Absolute maximum MPG with a 2nd gen Prius + aero ?

[redpoint5]

My experience in the Gen III was that I couldn't tell the difference between my trying to be efficient, or my wife driving it. The car just leaves so little in the way of method to improve efficiency except driving slower.

[Cd]

So does anyone know where the link went to that drone shot of Darin's Prius test ?
And what about the test results he did at 65 mph ?
I don't see them ( just the mention of the percentage )

Also, what are your HONEST opinions on the look of the car in the illustrations I did ?
Does the two tone paint job make the car even uglier ?
I know the segmented tail does.
It reminds me of a dragonfly's butt.

I currently don't have the car ( issues with the electronic key ) but look forward to seeing what kind of mileage I can get from the car.

The car is dark grey, and I know it's going to get confused with the ChamPrius a lot if and when I add the tail.

I went ahead and took some thick steel cable and wrapped it around the catylic converter and on down past the resonator, connecting it to the brace that connects to the frame.
To my surprise, it doesn't rattle.
I plan to add even more wire around the cat.
Just make a huge rat's nest of wire and cable.

My neighbor had two stolen in broad daylight, and another had his wheels stolen. ( the car was on cinder blocks the next day ) so this is a bad location.

I plan to add a home made "shield " ( aero belly pan to ecomodders ) too, but know that a cat shield alone is laughable. It takes an extra 15 seconds to cut through and rip open.

Any advice ?

[freebeard]

Also, what are your HONEST opinions on the look of the car in the illustrations I did ?
Does the two tone paint job make the car even uglier ?

I like the cut line that follows the bottom of the DLO. The dark top and window tint will shrink the top visually.

[Ecky]

No opinion about the paint, but I really don't miss worrying about vandalism and theft. It might be worth leaving the pan open around the cat, so any would-be thieves are deterred by seeing the cable, before they've started cutting.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by freebeard

I like the cut line that follows the bottom of the DLO. The dark top and window tint will shrink the top visually.

Very artistic observation.
That was partly the intention.
I photochopped the Prius, and another vehicle people consider "ugly" - a Pontiac Aztec.
I think it all comes down to the fact that both vehicles are stretched upwards at the beltline.
15" tires are huge on a similar size car from the 1990s, yet appear comically small on a tall vehicle.
And now all vehicles are forced to have oversize, heavy wheels to look right.
It makes me think they were trying to capture the minivan crowd with the Prius, and the station wagon crowd with the Aztec ( but turned it into an SUV at the last moment )

[Cd]

So are both the drone footage and 65mph test results missing ?
If the 73 mpg figure was at 50 mph, it doesn't even seem worth it to aeromod the car, since you can get about what , 55 - 60 mpg at that speed stock ?

[freebeard]

Very artistic observation.
That was partly the intention.

I should trawl through my backups and find another picture of the Notchback. I know I have a few.

The cut line follows the body panels, but it's a horizontal line. The dark top rally helped 'chop' it visually. I drove it to a VW show and the next years two notchbacks from California showed up with the same two-tone line, but with white tops. It gave them a bubble-top appearance.

When they're designing a car, one of the first metrics thant is locked down is cowl height.

Sectioning was popular with shoebox Fords. I saw one out on the streets of McMinnville that was sectioned but held together with sheet metal screws!

But the Ultimate was Ron Courtney's X-51.

This is my all-time favorite custom car, because I had that magazine and I saw those tail lights reflected off rainy streets in from of the A&W Root Beer drive-in. (I was driving a bullet-nose Studebaker at the time)

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Cd

The car is dark grey, and I know it's going to get confused with the ChamPrius a lot if and when I add the tail.

I went ahead and took some thick steel cable and wrapped it around the catylic converter and on down past the resonator, connecting it to the brace that connects to the frame.
To my surprise, it doesn't rattle.
I plan to add even more wire around the cat.
Just make a huge rat's nest of wire and cable.

My neighbor had two stolen in broad daylight, and another had his wheels stolen. ( the car was on cinder blocks the next day ) so this is a bad location.

I plan to add a home made "shield " ( aero belly pan to ecomodders ) too, but know that a cat shield alone is laughable. It takes an extra 15 seconds to cut through and rip open.

Any advice ?

Our 2008 is dark grey too!

Sell the factory cats and install cheap aftermarket versions! I'm not sure what the factory cats are currently worth, but it's probably enough to buy a few aftermarket cats.

[Cd]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Our 2008 is dark grey too!

Sell the factory cats and install cheap aftermarket versions! I'm not sure what the factory cats are currently worth, but it's probably enough to buy a few aftermarket cats.

According to A.I., installing a cheap cat will last maybe 6 months. Sometimes less.
Many times, it will cause codes to show up.

California doesn't even allow it, since aftermarket cats have about one forth the amount of metals that are needed to clean up the emissions.

There are only two aftermarket cats available that are approved in Cali, and well ... they are NOT available, because they have been on backorder forever. They are also pretty expensive too. $ 475 and up.

Cheapo cats can be had for under $170.

OEM cats are $2,500 and that is more than the worth of the car !

It seems to me that removing the cat would be like removing a turbo off a race car because you don't want it stolen, so you replace it with a cheap junk one.

[Cd]

@Freebeard : I was thinking of how I would aeromod a Bug.
I love the look of this HotRod Bug.
This is how I would change it ( bare metal look a must for me ! )
With the wheel covers, there would be no sense in having it jacked up, so I'd slam it.