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element6's 2000 Silver 5MT thread

8K views 25 replies 3 participants last post by  Insight for life 
#1 ·
Hi guys,

I just wanted a single place where I could throw everything for this one while I am piecing the car together. I'll update this as things are installed or added to it.

Car was bought in May 2011 from a crazy Russian dealer in Orlando, FL. Negotiated the price to around $7200 with all taxes/tag transfers/fees. It had 88k on the odometer and no problems when I bought it.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Seats

I purchased a pair of AP1 S2000 seats locally for $400. They were in decent shape for 9-12 year old seats. The drivers side had a little wrinkling and rubbing on the outside bolsters and had a small tear in the center of the bottom cushion. The passenger seat was mostly flawless with a few rub marks.

To fit the seats, I called up Wedge Engineering in California to make me some brackets. I asked them to make them to my specifications specifically.
Just for reference.. the insight rails are 15" center to center.
S2000 seats are 17 1/8" center hole to center hole or 17 1/4" from center of rail to center of rail.

I had wedge make me brackets that adapt right to the s2k seats rails (17 1/4" from center to center). I also had them exclude the inner seat belt buckle mounting tab since the buckle is integrated into the s2k seats. The rails were $235 shipped for driver and passenger side.

The seat bolsters/foam were repaired with replacement foam and contact cement. The seat pans were rusty, so I wire wheeled them and painted them. Then everything was hog ringed back together and I took the seats over to my leather repair guy to have the leather repaired and re-dyed completely. Leather repair: $350.


Seat pictures:
Grinding the old mounting tabs off



Rails mounted


Foam bolster repair: Click here to view

I'm currently waiting for Wedge to ship me my outer seat belt mounting bracket tabs.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Interior/Upholstery

I bought both an AP1 and AP2 S2000 steering wheel and happened to like the AP1 better, so I got it repaired by my leather guy and it is currently sitting with the AP1 leather seats which I am waiting to put on the car.

Repaired AP1 wheel:



I also got a nice fresh set of fitted floor mats from Lloyds mats. I got them for a decent price using a coupon. They have a thick non-slip backing and the hook for the drivers side mat is cut out with a grommet in place.

Floor Mats:
Click to go down to pictures of floor mats

Future plans:
The entire interior is going to be reupholstered in black perforated leather on the A and B/C pillars, headliner, visors, and several other parts.
The remaining seagull gray trim will be re-dyed in the dye that Honda uses for their OEM black trim.
The seagull gray carpet will be removed and replaced with a stitched black carpet since a molded replacement carpet is not readily available for sale.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Engine, transmission upgrades

Currently I just have one of Eli's (fantastic) MAXIMA batteries.
My stock battery started throwing codes around November 2011 and failed completely in March or April of 2012. It probably could have been slightly revived by balancing, but I wanted a larger capacity battery since I saw them.

Waiting on MIMA v2
 
#9 · (Edited)
Stereo and other in-car electronics upgrades

I currently have an OBDIIC&C gauge.

My current stereo is a single DIN Pioneer unit with an Aux-In jack on the front. I have a ram-mount iPod dock mounted to my dash to the right of the stereo.

I received my Japanese double DIN dash trim piece on 10/15 and have yet to modify it and pick out a double DIN stereo.

I purchased an original John Wayland shoebox sub from another member with an Insight that was involved in an accident but they had a leaky roof and the bottom MDF pieces of the box were mostly ruined. I dropped the box off at a local wood fabricator's shop on 10/16 and the bottom parts are being replicated and CNC'd for me. I should have it repaired in 3-4 weeks.

Pics of the Shoebox sub after I assessed the damage, before repairs:

 
#11 · (Edited)
Repairing the S2000 seat foam bolsters

S2K seats are known to do this. There is a wire loop that reinforces the outer bolster on the seats. After years of getting in and out of the car, the bar/loop usually tears up the foam bolster that rubs against it pretty well.

I just used some new foam that I cut to size, some contact cement to hold it all together, and after I was done I covered/protected the repaired area and the part of the foam that makes contact with the metal bar/loop with duct tape.

Pictures



 
#12 · (Edited)
S2000 Seats Installed

I finally decided to get them out of the house after I finished off the rails and seat belt tabs and stuff about a month ago. You can kind of see that the re-dyed S2K wheel is also installed. I think they look great with just $375 invested in a repair and re-dye of the leather for now. Further down the road, my Insight may grace the floors of JPM in GA, but until other things are finished, this will suffice.

Sorry for the low quality photos.. I kept forgetting to snap pics of them installed.


 
#21 ·
Well, not much has happened and I don't take pictures often but i do plan on detailing/polishing paint in the next few weeks. I'll be sure to take some then :)

Have been saving all my money for the turbo BMW M Roadster and the air suspension kit for the insight that Air Runner is working on for me and Blue-Civic-Hybrid
 
#23 ·
Too dark. It's perfect on the rear glass and the little rear/side windows.. but I wouldn't recommend it on the front windows unless you are 100% sure you'll only be driving during the day. Once it gets dark out it can make seeing things difficult or dangerous.

I am changing the front windows to 30%
 
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