Has anyone changed out the hood on a Prius Gen 1 ??

I never did it on my Gen 1, but I'd be willing to bet just about anybody can swap a hood.

You may need some patience to get the new one lined up to your satisfaction, even gaps all around. Depends on how easily satisfied you are.

 

If you can find one in a pick n pull type yard, take a sharpie and mark the positions of the hinges. That will help you get the hood positioned in the general neighborhood. Also you can practice taking a hood off. I usually put down bath towels to protect the paint on the cowl and fenders and use the hood prop to position it. It's only 4 10mm socket head fasteners, it's pretty easy.

 

Is the original hood beyond painting, or that's just cost prohibitive??

 

Probably can get a hood for about $50, painting one could be $100 to $200.

 

Yeah up here I'd guesstimate it would be more than double that to paint. On the flip side, what are the chances of getting a salvage hood won't need painting? And aren't wreckers prone to write stuff on the parts?

Even if you get an unblemished match: you can have two cars with the same factory paint spec, but years down the road, swap parts and there will be mismatch, due to different environments and so on. To make it seamless you need to repaint and blend into the adjacent panels

I'm maybe too picky, lol. Probably...

 

Yes you're correct. Be worth trying to find one that matches, tho. And in the LA area, it might happen. If the wrecker writes on the part, it can be wiped off with Brakleen or some other brake cleaner product (the stuff from Walmart is pretty good.) Anyhow, it's worth trying and Sandy seems to be on a budget and does much of her own work. (love women who don't let mechanical things intimidate.)

 

Yeah, completely concur.

I just hand copious amounts of cash to the body shop, and insurer, but it borders on irrational sometimes.

 

Don't feel too bad, Mendel, I just bought an 07 Highlander and the very next day took it to Maaco for a respray, color matched the original. Looks very nice, and I got the shop owner to cut the price to $1000 us. I've painted my last three cars, they almost know me, I think. What can I say, I like my old cars to be shiny!

 

nope just pull the hose apart at one of the junctions or at the bottle. (I can't check, my Prius is sold and gone!)

 

Hiyaaa fellow LBCer, If you need that hood you better go quick. Rumor has it that the big Wilmington yard is shutting down completely by end of year. The smaller yard will still be open but that yard is a fifth the size or smaller.

 

Switching the hood should easy, especially since the Prii have light aluminum hoods. How many miles do you have on your Prius now, Sandy?

 

If it was me, I'd probably paint it budget style. Take the paint code (likely listed on the driver's side door pillar) to either an auto body supply or an auto parts store that will replicate them. I'm on the east coast and at least some NAPA AP stores will mix up any paint code and install it in an aerosol rattle can. At an auto body supply you can likely get a quart, but then you'd need an air compressor and sprayer - better option.

There are very large numbers of YouTube videos showing you how to do a decent DIY job. A power sander would be handy.

If you spend the time to do it, you'll now have new paint and clearcoat - rather that the 16-20 yr old paint on a JY hood.

 

Actually, Maico probably would do it for around $100 or so.

Josie, you planted an earworm in my head today, I've been going around humming Steely Dan's "Josie."

"when Josie comes home, so good
she's the pride of the neighborhood."

Good old music that's not played on the oldies stations. Thank the lord for Youtube!

 

LOL. I'll now plant a different one instead, though nothing wrong with Steely Dan. My name is actually just "Joe" but certain members of my family who are fans of the "The Outlaw Josey Wales" movie (Clint Eastwood, of course), started calling me "Josey." So now you'll just read my posts and think "I reckon so."

 

My favorite Clint movie, and that's saying a lot he's had so many great ones. That's exactly what I thought of when I saw your name. My second guess would have been "and the Pussycats."