I dont care how underpowered that thing is. With fuel economy like that I would drive that thing to work every day.

The number of people going 35-40 MPH when merging on expressway here would make that Insight look normal

A truly mad scientist would build some shutters for the radiator

The exhaust sounds pretty good now.

For comparison, I had a 1996 Geo Metro that was running on 2 cylinders thanks to a burned exhaust valve. In the 1/8th mile, it ran a best of 13.02 @ 60 mph. Power to the wheels was also measured on a Dunojet dynamometer at 35 hp. This Geo Metro, in this configuration, had a top speed of 73 mph in 5th gear and 74 mph in 4th gear.

It's people like Jimbo doing impractical projects that make life interesting! Great video!

I used to drive a 1.4L, 3 cylinder VW Polo TDI. It wasn't the lightest nor the fastest, but it had very good torque for the size and tbh that car was very fun to drive. I feel like this k-swapped Honda might feel very similar.

I am not technically a "hypermiler", but I am definitely conscious of how hard I press that accelerator peddle and try to use hills to my advantage, etc. How you drive a car can and does indeed make a significant difference in your fuel use \ economy.

Hope your heater is working now and you can keep warm. Cheers 👍💪✌

Great stuff! So interesting! I really and honestly don't care anymore about seeing big block V-8s and million-dollar cars with 1,000+hp and can do 250mph. That means nothing. Watching these videos is awesome! I love to see what can be done with less...especially when one can't afford a car these days with the pathetic prices. Keep up the great work! We want that supercharger! 🙂

With MOOR MPG, can we expect the Spanish Inquisition MPG's next?

Electric thermostatic grille shutter. Not too hard to make or you could probably find a prefab. Awesome MPG. I bet you can make 75 when the excess fuel is taken care of.

I don’t do any of this sort of thing in my workshop….but I’m fascinated watching you do it!

Someone call up Bendpak, ask them to send over a lift!

I don't know if it's going to surprise you, but my diesel Peugeot 308 comes with a piece of plastic you put in front of the radiator in winter. It's shaped to match the bumper and looks fine. So it's a factory solution for dealing with cold air, and not just a wonky hotfix.

Up here in Canada, when we get -30C/-22F on a regular basis, it's common to put a sheet of cardboard in front of your radiator. Even on full size vehicles it's hardly a concern. If it starts to overheat, you can always just pull it out.

Interesting. Depending on which way you calculate (using time vs weight or mph and weight) the Kubota is making between 13.8 to 15hp, presumably at the wheel(s). MPG should only go up if you can run the engine warmer, but cresting 71mpg in winter is phenomenal! I'm very much looking towards the results with a moderate amount of boost. 👍

My high score with a stock insight on the wrong tires (Michelin defender) was 83.6 from Milford Michigan (included a cold start + warmup) to I55 west of Chicago where the cross winds killed my drag figures, trip total to normal IL and back to Milford was 72.

5 mins live and 241 views..... you've a keen audience ..... cheers Jimbo :-)

This Honda Insight with a Kubota diesel has been my favorite project so far.. Its the perfect combination of fun and practicality for local commuting and around town grocery shopping for a single person or a couple with no children or Great Danes..

Thanks for making these videos. I look forward to them on my sunday mornings.

Definitely got to plop the turbo back onto the engine, that ought to make a difference in the get up and go, even if the get up & go is still in the "Eventually" stages, bit like me in the morning... :P

My old work truck took 84 seconds to hit 60mph and had a top speed of 68mph. This is a speed demon. Lol. 1996 International 4900.

When life is too fast, you need a Kubota powered lightweight car. Calm down, relax, take it slowly… 🚗💨

Always looking forward to your videos man. Every Sunday I just keep refreshing my feed to see if the new video has dropped already. Honestly the best channel on KZfaq. Keep the good work going!

Holy crap Batman he's rolling coal! Yes he is Robin !

My kids like that the music is back this week! Thanks for more content!

👍moor small diesel shenanigans. Keep doing what you are doing. I'm watching to see all the tests and waiting (patiently) to see the small stupercharger in action. 🏎 😂

When I was a kid in school I had a 77 VW Rabbit diesel. It was beat up when I got it with 200k+ miles on it. I think they had 50 HP new and mine was far from new. And yea, merging into 70 MPH freeway traffic was a real joy. But it regularly got 55 MPG. Diesel was around $0.80 a gallon then. I wish I had it back. Of course, a few short drives and I'd probably change my mind. That thing was so slow you couldn't catch a cold in it.

