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cAstro my Prius c: Project thread

Discussion in 'Prius c Accessories and Modifications' started by Ryephile, Aug 12, 2012.

  1. C4me

    C4me Junior Member

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    Ryephile I know you got rid of your Prius C but....I am glued to your threads here! I am investigating wheels and after seeing your thread decided 15" is the way to go (and maybe lower my car an " or 2) So far I found volk has a 7.4lb 15" wheel from Japan (unbelievable$$$$$) and it can use the stock tires (5.5 width) What is your opinion of this combo in the long run (I will keep my car a few years) Can always put a better riding tire later. Thanks
     
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  2. dolfanpete

    dolfanpete Junior Member

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    just curious...what made you trade it in? just not happy with it or?
     
  3. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    Thanks for the props! A set of Volk's would be posh indeed! If you're set on the style and cache', you'll love 'em, but don't get them just to save a couple more pounds. While the Prius C does like light rolling stock, it's not as sensitive to wheel weight as some other cars [like the Miata as a strong example]. The most fun I had with the C was when I put my friends 215 wide Kumho XS's on the car and was flooring it through the apexes of corners while the car just stuck and cornered cleanly.

    Personally, I'm not a fan of the stock tires, but that's because I love cornering so I prefer a tire that has more grip. Honestly, my Michelin winter tires had notably more lateral grip than the stock 175's, with seemingly identical rolling resistance too. I guess it comes down to your goals. If you're going strictly for fuel economy, then the Volks may actually hurt FE, as they likely have greater aero drag than the stock smoothie hubcaps. Broad flat flush mounted spokes will generally have better aero drag than deep dish wheels, but it's just a rule of thumb and not definitive.

    A couple affordable yet still very lightweight 15" wheels for the Prius C include, the 949 Racing 6UL, Konig Daylite, and Enkei RPF1. Of the lot, I'd expect the RPF1 to have the best aero, but that's just assumption by association since that wheel design is derivative from Formula 1 wheel design.

    I enjoyed the Prius C very much! Some people say I change cars more often than most change underwear. While that's not literally true, I do average a new DD every year or so. I don't regret having the Prius C at all and will continue to recommend the car to people that want a great commuter car with a dash of fun all wrapped up in a super practical form factor and amazingly reliable & efficient powertrain.

    Cheers,
    Ryan
     
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  4. C4me

    C4me Junior Member

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  5. C4me

    C4me Junior Member

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    Ryephile did u sell the konig daylites? :)
     
  6. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    Nope, I still have them. I'd prefer to sell them as a set with the tires if possible. B2FiNiTY has dibs on them if I'm not able to easily sell the set, FYI.
     
  7. C4me

    C4me Junior Member

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  8. fourenty

    fourenty Junior Member

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    I was wanting to do this from day one of getting my C. After seeing your post with pictures I tackled it this past weekend. Very easy project. Thanks for the pictures! Happy trails with your Fiat.
     
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  9. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    I'm glad you found the modifications easy. (y) The cabin is a much more serene and relaxing place to be without the annoying lights.
     
  10. garm

    garm mpg + cool = win

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    Car looks great, I'm sure it handles quite well now. Bravo!
     
  11. B2FiNiTY

    B2FiNiTY Active Member

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    ^ he parted it out and sold it
     
  12. garm

    garm mpg + cool = win

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    Did he part it out? I thought he was offering it with the mods on it. I wonder who got the coilovers; I just sold him those. :D
     
  13. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    B2FiNiTY bought them off me. :) Happy cornering.

    I do still have my Powergrid drop-links and OEM carpet set, FYI, if anyone wants them.
     
  14. cyeremian

    cyeremian Member

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    very, very nice stance. Love it. I'm going to ask a stupid question, does the ride height affect the fuel economy at all?
     
  15. garm

    garm mpg + cool = win

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    Lowering the car should improve fuel economy, or at the very least not affect it at all.
     
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  16. Ryephile

    Ryephile The Technophile

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    Thanks! It's actually not a stupid question, and it's something I've been trying to create a rule of thumb regarding. If you don't change any aero components on the car and just lower it, it typically seems that aero drag is increased due to the added velocity of the air underneath the car, however there's also slightly less aero drag due to the reduced frontal area from tucking the tires further into the wheel arches. The net result appears to be typically slightly more total drag, which surprised me and didn't seem intuitive, as Garm points out above.

    I can't recall if I read that from Grassroots Motorsports or Racecar Engineering, but if I run across the source again I'll post it up.
     
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  17. garm

    garm mpg + cool = win

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    Faster air underneath the car creates vacuum under there. This increases grip, which would lower gas mileage. (That's why race cars are close to the ground, and use several aerodynamic tools to create as much vacuum under the car as possible).

    I figured this would be offset by the reduction in frontal drag as Ryephile points out, but maybe there would be a net loss, now that I think a little more on it.
     
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  18. wmo168

    wmo168 Member

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    What car you drive now?
     
  19. B2FiNiTY

    B2FiNiTY Active Member

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    He got a fiat 500 abarth to replace the C I believe.
     
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  20. C4me

    C4me Junior Member

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