REVIEW: Hybrid Effects Wheel Skirts

[TheForce]

Introducing the new 4 door Toyota Insight Honda Prius.

AKA Priusight

Thanks Xcel for the name

Just could not wait to reveal it at Hybridfest.

So anyway I quickly bought a set of wheel skirts from Hybrid Effects and got them installed. It took about 4-5 hours for the installation and if I were to rate the ease of installation on a scale of 1-10, 1 being that a baby could install it and 10 being you need a pro to do the install I would give it 6. It really was not that hard once I figured everything out. Its just that first time you kind of have to just figure everything out.

The skirts I receive were professionally built fiberglass wheel skirts that when installed correctly will fit very snug and will flow well with the curves of the Prius. The paint matched my Barcelona red perfectly as far as I can tell. There are a few paint blemishes on the right skirt but they are kind of hard to see unless you are looking for them. This was to be expected since I requested these skirts on such a short notice. My score 9 out of 10.

The way these skirts attach is very simple. A bolt is screwed almost dead center in the top of the wheel well as a guide for the skirts to slip on. Then there are two screws at the bottom that hold the skirt in place. These two screws can be removed by a thin ratchet. This is really the only major flaw at the moment. With the wheels attached I found it kind of difficult to attach and remove the skirts. I'm sure this can be fixed with a few hardware design changes. Once a few people get these skirts I'm sure someone will find the right hardware to make these thing easier to remove and attach. Just remember that the Prius was not designed for skirts. The Insight was so if you want a skirt easy to remove like the Insight you may have to make your own fasteners or just get an Insight. I have to give this area a 6 out of 10.

I had a little trouble with the right skirt since I started it first. I did not get it up close to the car so there is a little gap around the edge and the skirt is a little loose. Its really not big deal and I think I can fix this but it will have to wait until after Hybridfest.

Even though I gave the attach and removal process a low score I will still give the skirts a 9 out of 10 because they just look GREAT on the car and if it takes me a few minutes to remove or attach them so what. They are still worth it to me.

I will try my best to describe the install process above each picture.

You will have to remove the black screw holding the bumper to the car. Its located a few inches from the bumper seam. Hybrid Effects supplies a flatter screw to go it its place.

Here is the top view of the skirt.



Back view of the skirt.



Side view of the skirt. As you can see it must flair out a little to make room for the tire. The little flair you see in the Hybrid Effect pictures is there but its so small the picture on Hybrid Effects just makes it look bigger than it actually is.



Here you can see the bolt that goes at the top. You can also see white areas around the bolt. Toyota puts some kid of bead around the out side of the wheel well. This bead needs to be removed in order for the skirt to fit nicely. I did not remove all of the stuff around the edge of right well because I thought I did not need to remove it all. I later realized that you really need to remove it all in order to get a nice tight fit. I will correct this later. The left side has all of it removed. To remove it all you need is a razor blade and a steady hand. I also used some touch up paint to paint the bolt and the white areas so you wont see them through the little space between the skirt and the quarter panel.



Here is the rear hole drilled for the skirt. If you have mud guards the hole is about in the same place as the one the hold the mud guards on. And yes you must remove your mud guards. You wont need them because the skirt is taking the place of the mud guards.



Here is the front hole. Its drilled through the metal quarter panel.



Here you can see where I took off part of that bead around the outside.



Here you can see how far up I cut it off. You really need to cut it all off.



Here you can see a temporary attachment so I could mark the locations of the holes that needed drilled.



Another view.



Here you can see the little flair out to make room for the tire.



Skirt attached.



Another view.



Clarence for the tire. Front.



Clarence for the tire. Rear.



Side shot.



Another side shot.



And the final side shot.


[edit] Added more pictures with hubcaps added.






Just a note. My current aerodynamic hubcaps will not fit under the skirts. I will have to fabricate a set out of sheet aluminum. Unfortunately I don't have time to make them before Hybridfest. So theirs not going to be any panties under the skirts but I will have the hubcaps on the front wheels.

I will try to get some performance data later. Maybe after Hybridfest.

Now we just need to get front wheel skirts.

[F8L]

Awesome write up! Thank you for the details.

I looks great!!! I'd love to see some areodynamic testing on these things.

[bestmapman]

Very nice.

Jay, do you want me to bring my Barcelona red Grill block for the Hybridfest demo?

[TheForce]

Originally Posted by bestmapman

Very nice.

Jay, do you want me to bring my Barcelona red Grill block for the Hybridfest demo?

After looking at pictures of the grille block I don't think it will fit with my chin spoiler and also my front mounted camera is mounted under the grille. So a hole would have to be cut out for the camera. Thanks but I don't think it will work. See you in a few days.

[Areometer]

Hi Jay,

Looks great. Thanks for this post. It will look even better if you lower your ride.

Have fun at Hybridfest.

Edward

[Jack66]

Looks great, Jay! Now you'll have to update your avatar's picture.

Your pictures did a great job showing the few details I wanted to know about.

[Godiva]

They look fabulous. I want some.

BTW why bother with the hubcaps on the back? I'd just put them on the front.

I'm thinking if I do this....I'll just get two hubcaps for the front and paint them black.

Where did you get them and how much did they cost?

[TheForce]

Originally Posted by Jack66

Looks great, Jay! Now you'll have to update your avatar's picture.

I "Photo Shopped" the skirt in my avatar since all I had to do was move a few pixels around. Aparently the new forum software has a smaller limit on the file size and I cant upload the new avatar. The forum requires 19.5k or less and mine is 31.9. I cant get any smaller than that unless I turn it into a gif and maybe 256 color or something.

Originally Posted by Godiva

BTW why bother with the hubcaps on the back? I'd just put them on the front.

I'm thinking if I do this....I'll just get two hubcaps for the front and paint them black.

Where did you get them and how much did they cost?

I want to make it look uniform all around even through the skirts block off %80 of the wheel.

I got them from Hub Cap Mike and they have gotten expensive since I got them. Currently $38 a pop.

Originally Posted by Areometer

Hi Jay,

Looks great. Thanks for this post. It will look even better if you lower your ride.

Have fun at Hybridfest.

Edward

Thanks. I considered lowering the car but all the places I go I almost bottom out the car as is. I have actually bottomed out the front end a few times around here.

[abra]

looks good...

$350.00 hope it gains mpg. update us on that.

btw what type of mpg gain was the caps?

[Hybrid Effects]

Thanks for the quick review Jay. We can modify a grille block to fit like we discussed, when you are around this area. I am glad to see that the installation was not very hard.

I would really like to make it to Hybrid-Fest, but I have spent to much money on gas this year. I hope that you all have fun at the show.

Franklin