Turboing my Insight

So I have been driving an Insight (2000 5 speed) for almost a year now. It is a drag... I want to put a little pep in its step. There is a company that sells turbo kits (4k installed in FL, investigating DIY options) and all that is used in a rising rate FMU, a GT15/18, blow off valve, and intake and exhaust work to fit. Their system is setup for 5 psi and makes 35 whp and a claimed mild improvement in MPGs. I am trying to figure out if an FMU makes sense. The Insight already has a Knock sensor and I am a little wary of messing around in such a non-standard ECU but is a piggyback needed? They claim multiple units (over 10 at this point) with no issues and have been installing since 2008. What would GRM do?

Also, for the money I can't get a better car for my commute so I am trying to make due with what I have. Also, also, I know most people thinking modding a DD is nuts but considering the tiny amount of performance this car has I am willing to take that chance to not want to drive off the Missouri River bridge on my way to work.

http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/lht-performance/472657-2000-insight-turbo.html

If you are coming in here to join the "Don't do it" crowd, get out.

If you don't use an fmu, how will you satisfy the additional fuel requirements, otherwise?

Have you considered a k20 swap?

you can spend 4k on a turbo that might kill your current commuter leaving you with no car? but cannot spend money on a better commuter?

did you listen to yourself?

My 2010 Prius is a sole suckingly boring drag to drive. But I got it for a very specific reason...to eat up huge chunks of miles with very high fuel efficiency, be able to take 3 kids to sports practices and be sure as the sunrise reliable. I'm having zero fun driving it, but it's doing its job specatacularly. I'd leave your car alone.

If you can drop that cash for the turbo, either upgrade your DD or get a Miata

Life is too short to drive a boring car...

If you're heading down that path, why stop there? Buy my Kimini book, then install a turbo Honda K20 drivetrain behind the front seats. Seriously.

Klayfish wrote: My 2010 Prius is a sole suckingly boring drag to drive. But I got it for a very specific reason...to eat up huge chunks of miles with very high fuel efficiency, be able to take 3 kids to sports practices and be sure as the sunrise reliable. I'm having zero fun driving it, but it's doing its job specatacularly. I'd leave your car alone. If you can drop that cash for the turbo, either upgrade your DD or get a Miata

I'll be subscribing to your newsletter shortly.

OP: Seriously, look at the 03\04 Prius. You can probably find one for the same price as your turbo kit

You could trade it in or sell it and buy a MK IV Jetta TDI. Most people report getting 48mpg and they are fun to drive. I would only turbo the insight if you wanted to keep it for at least 3 more years.

If you go mild or very selective with mods, you can make your DD better. Koni Yellow or Bilstein spot shocks and an aftermarket head unit on 6+ year old cars will make them better.

How much would it cost, how much do you drive, how much would you be able to sell the car for, and what could you buy a [Miata, Civic, whatever] for? I suspect that you could sell the insight, buy a Miata/Civic/whatever for the same price, and never actually reach the $4k that it costs to turbo the thing in the difference in fuel.

Seriously, take a look at the diminishing margin of returns on fuel economy. It plateaus dramatically at about 30 mpg

That is LHT, I took my S2000 there regularly when I owned it. They are very well known locally for S2K's, the K-Sight, KR-Z (yes, a CR-Z with a K-series motor), turboed Type-R with A/C, all kinds of fun Honda goodness. You can find them on fb and get caught up with what they do, lately a lot of Kraftwerks superchargers on late model Si's.

I sold the S2K but have been toying with the thought of an Si or manual TSX for a daily, I wouldn't hesitate to have them work on it.

Let's say you spend $4k on turbo. 35 hp! Congrats. You have a slightly faster boring car. Later if you decide to sell the car, you can kiss most of that $4k goodbye.

Or spend $3k on a Miata. Add $700 for new suspension and you have a fun commuter with resale value.

In reply to LuxInterior:

/thread (that's how you write end of thread right?)