Hey Jimbo, just an idea, you can use exhaust gas heat exchanger to heat the cabin 🔥 Thank you for this awesome channel

I even watch the ads just for Jimbo

the muffle did helped some , at least it made it a little more pleasant to listen to

That is some pretty ridiculous mileage! I’m curious to see if the supercharger helps or hinders the mileage as having more power it wouldn’t have to work as hard?! At least you have reverse gear in this one! 🤣 great series brother, always look forward to it 👍

I really look forward to your videos each week... I'm in Australia 🇦🇺 so they arrive around 1am every Monday morning... When you are lying in bed with restless leg syndrome and the fact that it is the middle of summer and you can't sleep, these videos are great to help take your mind off of that... I really enjoy watching what you do... Keep up the great work.

Im sorry but the Insight is a Real Car. Love watching this series.

0 - 60 in less than a day 😂😂😂 You forgot to mention if that is with or without tail wind😮 Thank you for sharing this absolutely fine project. ❤👍👀🇨🇭

This car sounds like Jimbo after some late night Taco Bell

Man i hate living in California. Im an auto technician in sacramento ca and according to the law here what you did would constitute illegal modification and a seizure of the car with a mountain of fines and litigation to get the car back if it happened. There is a experimental class registration you could apply for but thats about as easy as getting a fully automatic rifle permit in California. Thats what happens when politicians not technicians write the rules. They dont understand that when the engine performs better yea it gives more power but also is more efficient and gets better mileage and less emissions. Love your work. I get to live out my dreams by watching your videos please keep up the awesome work and ima try and find out if you have a patreon or something. Yeah i make $45 an hour but a regular 3 bedroom house is $750,000 dollars and gas is $6.29 a gallon but ill try and donate to the cause🤘😎🤘

Sweet!!

Air hammer with a convex tip with a 2x4 on the backside will smooth out that panel real quick. Like 2 min quick. Finishing by hand could take hours. But you could smooth that out real fast and cheap. Plus if you don’t have a decent air hammer kit. Now’s your time

Robert Stack and a Jimbo sighting, in one video? The internet isn't prepared for this.

That resonator will do wonders. I still have an old 6.2 square body with a 3 inch glasspack that truck sounded GOOD!!!

Heat the diesel up to get triple the energy out of it Jimbo (from lift pump to 3 or 4 laps of the exhaust or manifold with copper pipe then isulate it to the injector pump should do it). Or remove the valve overlap from the camshaft (decent machine shop or surface grinder) to save up to 70% of the mixture sodding off down the exhaust before it's had a chance to burn) 😎 P.s Turn the boost up!!

9:20. Good to hear the UK getting a shout out Jimbo! Love this channel, appears I'm not alone. I was like 820, and by the time the 16.5 minutes were up there were over 120 more. Impressive

I read a research paper once that showed glass pack style resonators will actually increase the velocity of exhaust gases through a pipe by attenuating the exhaust pulses, which unless you have perfectly tuned headers and collectors, usually limit power a little bit by preventing the exhaust gases from cleanly exiting through the exhaust valve. You will definitely not notice a difference, but suffice it to say this will not in any way hurt performance. Any custom exhaust I build will have a resonator in it even if I'm using a regular muffler. If I can have the same or better performance while also being a bit quieter, I'm going to do it.

Looking at this thing fuel economy makes me appreciate my car more. My Toyota Calya with much higher coefficient of drag could get me 53 mpg, if I raise my tire pressure and fix the aero I could probably squeeze more mpg. And my car has 88 hp and 7 seats.

For us UK viewers (I'll do this for future 'Honbota' vids 😉👍) :- First run - 67.02 US MPG - equates to 80.49 UK MPG. Second run - 69.72 US MPG - equates to 83.73 UK MPG. Third run - 71.25 US MPG - equates to 85.57 UK MPG. THAT's pretty good, especially with UK current Petrol/Diesel prices!* 😏 * Currently (as of 11/01/2024 (or for you crazy Americans 1/11/2024 😛🤣)) : Petrol (regular) - £1.409 per uk Litre = $6.70 per US Gallon (Highest price - £1.659 per UK Litre = $8.00 per US Gallon) Diesel - £1.479 per UK Litre = $7.11 per US Gallon (Highest price - £1.729 per UK Litre = $8.30 per US Gallon) FUN FACT (😒) During Summer 2022, us Brits got HIT HARD with Petrol/Diesel prices (CERTAINLY NOT HELPED with the TWO TAXES applied (Fuel Duty AND VAT)). Petrol - £1.919 per UK Litre - equates to $9.22 per US Gallon Diesel - £1.999 per UK LItre - equates to $9.61 per US Gallon Even I had problems keeping my sh!tbox of a £500 2007 Fiat Grande Punto 1.2litre 8valve (65hp) on the road during that time! So I WOULD HAVE LOVED this car!! 🤣🤣🤣 😎🇬🇧

