BT Tech Introducts 2 new products for the Prius

[BT Tech]

After months of egineering and changing designs, I wanted to show everyone our new 2 products that will be ready to ship this month.

As some as you have guessed correctly, one of our products is called the BT Tech skid plate protector for the 2004-2008 Prius'. It is manufactured out of aluminum and serves 2 functions:

1: To provide superior protection from road debris against the bottom of the engine and transaxle assembly and provide protection from the front bottoming out and causing damage to the mentioned components.

2: To provide a smooth aerodynamic transition underneath the front of the car.

We have designed into or skid plate 3 very important and nice features:

1: Easy access to remove oil drain plug

2: Easy access to remove oil filter

3: Easy access to remove transaxle fluid.

All of the above functions can be peformed WITHOUT having to take apart the skid plate.

The picture you see here is my proto-type version and the finished production versions will be powdercoated in a very durable wrinkle finsh black powdercoat. We will also be incorparating strengthening ribs on the production parts to provide superior strength. Fit and finish will be excellent and our new product will come equipped with a complete instructions sheet and new stainless steel fastners.

This item will be available ONLY in the Prius Chat On-Line store shortly as a pre-buy. I will only be making 10 of these to start off with and will continue with production once I see how these are received on the market.

[Boo]

Whoa! It must be Christmas!

Thanks Brian.

[JaviNOS]

I'd like to see the painted version... looks clean... my plastic cover is all peeled... the old man used the car for a while and he's a lousy driver

[Tideland Prius]

judging by the bottom of your front bumper, maybe you wanna extend the skid plate just a bit for us poor 04/05 owners lol .

[Boo]

I live in Squirrels Central (seriously), and only recently heard about Rat Away spray.

Do plates like this provide a nice hiding place for squirrels and other wire eating rodents to nest?

Guess I can spray the entire subject area with Rat Away before putting the plate on, but I don't know how long that stuff is supposed to last.

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

I wonder how well those holes will do at scooping deep snow and packing it away behind the shield.

[DaveLadely]

The skid plate sounds like a good idea. Perhaps the holes could be made of a size that would allow screwing in the same size boat deck access covers as they would keep snow, mud, etc out. The covers are offered in white or clear, usually of polycarbonate so are virtually unbreakable. Also, maybe the covers would allow for larger diameter access holes, which would improve access.
Dave in Seattle
2007 Prius

[efusco]

Depending on the price...you can put me down for one of those.

[bat4255]

Originally Posted by efusco

Depending on the price...you can put me down for one of those.

Me too. It looks like it would help the aero package.

But the others have good questions, and my main interest would be for snow.

How will it reacts to driving over the deep stuff, will it protect, or will it scoop and snag?
If the holes act like scoops, maybe a cover could be made, that fastens with a tab, and one or 2 screws.

How would it affect engine cooling in summer?

[JimboK]

It seems like a great idea, but it's not clear whether I'd have enough elbow room to remove the oil filter, especially without spilling oil. Will two (long) arms fit through the hole? I use the cut-off bottom half of a 2 liter plastic juice bottle to capture leaking oil as the filter is unscrewed and to drop the filter in after it's off. Is the hole big enough for that?

If oil is spilled (which I almost always seem to do despite my best efforts), it would seem like some will almost certainly drip onto the inside of the plate. How do you clean it without taking it off?

I use ramps, so I don't have as much room to maneuver as if the car was on a lift.