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Stupid Question...What is the Prius' body made out of?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by catsbox, Sep 4, 2008.

  1. catsbox

    catsbox Member

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    I have done some searching and can't find an answer to this question. What is the Prius' body made out of? I got a car magnet and I can't seem to find anyplace on the Prius that it will stick to. Is there any metal in the Prius' body?
     
  2. hobbit

    hobbit Senior Member

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    It's mostly steel, with some special high-strength steel in critical
    places like doors and pillars. The front nose and rear bumper
    cover are pretty much all plastic. The hood and hatch are
    aluminum. Where are you trying to stick a magnet? The doors
    should do fine; the screens I use when camping are stuck on
    with flexible strip magnets around the windows...
    .
    _H*
     
  3. Cuz'n Eddie

    Cuz'n Eddie New Member

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    I have a magnet stuck to my gas cap.
     
  4. fish_antlers

    fish_antlers New Member

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    lies.
     
  5. catsbox

    catsbox Member

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    Thanks. I tried to stick it on the back hatch below the back window, on what I thought was metal. I will try on the sides.
     
  6. Sheepdog

    Sheepdog C'Mere Sheepie!

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    Whats that supposed to mean? Care to enlighten us?:couch2:
     
  7. fish_antlers

    fish_antlers New Member

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    you can figure it out.
     
  8. a priori

    a priori Canonus Curiosus

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    It was metal, all right, it just wasn't ferromagnetic - you need iron, nickel or cobalt if you want a magnet to "stick" to the metal.
     
  9. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    ...k.. i'll talk...

    this is one of the reasons i love this car. Door dings don't rust.

    *cough* aluminum *cough*
     
  10. Qlara

    Qlara New Member

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    Wait...I don't think the doors/body are made of Aluminum....that would be so darn expensive. Only the Hood and Hatch are Al.
     
  11. narf

    narf Active Member

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    The rear spoiler is plastic, as is the small plastic panel just below it (the one with the Toyota logo on it and the black lock button. The rest of the hatch is steel, as is most of the car.

    I stand corrected, the rest of the rear hatch is aluminum, not steel
     
  12. morpheusx

    morpheusx Professor Chaos

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    The hatch is not steel, its a lightweight metal most likely aluminum as mentioned prior.
     
  13. Jack66

    Jack66 Kinda Jovial Member

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    OK, you haven't given us enough clues for this one.
     
  14. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    hood = aluminum
    side fenders (along with the top and bottom "trims" around the doors) = steel
    doors = aluminum
    roof = steel
    hatch = aluminum
    bumper covers = plastic

    I've scratched just about every part on my car... the steel rust.. the aluminum oxidizes
     
  15. narf

    narf Active Member

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    OK, I just tested all the panels with my trusty Wile E Coyote fridge magnet and we were both wrong.

    The door skins are in fact steel, or at least some ferrous metal. Definitely not aluminum, at least not on my 2008.
     
  16. Jeff S.

    Jeff S. Junior Member

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    There is no way the hood is aluminum.

    My 2009 hood is so badly rusted it needs to be replaced
     
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    i know the hatch is aluminum, because i had to have it replaced. can't attest for anything else.

    could your hood have been replaced?
     
  18. Jeff S.

    Jeff S. Junior Member

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    I suppose it is possible it's an aftermarket hood but I think it's unlikely given the information I gathered about the previous owner.
     
  19. Jeff S.

    Jeff S. Junior Member

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    what's a "hatch" btw?
     
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    the rear door, w/ window and spoiler. i got hit, and the body man said you can't repair aluminum. $850. for the part, paint it, swap the glass, spoiler, interior, latch, windshield wiper and etc., all to save a couple pounds.