Pretty much all European Manufacturers started putting 1.3 or 1.4 N/A and Turbo-Diesels into their Sub-Compacts by the late 80s and early 90s. They all had about 45-50hp, 0-100kph in the 20s, Top Speed around 140-150 (90mph +/- 5) and rated Fuel Economy around 5-7l/100km (35-50mpg) however, in real life, people usually get no worse than 5l/100km and many get into the 3,xl/100km (mpg in the 60s). A mid 2000s-2010s Turbo-Diesel Compact or Sub-Compact gets 67-95hp, 0-100 in 11-15s, Top Speed 160+ (100+mph) and the same fuel economy.

Loving this series, especially as a owner of a '03 turbodiesel Renault Mégane (only like 85hp but does 5,5l/100km), I've come to really appreciate small, economic diesel cars and what you do is incredible!

I truly love ❤️ all your videos and content. WELL DONE!

Every episode is just so amazing thank you so much for your hard work

Awesome 71 MPG without stupidcharging!

All your admonishments about your slow project cars apply to the Japanese Domestic Kei cars that are fairly common, at least where I live. They look fun, but every hill is a challenge and just getting off the island on a 50mph road would be pushing these to the limits. Good to keep the realities in mind when thinking about stuff like this.

She's coming along!! Thanks 👍

This reminds me of my fantasy about building a fuel efficient reverse trike modeled after the "California Commuter" built by Doug Malewiki in 1982. It got 155 mpg with a 110cc Honda motor. Unfortunately I don't have the skills to try and build this and don't plan to pay someone to build it for me. Thanks for the video Jimbo.

i've always kinda' liked the goofy honda insight, it seemed to me like honda built it specifically to prove that aerodynamics on an underpowered car can make a big difference in eco and even the amount of power needed to reach 55mph and sustain it, i'm loving these tiny engine in unusual application videos, stay safe out there Jimbo

Another great Sunday video, thank you!

Your OK , I don't plan on going to Kansas at anytime. Soon somebody will have a bus tour of all the auto youtubers in Kansas. It'll be a long tour !

Next time you gotta shape aluminum sheet metal. Make large marks with a sharpie and heat it with a torch until the sharpie marks go away. At that temp the aluminum is perfectly annealed and easier to shape. Keep up the great work love your channel.

Thanks Jimbo, you make my Sunday mornings!!!😁

Love the increased focus on has mileage ❤ and we've finally glimpsed half the face of our hero! 😁

RC, I noticed your in car footage is much cleared through the glass, looks like somebody dropped the "EV comp" ;) Hope my comment on the last video helped!! Love the content 👍👌

Great video love watching buddy makes my day

If our overlords really cared about mpg we could buy cars like this.....instead of the bloated over complicated cell phones that all new cars are. Great job Jimbo!!!

Thanks for the updates and keep going with the videos.

You had me at COROPLAST!!! Love that stuff. Coulda used it for the belly pan too. Too bad about the weather, but wait until spring. I think 28HP puts it in a post WWII VW Beetle class of car, right?!?!?

1:15 Faster than walking, hahaha, that's a good sense of humor, this channels rocks in naration. Audi A2 and VW Lupo? designed to do 3.0 liter on 100km with a TDI engine. 1.2 litre three cylinder diesel engine with turbocharger and direct injection with a Porsche electronic Gearbox. They set the world record using the lupo at 2.36 L/100 km. Volkswagen's 1L Concept achieved 1.0 liter / 100km. But the materials used on these cars, like magnesium (for doors, hood, etc) and so make these car very expensive, that they don't sell.

Are we gonna get a tractor stack with a flapper for the memes

the blocking off of the radiator is common on big rigs in the winter. that’s a practical permanent fix for winter time use

That glasspack sounds surprisingly good an that little critter.

I am an old car guy, ran a few before I owned my own shops. I watch a bunch but I always look for robot c. I'll probably buy a damn gnome this spring. All stupid and all awesome at the same effing time. Love this channel!

Had an '06 VW Jetta TDI for nearly 200,000 miles. 42-46 mpg tank after tank, 4 doors 4 heated seats, respectable power & handling

We actually got a glimpse of the elusive Jimbo in this episode.

