[The Citrus Smoothie]

Over the last couple of weeks, a W reg citrus UK Insight with about 96,000 miles was listed for sale on Autotrader for around £6,000 then disappeared. It reappeared on eBay yesterday (12th) as a featured item for £3,950 being sold 'for a friend' but has disappeared again. Anyone know whose it is or what happened to it? Thanks

 

[jack9994]

I believe its Mark Elvins

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Thanks, but I am reasonably sure that Mark's is a 51 plate; however since you mention it, I seem to remember that Mark's friend was trying to sell his Insight. Might be that one!

 

[retepsnikrep]

Insight

Perhaps it sold straight away, very cheap at £3950 I thought with a Honda Warranty (IMA excluded). Peter

 

[Mark Elvin]

I believe its Mark Elvins

You belive wrong my friend.

I'll be keeping her for a very long time.

It's not my friends either, that had 60k on it & sold for £6500

 

[jack9994]

Sorry Mark - not trying to get rid of your car for you. When are we going to get a model report produced and start importing some newer ones? We talked last year about maybe clubbing together to pay for a model report. What are we looking at - £3k/10 UK Insight owners = £300 each - bargain! Anyone fancy finding out how much a report would actually cost?

Regards
John

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

I am now interested in clubbing together to import some 03 or younger Insights. I will be waiting ages before a UK spec 03 or younger is up for sale. I should really run a report with the DVLA and find out how many 03 or younger UK spec Insights there are in the UK. I have only seen one (a 54 plate owned by Matt Partridge the competition winner) and I have certainly hassled him enough to sell it to me when he changes cars. Although I am a little concerned about how many 'young' Insights are available in Japan, count me in to contributing to a model report for up to £500.

[Edit] P.S. Look out for me (wearing a red fleece) at the start of 'Top Gear of the Pops' at 10pm on Friday on BBC2

 

[Mesuge]

Any update on this idea of "groupbuy" for this certificate?
Are at least the formerly committed folks still considering it???
Thanks

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Mesuge, thanks for your post above and the longer posts in the other topic.

I for one am no longer interested in trying to gain a Model Report. I would however instantly snap up a red (or white!) 2003 or younger Insight, even if it was a japanese import. I am trying to hold out for a CRZ but whichever manufacturer first comes up with an interesting 75+MPG car will probably get my cash.

As you state in the other topic, the Insight would be a great vehicle for an EV conversion. However I am not convinced that getting an imported Insight accepted in one EU country will make it any easier to import to another country. Also bear in mind that despite rising fuel costs, imported Insights take a long time to sell in the UK - Gold Seal Garage in the UK have been trying to sell their three Insights since May 2007 (check Exchange & Mart) and even Chris Ball at getaninsight.com has difficulty shifting his.

For information, Japanese Insights do not have the mph / kmh toggle switch and have to be converted to mph; the only other alteration to meet UK standards (apart from the Model Report) is the addition of a rear foglight.

Hope this helps

 

[Mesuge]

Thank you for the prompt reply. I'm not sure if my wording follows the proper English office/gov speak but there are basically only three options for car re-/registration in order of significance:

--
1. "Global" EU/EC => that's basically the most expensive rubber stamp only for the big manufs selling gazzillion of copies for individual car models they produce and rush to market

2. "National type approval" => this is for the middle players like big car distributors, who offer also warranty, service, etc.

3. Individual import approval => used for each single import on case by case basis - this last title however is NOT transferrable across the EU
--

=> Now, I'm still not sure where to fit the UK "Model Report" into this - it might be the case that it's based on the #2-3 or perhaps originates from some special "optout" you got from the prevalent continental EU transporation laws - so that would make it a completely new (#4) category.. Can someone pls. explain.. Thnks

 

[Mesuge]

In terms of EV conversion donor the options from my point of view are as follows:

1/ lot of cash to burn and killing one original hybrid car (not my case as of now)>>
-buy whatever even mint condition working Insight (EU batch) you can find, gently strip it down to bare glider and sell the parts

2/ the most effective approach?>>
-buy slightly crashed (light front impact) mid-high milage or fatal engine failure case and ship it from US over here..
(plunk down big money to restore it, street legalize, and then not get it approved for EV hah..)

So, this is a dead end either way..

Other possibilities are null:

3/ kitcars can't be legally electrified or re-imported as electrified>>
(with the exception of the UK and few other countries mine not included)
- the only "efficient" volume production vehicles (now also discontinued) out there like Lupo 3L or Audi A2 are as pricey as used Insights or placed even higher with blown engines, so this is total psycho..

4/ the sick strategy>>
- waiting like Dracula patiently for some next european Insight crash (with other forum members),
getting that bare glider out and selling/passing on these engine/batt./electronics parts to the hybrid crowd

5/ the compromise approach>>
-get old inefficient/problematic >1.000Kg EV (by PSA, VW) etc..
-or any other traditional heavy EV conversion

6/ the mistake strategy>>
-waiting for big manuf.'s affordable EVs - won't happen for years/decades?

--->
So in the end I can actually go loco now, i.e. get cheap high milage and slightly damaged Insight from the US,
perform the restoration and EV conversion and then drive it just around my garden because the burreaucrats have won again..