Shitting in the shallow end. *Arse friends electric*

[loserone]

Gordon Kinghorn is the guy who did the Bluebird EV conversion for Nissan a few years ago.  I seem to have persuaded three people to buy from him in about two months 😅

[Jim Bell]

Boring update. 

There's a sloshing sound when the Prius comes to a stop so I rang Google up with my hand held telephone and asked some questions about the most likely reasons. 

Mr Google looked in his big leather bound book of lies and gave me the below list to check through. 

1. Water in scuttle. Blocked scuttle drains. 

2. Water in doors. Blocked one way grommet drains in door bottoms. 

3. Water in spare wheel well/boot floor. 

 

I thought I'd look at the easiest one first. Gave the doors a shake. Sounded ok but checked the bottoms. 

 

Someone has already pulled the drain grommets out of the doors so it's not that. 

 

 

Next on to the scuttle. 

I watched a 15 minute tutorial video on removing the two bolts on the wiper arms, the four bolts on the wiper motor and the 10 or so bolts holding the scuttle panel on. 

As soon as it was finished I went straight outside, ignored all of that and just lifted the scuttle panel enough to jab a long screwdriver in to clear the drain hole. Fixings were missing from the panel, so again, someone has been here before. There was barely any water in there so that's not the source of the sound, but at least it's clear now. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On to the boot then. 

Spare wheel well is under the boot space and under boot space. Helpfully, it all just lifts out. 

 

 

 

 

 

All dry in there too. 

 

So maybe it's just the fuel in the tank sloshing. Fuck knows. 

[Jim Bell]

Next was a small* service. 

This was a three phase procedure. 

 

Phase one was dousing the wiper blades in glass cleaner and wiping them down 40 times as they were covered in babies shit or something similarly oily and greasy that just reduced visibility to ZERO PERCENT every time you sweep the screen. 

 

Improved. Two cloth wrong un. 

 

Phase two was oil. 

I bought some from a Tesco and poured it in because it was low. 

 

Even got the hybrid stuff with extra bits in. 

Player. 

 

 

Phase three was taking the air filter out and banging it against the side of the car to knock out the larger pieces of leaf and assorted detritus out. Job done. 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok I Will order a replacement. 

 

[Dan302]

Could be the electric in the battery sloshing?

[Jim Bell]

ICE is absolutely on point for the period with a SIX DISC MONKEY CHANGER in the dash. 

I hate that climate and stereo controls are accessed via menus on the centre console touch screen, but there are beep boop buttons on the steering wheel for the basics. THANK U TOYOTA.

 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

5 minutes ago, Dan302 said:

Could be the electric in the battery sloshing?

I hope not. They're not lead acid. More like loads of AA batteries sellotaped together. 

[Jim Bell]

The driving experience is sedate and comfortable. The steering feels heavy and reassuring. It's hard to describe it's character because I don't think it has any.  Driving it is just like being in a taxi. You know you've gone somewhere because when you get out, you're somewhere else. The bit where you're actually travelling is just non-descript sitting down. 

I think driving a Prius is  probably a lot like intercourse with a sex robot. 

It gets you there. It's efficient and practical but devoid of any emotion or character. 

 

A normal man and his Prius yesterday. 

 

 

All in all, it's a worthy if bland old heap that deserves a bit of attention and use. 

 

 

[Cavcraft]

It'll be interesting to see how you get on with this, a (very) used Prius does seem a potentially worthy buy.

[Jim Bell]

Well I'm sure everyone is wondering what life with a low cost* 18 year old Hybrid is like. 

I wish I had some amusing stories about voltage drops, strandings and recoveries buy rather boringly, it's run a couple of thousand miles with absolutely zero issues of any kind. Starts on the (push) button, runs like a train and pulls like a fine Swiss fish. 

Even the battery seems to be behaving itself. Cycling up to green (full) and down to half a quarter full regularly with use (there's probably technical terms for this but *shrugs*)

 

 

It drives well and cruise and air con seem to work great. 

 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

Now it has a few weeks daily use under its belt, I've got enough confidence in it to warrant it worthy of some investment and improvement. 

Safety first, so I went straight to ebay and ordered some OEM ncap five star tested, fire retardant deep Toyota rubber floor mats. 

 

Bonus twine for the emergency underpant repair kit box. 

 

 

 

FITTING COMENCES. 

NIGHT SHOTS. 

 

[Jim Bell]

PREVENTABLE MAINTENANCE 

 

Posh Bosch filter. 

 

Definitely due. Or overdue. Probably overdue. 

Fits right into any suburban landscape. 

[Jim Bell]

I like the OEM wheels but they ALL suffer from paint peel/going pourus and there was a bit of air creeping out very slowly so I pondered possible wheel options. The OEM alloy centre caps also ALL go fully brittle and explode into 63 thousand pieces if you as much as fart near them. They may have to be replaced. 

For safety reasons. 

 

 

 

 

Would be a shame to loose the four almost new matching *squints* Davanti Gr8grapes.

 

Slots seamlessly into any hypermarket car park. 

[Jim Bell]

I'm a big fan of steel wheels and generally believe alloy wheels are for people that go ten pin bowling with the gutter guards up. 

So I did a bit of googling to see if there was ever steel wheel options in 5x100 with the correct centre bore. 

For safety reasons. 

I dug up this picture which appealed to me greatly. 

 

I bet they're pretty rare. 

[Jim Bell]

So I fired up the old eBay, found a set of those steel wheels (which are actually multi fit) almost immediately. 

They were reasonably priced and in Bradford. As fate would have it, @loserone was heading to the very same Bradford in the near future, and very kindly offered to collect and ferry them north. 