The VWs and Porsche's of back in the day had pretty effective heat, without taking it away from the engine. They used the heat coming off the exhaust system to keep the windshield and passengers from freezing. Easy to plumb into existing duct work.

That car is so light. I built a 1974 Jeep CJ5 with a fiberglass body and a soft top. I weighed it on a truck scale and it's 3600 pounds. Yeah it's got a Cummins and yeah it's got a big winch bumper and winch. But man, that's still God awful heavy for a CJ5. Edit: 71 MPG is awesome! My Jeep gets a consistent 25 on 35" mud tires. I like it tho and it's one of my daily drivers. I can't go get fuel or grab a coffee without somebody coming over asking questions. Usually the first question is, "is that s diesel?" LOL. Someone's i say no, i never check my oil. 😂

I like how it basically reached 1 mi./min. pace in one minute

I miss the gnomes so much! I hope they're having a happy new year!

Amazing build and MPG!!

I have a diesel swapped ford ranger. Been 4 years love it. This make me want to go for mpg not torque. I like thee 0-60 of eventually haha

For reference, in the same time frame the Insight was sold a popular European diesel econobox was the second generation FIAT Panda. The diesel version had a 1.3L common rail four cylinder with turbo and intercooler making 70hp, which could accelerate it from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.5s. Its mileage was good however not as extreme as the one of your car

Great video, thanks for sharing 👍. Good stuff Jimbo, keep the videos coming. 👍

I'm commenting to help you with that KZfaq algorithm. I'm thoroughly engaged with your presentation, I miss the " MOAR POWER" and I'm looking forward to Sunday morning to your latest release. I fuel injected one of my cars due to you showing the speeduino unit.

I remember some Soviet bloc car back in the 80s having a manually operated metal louvre to block airflow to the radiator... Fast forward and I've had a 2019 Ford van with a similar plastic louvre operated automatically based on some electronic jiggery pokery 😅

I'm always happy to watch the new episodes. Fun fact: VW was selling a mini what was capable of achieving the 3 L/100 km fuel economy, the Lupo 3L (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Lupo). Not many of those were built and probably all ended up with collectors.

Keep doin what you are doin bud. Watching from canadastan. Now i wait until the next episode

Love the content mate. Nice driving footage you catured as well. Cheers from europe

I’d love to see some fiberglass wheelwell skirts added to the front. With the right profile to accommodate steering and some countersunk screws to make them removable when servicing the wheels, I could see another 10-15 mpg gain.

@15:12 - you get to spend 2x as much time on the track. That's a win in my book!

Gush I just so enjoy your videos

Scarily enough, that thing is legal for the interstate. The lower limit is 5-15hp depending on the state. It was written like that to prevent mopeds and pit bikes from driving on the highway.

I'm not sure if Kansas uses any salt on the roads, it seems like we mostly rely on sand. Cars don't really rust around here, when I originally moved here in 1989 I was shocked to see some folks using daily drivers from the 1960s. I also noticed that my 1990 Honda Civic didn't really show much rust when I replaced it in 2003, just a small bit on the front where it was hit by a rock chip. My sister's 1990 Corolla had rusted through in a lot of areas at the same time. Part of that is that we don't get nearly as much snowfall in Kansas as they do in Upstate NY or Michigan. I also suspect that the lack of salt on the road also helped.

Great video, interesting project!

That watermelon intake was pretty fricken cool!

I live in rural areas, so I’d drive it everyday as is. What a great little car!

Love peace and joy to you and your family, my friend.

I have my bets still on the turbo being more efficient, but I still can't wait to see the supercharger install! Not everyday that you see many supercharged diesel. Sure, there were a lot of "blowers" on the old Detroits, but they mostly served the function of scavenging rather than producing any real boost. Love the Sunday content! Have a blessed week!

Nice job and then noticed the car is a lot more quieter inside too

My last "small" diesel was a 1983 Mercedes 240d. I think it was rated for 71hp new out of the factory, but mine had done a few hundred thousand miles and probably wasn't making more than 50. It was also much heavier, so I had similar performance. It was a daily driver for me and I averaged ~25mpg. Loving this series and all the videos you put out!

Thanks Jim, my Sunday AM is now complete. BTW - I seem to remember a test in an old car mag of a 1960s/70s VW beetle. 1/4Mile time was around 20 seconds.

Me and my dad used to ponder what kind of fuel mileage could be achieved with the tiniest car we could find with the 3 cylinder diesel engine out of our ford 1210 tractor that makes 16 horsepower but will run sun up, to sun down on its 5 gallon fuel tank with couple gallons to spare. This set up you built here is pretty close to what we were pondering