one posted here would be worth almost $11,000 here.

 

[joe4ska]

Well, wierder things have happended

Considering the currently limited market for the insight because of low awareness among non-hybird owners it makes sense to sell it on ebay. I got mine used with 1,500 miles from CarMax for far less than what they sell new.

Wish i had the choice of the green color that would really turn heads.

If interested you should contact the seller and ask for really specific information. I won't doubt this sells for more than 15,000 before it ends.

But be wary, I recently got screwed by a seller on ebay with little feedback. Make sure its shipment is insured!!!

too good to be true maybe, but when you consider the Civic Hybrid and Prius, as well as the Escape coming out later this year. Many buyers will be looking for larger Hybrids with more storage and seating.

Deals like this may become more common.

I love my insight but the prior owner sold it to CarMax with only 2,500 miles so there are people out there that don't understand the car and its true value on the used market. :lol:

 

[flunkysama]

I sent some email to this guy and this is what I got.
--------------------------------------------------------
the car has factory a/c

my reserve is low. I don't
think we will have a problem
getting there.
I know how you feel about the purchase without
viewing it. I'm sorry to say I'm with
my kids in Florida for spring break

> Hello,
> Concerning the 2000 Honda Insight.
> 1) The VIN indicates that the car came without factory
> air-conditioning. Can you verify that the VIN is correct
> and the car does have air-conditioning (which would be
> dealer installed) 2) If there any damage to locks or
> ignition switch?
> I do not really like the idea of buying a car without
> at least seeing it in person first. Can I come and see it?
> (I live in Iowa City, about 4 hours away) If the auction
> ends without reaching to meet your reserve, what will
> happen to the car? Could I deal with you then?
-----------------------------------------------

He ignores my second question. *sigh* The out-of-town excuse does
not inspire condfidence either.

I might snipe, but I'm hoping it goes low and doesn't meet reserve. Then I
could see the car and deal in person.

Does anyone think the limited availability citrus yellow raises the value of the car?
(I should probably start a new thread with that question)

I want a Insight to replace my rusty old 85 CRX si.

 

[Insighter]

Red flags...

I've ignored red flags like these before only to regret it.

If you buy it, only pay for it when you pick it up. No shipping, no deposits. That way the worst you could get is negative feedback if you refuse to buy because it isn't as described.

It occurs to me that if I was auctioning a car on eBay that had been lost for years I wouldn't do it on a week I was going to be on vacation. It could be legit, but caveat emptor.

 

[gomarlins3]

Re: Red flags...

It occurs to me that if I was auctioning a car on eBay that had been lost for years I wouldn't do it on a week I was going to be on vacation. It could be legit, but caveat emptor.

A VERY good point!!!

 

[Rick]

I just about considered the car for a while. If it were to sell cheaper than the current bid I'd buy it, but with a salvaged title, maybe not at this price as you'd have no warranty. So to anyone who is considering it I will say this. The carfax matches the story perfectly.

 

[gomarlins3]

Here's another one that has been salvaged for $8k as a 'buy it now'
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... gory=31839
I'm starting to think I paid too much for mine.

 

[sajego]

Beautiful car... I'd love to have her. Better stop now or my blue girl will get jealous.

 

[Atheos]

take a good look at that second car.
It has a good deal of damage, which must have
been enough for an insurance company to buy it
instead of fix it.
I would avoid it at that price.

 

[Jim]

High bid was $11,600. Not bad for a 2000 Citrus with 600 miles on it. I keep wondering what kind of damage was caused by the car sitting for two years.

 

[Rick]

It did not meet the reserve, which means he probably didn't sell it. I messaged him asking what the reserve was but he never replied. Not worth what he probabl wanted for a salvaged title car.

 

[flunkysama]

Well, let me revive this dead thread.

I'll be driving to Chicago soon to look (and maybe buy) at the Green (Cirtus Yellow to be correct) Insight that did not sell on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2410561525&category=31839

My current concern is that it probably has been sitting unused for 2 years. Does anyone have any suggestions what I should look for when I inspect the car. What damage can result from an insight sitting unused for 2 years?

 

[Insighter]

...

I know you can have some problems with any car sitting that long. If the fluids haven't been changed, the cooling system could be damaged. This may be less of a concern with the Insight as I imagine the radiator is aluminum.

They probably just started it up when they found it, and over that long a period of time the oil would have settled completely in the engine. That initial startup can be really damaging from what I've heard (a lot of people on the Z car boards I frequent recommend somehow manually causing the oil to circulate before starting after such a long period).

There may be issues with the batteries sitting that long. I know a regular car battery left to sit that long would be largely if not wholly ruined due to chemical processes. I don't know if the main batteries in the Insight would have the same problem, but I'd find out before I buy it.

 

[Will M]

The Insight Owner's Manual (if not this Web site) tells you what you are supposed to do if you are not going to drive the car for a month and for a year. This will give you an idea of what to look for in damage.

The main issue with oil is that the engine can seize. The oil film drips to the bottom leaving metal touching metal and the piston rings stick to the cyllinder walls through corrosion similar to small spot-welding. It might be a good idea to, before starting the car, drain the oil and either pour it back in the oil filler in the cyllinder head (good) or replace it with new oil (better).

Since normal operation pumps oil from the sump back up into the cyllinder head (where the oil filler is) and it drains down through the engine back to the sump, pouring it there manually will improve that first startup attempt (though likely not completely). Anyway, I've known people who drove cars with engines seized and later snapped free by various violent techniques. (One push-started the car, repeatedly punishing the clutch until it snapped loose and the other involved a mechanic and a mallet...) Still, I would not recommend buying a car with a seized engine unless it involved a discount that could pay for a new engine.

The tires may have a short life. The steel belts don't like being bent in one place for a long time where the low-inflated tire meets the pavement.

Check to see if the air conditioning works. The seals may have leaked in all this time without being operated.

Nobody has experience with 120 nickel-metal-hydride D-cells sitting for a couple years without being used. Certainly, they'd have lost all their charge. Whether or not this had a chemical effect, we can't know. This type of battery handles the "memory" issue better than most, but 2 years is extreme.

Likely, you'd have to run the car for a while (jump start the 12-volt, starting the car with it's normal electric starter motor -- I've never heard mine) and run it until the 144 volt system is charged up to more than 20% charge before the computer would allow there to be any electric boost to the gas engine, so don't pull out into traffic on the test drive. The hamsters will be sleepy until the 144 volt system is charged.

The main point is: This is a unique car. It is not a new car. If you buy it, you will experience unique problems and you'll have to deal with them. Nobody else has experience with these unique problems. You'll be a pioneer.

Now, do you want a car, or do you want to be a pioneer. If you want a car, you can probably get a better deal elsewhere by paying more for a car that doesn't have these unique problems. If you like being a pioneer, solving the special puzzles associated with this car, you can do that and probably save some money over buying a car (though part of the pioneer experience could be a risk of paying more than the cost of a car when unique needed repairs become apparent).

You don't get an Insight *Just Like New* with no risk for cheaper than buying a new Insight. That's just my opinion, but I'll stand by it.

 

[Rick]

Well I ran a car fax on that car. The story matches the car fax in it was registered new, and then registered salvaged title somewhere around 5,500 miles. In the picture the odometer shows about 6500 miles so it's been driven since it was recovered. Any damage as described above might already be done. The main concern I would have is like others said, it's not new. It's likely been sitting for some time. In an email from the guy he said it was found in a cargo ship that was heading over seas. My main concern would be having a car with no warranty, specifically not having the 8 80 on the electronics. Let us know if you buy it.