The Firebrid Hybrid Convertible Project (Prius platform swap)

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Bill the Engineer

Big business trip to Canada coming this week...

Bill, when you get back, be prepared to sign Internet autographs, and/or duck rotten Internet tomatoes (for "sacrificing" the Firebird).

This project thread is getting linked to by an increasing number of auto forums. Lots of non-EcoModder members are stopping by to see what you're up to.

(Hi, everybody!!)

It's just a matter of time before it appears on Jalopnik, etc.

[Bill the Engineer]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Bill, when you get back, be prepared to sign Internet autographs, and/or duck rotten Internet tomatoes (for "sacrificing" the Firebird).

This project thread is getting linked to by an increasing number of auto forums. Lots of non-EcoModder members are stopping by to see what you're up to.

(Hi, everybody!!)

It's just a matter of time before it appears on Jalopnik, etc.

I am honored. Maybe I'll start a trend of others doing this, or maybe some of the restoraton shops will come up with "Kits." Could you just imagine...

Spring is coming!!!

Bill the Engineer

[user removed]

An old car without any floor parts is barely capable of being called a sacrifice, if you know anything about the amount of work involved in replacing the various parts that constitute the, floor pan, trunk pan, quarter panel lowers, inner and outer rockers, wheel wells, inner quarters, door posts, cowl, and all the other brackets, reinforcements, and everything else that was rusted away.

Bringing something like that back to pristine condition costs literally $50-70k done professionally.

It ain't worth it even if you are gifted the car, which tells you what the car was worth.

Good luck with your project, it will take a lot of time, got a guess how much (time)?

regards
mech

[shok]

I've been waiting for something like this, I've been kicking around the idea of using a Prius with something cool like an old vw or import. This shows me it is possible to carve enough off a Prius and still have it be a functional donor.

[Bill the Engineer]

Originally Posted by shok

I've been waiting for something like this, I've been kicking around the idea of using a Prius with something cool like an old vw or import. This shows me it is possible to carve enough off a Prius and still have it be a functional donor.

I have been hoping all along that my project would encourage others to do similar projects using my step-by-step as a reference. That is one of the reasons I am including so much detail. I am ready to cheer-on anyone who gets such a project going and finishes before I do. This isn't a race, it's a movement to mix together the joys of the past with the technology of the future.

Bill the Engineer

[Slysdexia]

Subscribed.

I can't wait to read how this unfolds.

[Bill the Engineer]

Next Chapter of the story...

So, at this point I had the rolling chassis of the Prius V and the stripped down body of the Firebird convertible in the garage at home. (LOTS of removed Firebird parts are stored in a rented garage elsewhere.) With both vehicles side by side, I checked and rechecked where the two bodies would intersect when put together.





I then marked the two vehicles where sections needed to be removed.




The front quarter windows and the upper firewall overhang of the Prius V were cut off to bring the firewall area lower. The wiper system was saved to be combined with the one from the Firebird much later on.




Additional trimming was done in the rear. A hitch for my bike rack was added, which also serves as a support point for the body drop later in the process. Care was taken to keep the support structure while eliminating excess surrounding metal.



Over on the Firebird body, strategic cut-outs were made in the firewall for clearance of the A-pillars and a/c unit. (Yes, the Firebrid will have air conditioning!)



Cut-outs were also made in the trunk and rear floor areas of the Firebird body to fit over the Prius V chassis, including areas that would have stayed had they not been full of rust holes.




Next time: Cutting and fitting for two intersecting wheel arches.

Bill the Engineer

[Bill the Engineer]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Bill, when you get back, be prepared to sign Internet autographs, and/or duck rotten Internet tomatoes (for "sacrificing" the Firebird).

This project thread is getting linked to by an increasing number of auto forums. Lots of non-EcoModder members are stopping by to see what you're up to.

(Hi, everybody!!)

It's just a matter of time before it appears on Jalopnik, etc.

I think someone beat you to that last one...

BangShift.com 1967 Firebird Convertible Body Onto A Prius Chassis

This is the reply I posted over at PriusChat:

Ya' know, haters are gonna hate. The implied death threat made me bust out laughing. I've fielded the same reactions from co-workers who think attacking the modifications on the Firebrid equates to attacking my virility. I also presume most of them equate their virility with the horsepower of their engines. Truly sad.

Bottom line: It's my car project and I'm having a blast doing it. If I cut it into little cubes or make the world's first resto-eco-mod car is up to nobody else but me. I have no intention of stopping now. Why should I stop what I love doing just because someone else doesn't like it?

Bill the Engineer

[Bill the Engineer]

It's on Reddit now too...

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/commen...l_67_firebird/

At least there are as many supportive comments as there are ones that don't.

Bill the Engineer

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Bill the Engineer

It's on Reddit now too...

https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/commen...l_67_firebird/

At least there are as many supportive comments as there are ones that don't.

Bill the Engineer

The reddit on there who suggests you "have to" call the car the "Firebrid" has a fun idea. That's a custom plate or a cool window sticker (since 8 characters is too long).