2007 Prius Plug-in Hybrid Conversion

I've had 107 cars since I was 16 years old, so I've had a wide range of vehicles over the years. I've also done a lot of custom work, rebuilds, and restorations. Prius owners typically get a bad rap from people who like to make fun of the fact that they're driving a an awesome and highly fuel efficient vehicle. My goal here isn't only to convert the car to a plug-in hybrid, but to change the appearance to give the car a more stylish and sporty look, while decreasing the overall weight. [IMG] Above: This is my Prius before I started modifying it. [IMG] Above: To be fair, I need to show the front of the car as well. :) The first thing that I changed was the wheels and tires. Stock 15" wheels and tires were replaced with a new set of 16", using the same specs as the Prius with the Travel Package, to keep the speedometer accurate. [IMG] Above: New 16" wheels and tires - done! [IMG] Above: Side view with the new wheels and tires The tires are a Goodyear M/S set that function as run-flat tires. The stiffer sidewall does affect the ride quality a small amount, but the difference in traction and handling are well worth the sacrifice. The next item to replace was the hood. For this build, I decided to go with a carbon fibre vented hood from Seibon. [IMG] Above: Seibon carbon-fiber replacement hood The hood replacement was amazingly easy to replace and made the first really notable change in the appearance of the car. [IMG] Above: I really like the vents in the new hood, though they are strictly cosmetic. [IMG] Above: Hardware relocated to the new hood. The next step was to replace the factory bumper and to add side skirts to the car. For this, I went with a Enhanced Dynamics body kit. Replacement of the front bumper took about 4 hours. 1.5 to remove the factory bumper, and about 2.5 hours fitting and mounting the replacement. [IMG] Above: Front bumper assembly removed. The kit clearly shows driving lights installed in the front, but the actual bumper has no mount points for them. So, once the bumper was removed, I had to fashion driving light mounts and give the assemblies 24 hours to cure before I could mount the new bumper. [IMG] Above: Assembled front bumper assembly As with any body modifications, there will be some level of work involved. The replacement bumper has no mount points pre-drilled. There are 3 snap-clips and 2 bumper bolts (where the hood rests on bumper pads) at the top of the bumper that need to be drilled first. There are no allowances to use any of the mount points under the bottom of the bumper. The casting is about 3" short of being able to reuse the belly pan, and it sets low enough, that I opted not to put the front valence back on. One bolt was drilled under each side of the bumper where it goes into each fender to give it extra support. The gravel shield and belly pan were removed at the engine crossmember to keep them from dragging. Installation of the side skirts was the last piece to be installed. As with the bumper, there are no pre-drilled mount points on either side. I drilled (4) 3/8" holes through the skirts into the door sills and secured them with pop rivets. There is one body bolt ran through the front and back end of each skirt, for a total of 6 mount points. [IMG] Above: Body modifications complete! The next stage will be to have the car wrapped in a carbon fibre film so that it matches the patterning in the hood. The wrap is about half the price of an actual paint job and is more resistant to weather and the environment. After the wrap is on, two flat-black deck stripes will be run across the hood, roof, and back.