Quote:
Originally Posted by HillbillySailor
One thing that's been kicking around in my head; what's the approximate weight of all the metal you've cut off the Prius and the approximate weight of the Firebird shell going on? I do know that the curb weight of the Prius is close to that of the original Firebird (3,274 vs. 3390 for a hardtop car). The reason I ask is in regards to the brakes on the Prius. If the weight of what came off and what's going on is close to the same, I know there shouldn't be an issue. However, if the Firebird shell is heavier, I would think an upgrade would be in order. Since I know so little about the Prius platform, does anyone even make a brake upgrade kit for one?
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The scrap bucket is way too heavy to lift, and that doesn't even include the larger cut off pieces sitting in the storage garage. A while back I did a rough calculation and it looks like the finished car will only gain a modest amount of weight in total, less than my 300 pound son who will no longer be able to fit in the elevated rear seat (unless the top is down.) The rear seat will be about 18 inches higher because the hybrid battery will be moved under it to get it out of the drip area around the convertible top.
As for braking, please remember that most of the braking on the Prius V when driven correctly is done by the drive motors pumping energy back into the traction battery. The mechanical brakes only apply as you come to a final stop or smash hard on the brake pedal. My two daily driver Prii have 128,000 and 67,000 miles on them, and have never needed the brake pads/shoes replaced. (Unadvertised feature of regenerative braking.)
Bill the Engineer