 

A nocturnal meeting at Scotch Corner services ensued. 

They're so cool they've got fucken flying unicorns on the wheel centres. 

 

Merges anonymously into any service station rest area. 

 

[Jim Bell]

New wheels in stock, I tried changing them over. After I started, I realized the OEM alloy wheel nuts were weird washered flat seat affairs. 

 

 

 

 

Hmm. I wonder if they'll nip up. 

 

That's fully tight. 

 

That's sub optimal. 

 

I think I may have to invest in some alternative lug nuts. Which is American for ear testicles. 

[Jim Bell]

A quick look on eBay (what the fuck did I do before there was eBay?!) turned up nothing useful so I rang the local main dealers to see if there was a suitable part that I could order (oh yeah, that's what I used to do before eBay existed. Noooow I remember)

They ordered up a sackfull for £1.24p each plus vat. No complaints here. Fantastic service.

Looks quite out of place outside the posh showroom. 

 

Booty received. 

JENUINE OEM PRATS

 

NICE PAIR OF NUTS

[Jim Bell]

Ok then. Here we go. Take two, changing wheels on an old car. 

 

Thats looking much better. 

 

Quick test drive and it rides much nicer. 

Dropped from 16s to 15s and upgraded from DAVANTI GR8GRAPEs to YOKOHOMA ICE GAURD s. 

For safety reasons. 

 

 

Bad parking but good looking. 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

There was a strip of duct tape keeping the rear bumper (and to a lesser extent the front bumper) aligned so I thought it was time to retire that and invest in a more permanent and secure remedy. 

 

Fuck it. That'll do. 

 

[Jim Bell]

If you haven't driven one of these, they're quite interesting to drive. The transmission is electromagnetic CVT rather than the more common steel band type. The drive and acceleration feels kind of like a CVT but the car creeps like a trad auto. Ive even managed to spin the wheels in the damp so everything seems to be working fine drive train wise. 

 

 

 

 

All in all I think it was great buy. 

 

It has zero character but feels like something that you can rely on. It's comfortable, comforting, everything works and it's doing ok on the juice. It's getting very low 50s mpg at the moment but I expect that to improve once the world warms a bit in spring. The heater only runs off the petrol engine so the I.C.E. runs more in winter, where the EV motor would pick up more slack when the heaters off and it's warmer. 

 

Not sure how long it'll stay ultimately, but it seems like a great steer so far. 

 

[Supernaut]

I've never seen multifit steelies before! What are they from? The flying unicorns are a nice touch too.

[Jim Bell]

20 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

I've never seen multifit steelies before! What are they from? The flying unicorns are a nice touch too.

I think they were factory options on a lot of base Toyota stuff. They were definitely available from the factory on Prius's's's and at least one other Toyota which I can't find now. No idea what the flying unicorn 🦄 is all about. 

 

This seller has racks of them. Maybe the importers swap the steels off for more desirable* Alloys. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126573739934?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=YUw1pGxOT3a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=kzYjXFbvQ3S&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[yes oui si]

1 hour ago, Supernaut said:

I've never seen multifit steelies before! What are they from? The flying unicorns are a nice touch too.

 

1 hour ago, Jim Bell said:

I think they were factory options on a lot of base Toyota stuff. They were definitely available from the factory on Prius's's's and at least one other Toyota which I can't find now. No idea what the flying unicorn 🦄 is all about. 

 

This seller has racks of them. Maybe the importers swap the steels off for more desirable* Alloys. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/126573739934?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=YUw1pGxOT3a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=kzYjXFbvQ3S&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

They pop up a lot on Japanese auction stuff. I'd wager that the other pcd is 5x114.3. 

The four stud equivalent are usually 4x100/110/114.3 - twelve bolt holes on one wheel 😕

[320touring]

Yo, @Jim Bell, that looks great on the steelies! Winning!

[Jim Bell]

9 minutes ago, yes oui si said:

 

They pop up a lot on Japanese auction stuff. I'd wager that the other pcd is 5x114.3. 

😕

That would make sense. Think the later Prius's's were 114.3. 

[Momentary Lapse Of Reason]

24 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

That would make sense. Think the later Prius's's were 114.3. 

4 1/2" PCD for those that speake ye olde English.

[Jim Bell]

Nearly spat some of my PINT out a MILE there. 

41 minutes ago, Momentary Lapse Of Reason said:

4 1/2" PCD for those that speake ye olde English.

 

[HMC]

@Samuel_Pepys_Esq

[Agila]

On 10/11/2024 at 13:32, Jim Bell said:

fuel in the tank sloshing

Appears to be common when you fully brim the tank.

Could be a half filled bottle of piss under the driver seat if it's not that.

[Jim Bell]

5 minutes ago, Agila said:

Appears to be common when you fully brim the tank.

 

Indeed man. You're absolutely correct. I failed to update on that but it absolutely went away after 50 or so miles. 

I'll just call it a feature and say it's a maximum fuel capacity indicator. 

[Jim Bell]

The worst thing about having a Prius with one key is that there's only one key. 

The second worst thing about having a Prius with only one key is the quotes I got for having a second key coded. 

Local independent key man, back order three months - £550. 

Toyota main dealer, back order three months - £475. Plus £100 coding. Plus £25 to cut the blade. 

Thanks guys, let me just save those helpful quotes!

 

 

Next stop was Autoshites resident key aficianado @Dave_Q .

He kindly pointed me at CHINA. The good lads of CHINA kindly sent a fob by aeroplane. 

After about 4 cans of prime lager, I googled HOW TO MAKE KEY WORK WORK SONEHOW BUT CHEAP. 

This was the only result.