Shitting in the shallow end. *Arse friends Electric*

[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. 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

Unfortunately, the above pantomime requires the opening and closing of the drivers door. The door switch on the Prius is broken. Which means no courtesy light and that the alarm goes off after 30 seconds after you unlock with the plipper unless you start the car.

So now I have TRIPPLE reasons to sort the drivers door switch. 

To EBAY!  I wonder if eBay has any. 

(eBay did NOT have any)

 

Er. Will a Toyota Hilux one fit?

 

Let's find out!!

[Jim Bell]

The chances of the Youtube chicken dance working are slim, but as the old polish proverb goes:

"Spend less, live more, marry hard working fat woman"

So I was up for giving it a fucken go to save £500. 

It's a one screw job. But if the connector touches the car body, it fries the car. Probably. So it was a high jeopardy job. 

 

Let's fucken spin the wheel. 

Someone's been in here before. There's paint missing from the t30 fastner. I bet someone has changed the switch and it's actually the wiring at fault somewhere. 

(Deep breath)

 

 

 

 

 

It never used to do that. Holy shit. I fixed something. 

 Interior light and under door puddle lights now function correctly and the alarm now operates as it should. 

Partial result. 

 

[Jim Bell]

Switch changed out, I grabbed the new and old fobs and did the stupid dance. 

Bonus greyhound watches on for extra tension. 

 

 

(Tense silence)

 

 

It didn't work. Course it fucking didn't. 

 

I tried again. I might have fucked it up. It is a bit of a DANCE MAT FINAL BOSS procedure. 

 

It didn't work again. 

 

Fuck it. One. More. Time. 

[Jim Bell]

Third time was indeed a charm and it worked. 

Listen to those door locks Flap!!

THE CROWD ROARS APPROVAL. 

Real world saving of over £500. 

Amazing result. 

 

 

 

[Jim Bell]

The key goes in a slot on the dash but has a HIDDEN BLADE for emergencies, just like Will Osprey. 

 

 

Really would be the icing on the cake to get that cut in as well. 

 

Before

 

After

I'm calling that a victory. Celebrate on the usual way with winter throat lozenges. 

 

[Jim Bell]

I've fallen in love with this car quite slowly, like you might do in the years following an arranged marriage. 

There was no lust or pursuit before we came together as a partnership of convenience, but the more time we spend together, the more it's clear what a good fit we are for one another. 

Yes she got smashed up the arse before we met, and got blasted in the face a bit too, but hopefully all that type of behaviour is in the past and we can look forward to some happy years of accepting each others faults and comfortable co-dependency. 

All in all, I have no complaints and accept her for what she is.  A futuristic two keyed Toyota Prius T Spirit. 

 

 

 

 

Isn't love a queer ride. 

[Dyslexic Viking]

I love the steel rims.

[Jim Bell]

6 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I love the steel rims.

Thanks man. As soon as I saw they existed I decided I must have some. Unfortunately the centre caps are so brittle that one has already snapped a bit. Not sure how long they'll last.