If I wanted to make an Insight more fun, increasing power would be my last thought. 145 or 155 tires and fresh shocks would be first.

Swank, Bravenrace, and Cobra are the only ones that didn't just berate me. What the berkeley is wrong with all of you today?

To answer all the silly starter forum questions:

Yes I can afford a better (sporter) car but I like that this one was cheap and gets over 40 mpgs

I am NOT spending 4K on a kit. I am thinking more like $1200 turbos this small are cheap and the exhaust manifold on the insight is cast into the head making it rather simple to add a small adapter, insert tiny turbo, and plumb into the stock exhaust.

There are several of these things running around with DIY turbo setups for right around $1000-$1200. One guy ran his for 280K miles with one.

I have looked in the K series swap many times and am trying to be realistic. I can probably add a tiny turbo to my car over a weekend.

Here's the other plus to the K20 swap: When you're done, you'll have a K20 Insight that some moron will pay $10k for.

Your car right? Then do it! like you said little turbos are cheap. I would have something in standby for Monday if it were me. Go for it! Make a buildthread for all the nay sayers. A 50% bump in power with possible benefits, sounds like a win to me!

I currently have 4 running cars and 2 running motorcycles so Monday will be no problem if it turns south.

A K series is likely, Swank, in time but I need a small bit of pleasure in this car to keep it until I go full deep and make it a 200 whp 1800 lbs terror.

Then go for it! I've been eyeing first gen insights just because they're falling into my budget range and I'm getting tired of driving 20 year old cars. A cheap easy turbo setup sounds like alot of fun

Swank Force One wrote: If you don't use an fmu, how will you satisfy the additional fuel requirements, otherwise?

Some of the previous builds use a 2 bar MAP sensor and build a driver for a 4th injector in the intake tract.

In reply to Spinout007:

If you find one, check the battery pack. Mine was replaced in 2012 right before I got the car and it still may cycle full to empty to full in one trip to work (40 miles with hills).

People think 35whp isnt a lot, but don't realize that takes an 1800lb insight from running 18s to running 15s. It's basically a 60% increase in WHP. At FIVE psi. FWD Performance in Houston made 129whp @ 12 psi with meth. That's deep into the 14s in an 1800lb honda hatchback. Or, if you believe some of the old-timers who used to mod ~1.5L CRX si's to spin unsustainable RPM and suck balls on the street, enough for 13s or even 12s!

Oh yeah, at 129 whp FWD's turbo insight build was making 220wtq. In an 1800 lb car. If you scale that up to NA Miata weight in terms of torque/weight it's equivalent to ~300wtq. Having personally built and driven a car that made over 300wtq and weighed similar to an NA, i can say it's ridiculous and awesome.

People who think Honda Insights are boring make basically no sense to me. My 2 Insights handle better than the two non-si CRX's ive owned and have similar acceleration. So, if Honda had never made the Si, the CRX would be regarded as a boring turd that shouldnt be polished by adding more power, right?

In reply to Vigo:

Promise me you'll remember that post you just made next time i'm on a crusade against people who call the S2000 and RX8 totally gutless and undrivable in normal traffic, and join the good fight.

Wouldn't it be more effective to concentrate on the electric side of the hybrid equation and find a way to double the voltage to the motor? I should think that would yield some impressive performance gains before it cooked something expensive.

I wasn't kidding about the K20 mid-engine conversion. Take out the existing drivetrain - that's got to be worth $$$$, sell it, and it gives you money for the upgrade and knocks car weight down by what, 300 lbs? Next, remove and sell the battery pack (does it actually have one? I don't really know the car that well). I have no idea what that's worth but it's heavy.

Now you're down to what, 1200 lbs?! Even a normally aspirated K20 would give you some crazy good power.

I'm assuming that this vehicle becomes your play car and you have something else for getting to work.

I believe you KB58 and I love your stuff. I am time constrained on this one as it is my primary car. I dont mind it being down a bit but I can't have an entire mid engine conversion happening too. Someone did a J35 mid engine insight and that thing is NUTS!