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Jerry's Evolving Thoughts on "new-to-me" Prime Premium

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by jerrymildred, Mar 12, 2019.

  1. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I did test the first one right away to make sure the end stop wouldn't hit the bottom of the car, which is how I discovered that it did hit, which is why I trimmed them. As for the jack, I'd be pretty surprised if it fit under the car with the 1-1/2" ramps I cobbled up for the transaxle oil change and didn't fit with these which double the clearance. LOL!

    Yup! That's what I did, but I didn't have anything quite right so it took a lot of scrounging and finagling. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. But quite often, it's just laziness that gives birth to invention. ;)

    Yup. This way I'm actually looking forward to the job to see how much easier it will be. Delayed gratification. :D
     
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Are you saying even with the wheels rolled up on the 3" ramps (pictured), your floor jack can't be rolled under?
     
  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I'm saying exactly the opposite. It can be rolled under with 1-1/2" ramps, so I'd be surprised if it could NOT be rolled under with 3" ramps. Actually "surprised" is too mild. LOL! Read it out loud without the extra description: "I'd be pretty surprised if it fit under the car with the 1-1/2" ramps ... and didn't fit with these which double the clearance."
     
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  4. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Remember the encounter with the roadrunner in Texas back in May? I think Santa is going to bring me a new grill for a belated Christmas present. I'll know for sure after I talk some more to Todd at Tampa Hybrids later this afternoon. Looks like his price is within a couple dollars of the cheapest online price.

    The crack I got in May from the bird isn't all that bad, but this will also remove the front license stuff and clean up the whole front end. I may also put the old grill up for sale if anyone has a really busted up grill and doesn't mind having a small crack and some screw holes to mount the front license plate. Or, I wouldn't mind just keeping it in case something worse happens to this grill. I'll have to think about that.

    I found the link to a Japanese PDF that @Salamander_King posted that looks like it's sufficient for my needs. I used Google translate to convert the verbiage. (2019 Prius Prime Advanced - Front Grille Replacement | PriusChat) Thanks, SK!! If I do order the grill, I'll just wait and change the oil at the same time.
     
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  5. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    Let us know how hard it is to change the entire sub-grill assembly. I am also interested in your assessment on whether you can just remove the acrylic portion (the part you cracked, also shown in the diagram in my quote below) without removing the rest of the front grille and bumper cover. If the acrylic part alone can be removed easily, I am thinking of taking mine off and wrapping it or plastidip painting it. Trying to wrap or paint that part while on the car is rather difficult.
     
  6. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    My plan at the moment is to remove the whole front as it says in the PDF you linked in the other thread. Then I can see if it can be removed from the rest of the bumper/grill assembly. I do know that the acrylic and the flat black below it come free from the painted part.

    We'll know more once I have the part in hand.
     
  7. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Well, this order is taking me a while. Todd suggested I order online since his price to buy one was about the same as the online discount stores. Problem is, the online stores either have really bad customer reviews or they want $200-400 for shipping. The worst of the lot is just over in Hollywood, FL, about a 4-hour drive one way. It's an even $400 shipping. I guess they carry it by foot to the customer. Gonna talk to Todd again later. I like buying stuff from him. He treats people that well.
     
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  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    The part number for the smoked-acrylic piece seems to be:

    5310147050

    Amayama shows it a best price of #335.38 (CDN) for me, on westcoast Canada. I've done 3 orders through them, and so far been very good, shipping costs $10~35, depending on size/weight of item:

    Buy radiator grille for Toyota Prius PHV ZVW52 (02.2017 - present) - Amayama

    Putting the above part number in a shopping cart, it doesn't show a shipping cost, maybe concerns about fragility? Shipping indicates "not selected", and if you click on that, this pops up:

    upload_2019-12-27_6-3-42.png

    I don't believe you would be on the hook if the shipping provided exorbitant. The process usually takes about 6 days, from ordered to shipped, and you can message them, get prompt response.

