Rishar's 2010 Prius Mods

[Cobb]

You are meeting women online?

[Rishar]

If it's her...yes...yes I am.

[gone-ot]

Uh, little voice in the back of my mind keeps whispering: "...it's the internet stupid, rife with 'false advertising'..."

[Cobb]

They had ads on the internet?!?!?!? Whats next, email and telephones?!?!?!?

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

Uh, little voice in the back of my mind keeps whispering: "...it's the internet stupid, rife with 'false advertising'..."

Rishar, you covered your lower grill with some pink vinyl? Notice any differences? You can get red duct tape which would be a better match.

[Rishar]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Rishar, you covered your lower grill with some pink vinyl? Notice any differences? You can get red duct tape which would be a better match.

I actually screwed in sheet metal and sprayed it real quick with color matched paint. Since I didn't sand it down first and it's a light layer that also has lots of drips...it looks like I ran down a lot of small woodland creatures. My uncle now calls the car Bloody Mary. Mostly it's just temporary while I test and then maybe I'll do a spray foam fill.

As for noticing any differences, I definitely have. On flat areas or even small inclines I can hold it at 50mpg and get up to 60mph where before I'd have to give it more gas after reaching 52. I haven't done any A-B-A testing so this is all just what I've noticed...but it does make a difference. Definitely held coasting longer from 55mph.

The other difference is that air intake temp is about 20°F higher than before at all times. Temp today was 72°F. Coolant temp was normal all day after 200+ miles of driving. Inverter temp hovered between 90-100°. (coolant temp didn't even budge doing 70mph for 10 minutes)

Although, once I got in town and off highway driving, the engine was still putting off so much heat that my air intake temp went to 136°.

[backpacker3]

You should make a frame for inside the opening that would keep the sheet metal from getting those folds and bends in it plus it would help to keep it from being pushed in from wind resistance while driving.

[Rishar]

Originally Posted by backpacker3

You should make a frame for inside the opening that would keep the sheet metal from getting those folds and bends in it plus it would help to keep it from being pushed in from wind resistance while driving.

I thought about that, but that would have been more work than I had time to do. So I did this just to test a couple things. See how much it helped and if there would be any problems with overheating in the hottest summer month.

If it makes it this month with no problems then I'm going to do a removable expanding foam fill.

Things I've learned from this so far.
* It does help with coast down.
* Holding speeds is easier.
* Sheet metal does not like to conform to curved bumpers.
* Sheet metal cuts skin very easily.
* Metal shavings getting stuck under your skin suck.
* Infections resulting from said metal shaving are even worse.
* Wear gloves.

[Cobb]

Plan B would be to use newspaper to trace the opening and then use that to cut out the shape in the metal.

[Rishar]

Well, putting the boat tail idea on hold for quite awhile I think. I've instead started work on chopping and dropping my sunfire. :P

But, it doesn't mean I haven't been at work on the Prius!





(Do not get expanding foam on your car...it will not come off >.< )

Used the original stalk. Glued the mirror and camera in place, covered them up with tape, expanding foam, shaped it, bondo on the foam, painted, and this monstrosity is the result!

I will be doing a different version once I get ready to do driver side but for now this was fun.

I also went back and rethought the pizza pan route from VMAN. Instead, I cut out individual pieces of sheet metal (20 in total) and glued them to the hub caps. Super glue holds quite well! You can see them in the final picture here. (used a valve extender to have the valves sticking out)

[Rishar]

Better view of the wheel. After gluing them on I used chrome paint on the entire thing.



And in case you wondering, yes, my solution to fixing a cracked bumper was duct tape and paint. >.>