    Man, would it be possible for someone to "scan" that piece, start reproducing it in more malleable and durable opaque mat-black material? As designed, it's the proverbial "glass jaw"! All the front (and rear) "bumpers" are these days, but this one in spades. :mad:

    Jerry, in your shoes, I would just remove it mask it off and go over it with a can of mat-black Plasti-Dip.
     
    #568 Mendel Leisk, Dec 27, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2019
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  9. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Either way once you've got the grille and headlights removed, I believe you're gonna need techstream after you get it all reassembled. Gotta love all that hardware behind the plastic.
    I haven't had hands on, so it's only second hand info, but well worth your time to investigate before you pull the front clip

    see recalibration in the shop manual and take a look see at this thread for a heads up on the sonar.
    ICS clearance sonar learning | PriusChat
     
    #569 vvillovv, Dec 27, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 27, 2019
  10. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    That's what I want to try. And there was at least one person who said to do that on a different thread, but never heard the result. My question is how hard it is to remove the acrylic part off from the rest of the sub-grill assembly. If it can be removed easily without cracking the parts, I may try it. But painting it without removing it first is also a viable method.
     
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  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Yeah, maybe best to just spray, without removal. See attached, lots of fun (47 pages, and that just the bare bones, likely at least double that, if you chase down all the references).
     

    Attached Files:

  12. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Anyone have an estimate for the grille replacement at a body shop or two? I'm guessing it's at least 1500 and probably more at the steelers. But it should tell you a bit more about the process.

    If you decide to paint (I wouldn't) start slow and small.
     
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I'd be inclined to do nothing: it's a compact crack, not opening up?

    Somewhat akin to the 3rd gen drooping rear bumper: just let'r hang...
     
  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    For some reason, PC didn't put these recent posts in my "New Posts" feed. I just came back to update and found all kinds of new stuff here. LOL! Thanks for all the great thoughts everyone. I appreciate your ideas.

    I've been thinking about it quite a bit and decided that I'm just going with the plasitdip that @Salamander_King and @Mendel Leisk mentioned.

    I do plan to remove the grill to make sure I get good edges. The crack by itself, isn't a big deal. But I'd also like to remove the front license plate bracket. Whoever installed it just ran the screws in w/o pre-drilling. This made huge crater walls. So while I'm at it, I plan to fix that before spraying the plastidip. Also, while the crack isn't open, it is offset a little. I'd like to get to the back side and put on a splint to line it back up before applying the plastidip. I'm hoping that when I get done it'll look like it was supposed to look that way. :D

    Simply unplugging the sensor should not cause any need for recalibration any more than disconnecting the aux battery. I'll just need to make sure I don't bang it around. If it does need adjustment, I have Tecstream and will get to learn how to do that task. This will be much less expensive.

    It's going to be a few weeks before I get to it, though due to some other more urgent responsibilities.
     
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  15. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    I wish ya the best with your grille repairs. Let's all hope your experience is a good one and it doesn't turn into one of those prii gems like installing a block heater...

    take lots of pictures and caption um, take your time if you've got it, and don't be afraid to reassemble if you're getting beyond the comfort zone.
     
    #575 vvillovv, Dec 31, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
  16. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    I've been fixing stuff all my life. I'm not too worried. But thanks for the kind thoughts. (y)(y)(y)
     
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  17. Washingtonian

    Washingtonian Senior Member

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    I wonder why the thought "Famous Last Words" comes to mind?
     
  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    LOL!
     
  19. pineprius

    pineprius 15th Hole #4

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    Whatever you decide, getting rid of the TAMPA HYBRIDS license plate will make us all happy!! Maybe Todd was the guy without the drill and just screwed it on.
     
  20. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    No. The car came from up north where they deface the front of the cars with plates. His cars that didn't have front plates don't have anything hiding the scars inflicted by previous dealers since there are no scars to hide. (Check the pictures on his website; you'll see cars with and without.) If he's going to cover the scars, he might as well do it with something useful. My wife put a John Deere plate over her scars. I kept the Tampa Hybrids on there because he's the best car dealer I've ever encountered. In my book, he's earned it. But it'll still look better with nothing there.
     
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