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My official Prius mods thread.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by DocVijay, Dec 18, 2005.

  1. andrewgs

    andrewgs I Pity Da Foo!

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    I can't wait to see the car. You're doing pretty much everything I want to do to mine when I get it. :D
     
  2. NuShrike

    NuShrike Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Areometer @ Jan 29 2006, 02:49 PM) [snapback]200040[/snapback]</div>
    Picked one up and currently seeing what kind of analysis I can extract from the data. I certainly did find that I'm not maxing my tire grip yet on certain turns.

    How did you mount it to the top of the MFD? Was it with screw mount or the suction cup? I've found the suction cup only works reliably on glass, and the mount stem is too short to stick it to the inside of the little triangular glass on the left.

    Awaiting my Sportivo from you, thanks. :)
     
  3. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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  4. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    OK, here are two pics of the car now with it's final (?) set of shoes. Sorry it took so long, but time is running awfully short around here...

    Anyway, here they are. Enjoy.

    [attachmentid=4565][attachmentid=4566]
     
  5. San_Carlos_Jeff

    San_Carlos_Jeff Active Member

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    Good choice, those wheels look great!
     
  6. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

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    Great choice on the wheels. They go very nicely with the color of the car. I think the width of the spokes are what makes this wheel work so well.
     
  7. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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  8. andrewgs

    andrewgs I Pity Da Foo!

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    :eek: WOW! Those look awesome with your color and suspension. Congratulations on the best looking Prius I've ever seen.
     
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Damn that is a clean car!

    I was looking at mine next to a silver Prius at the lake on Saturday and realized how the new rims made the car look loer thna it actually is but how much better it would look with a mild drop and bam, there is your car. Perfection! :)

    I looked at the date on this thread and you had the idea first mate. I can't claim credit for originality lol I just wish I had seen the thread sooner so I wouldnt have bought the tires I did. You had the right idea with the General Exclaims.
     
  10. PriusMax

    PriusMax New Member

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    Car looks great Doc. So how much wheel well gap do you have now with the Sportivos and new rims? Looks like its close to flush from the pictures. Thanks for the info.
     
  11. TJandGENESIS

    TJandGENESIS Are We Having Fun Yet?

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusstreetracerFTW @ Jun 20 2006, 01:05 AM) [snapback]273910[/snapback]</div>
    I just read through the whole thread, and found it well thought out, and also, I applaud someone who wants to do all that he has done to his Prius.

    As a Gear Head, and one that has had his share of Hot Rods, I like the look. My wife drives my Prius around more then I do, but I have to admit, some of his ideas, I would think about doing.
     
  12. V8Cobrakid

    V8Cobrakid Green Handyman

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    i would do all of the mods, if i had the cash. why? just to see what i can push. Hell, i was thinking of having some custom adjustable shocks made. it seems companies are pulling out of that business though.

    again, good work. Let's swap cars for a weekend. ;)
     
  13. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    Thanks for all the compliments. I'm really enjoying my Prius, and I'm glad that others are too! :p

    It's not done yet, so stay tuned...


    Anyway, a few observations now that I've put some decent miles on the new wheels/tires and suspension.

    With the lightweight wheel/tire combo, some of hte twitchiness is back. The heavier wheels acted like flywheels, and helped to keep the car more stable. Now some of the wiggle is back on rough or grooved pavement. This is only at speeds above 70 mph, though, so it's not too big a deal. Still much better than stock!

    THe car now feels much more responsive than ever. THe same flywheel effect that kept the car stable, kept it from being as nimble as it could be. THe lighter wheels also are quicker to repsond to steering input. I'm sure many of you have done the trick where you hold a bicycle wheel inbetween your two hands. When you spin it fast, it is hard to tilt the wheel. Same thing here. The lighter wheels respond easier to directional changes than heavier wheels.

    So, if you want to eliminate any squirrliness in your Prius, go for heavier wheels. If you are a coservative drive, the hit on mpg will be minimal if any (remember, I was able to get 52 mpg with the Scion tC wheels). The lighter wheels will preserve any mileage loss at higher speeds, but will feel less stable. There is always a trade-off.

    As far as traction goes, it is head and shoulders above factory. The General Exclaim UHP tires are phenomenal. The grip is great. They are a bit more prone to tramlining, but most higher performance tires are; just another trade-off. THey also make a different noise than the Bridgestones. Not louder, just different. More of a hum than a rumble. Ride is a bit more firm than the Bridgestones, but still not anywhere near uncomfortable. Even with the Sportivo suspension it is still very compliant. This setup gets two thumbs up from me. Plus the Prius looks great lowered!

    So far I've found that I've gained about 4 mpg at speeds of 75-80 mph. I was averageing about 41 mpg before, and about 45 mpg now. My driving style has not changed, nor has the speeds I drive at. Mileage on short trips has not changed. If I were to drive the conservative way I did before, I might probably get a bit higher then 52 mpg. If anything has hurt my mileage, it is the speeds I drive at, not the wheels.

    So, do heavier wheels and tires hurt your mileage? Seems the answer is yes AND no. It depends on many factors. You can get good mileage with heavy wheels and bad mileage with light wheels. It all depends on your driving style, traffic conditions, speed, etc...

    One obvious thing I have noticed is that the best way to loose a significant amount of mileage is to use your A/C. For some of you this is not a problem, as it doesn't get very hot, but here in Florida it is an absolute need. Yes, warmer temperatures are beneficial to a Prius's mileage, but only up to a certain point, after that it's diminishing returns. When it's 95 degrees with 95% humidity, A/C use is unavoidable. I imagine when the temperatures drop down to where I don't need to use hte A/C any more, my mileage will likely go back above 50 mpg. A/C kills mileage! This has been the biggest hit to my mpg than any mod I've done. So just as the colder temps some of you experience ruin mileage, so does heat.

    All in all I'm very happy with everything. The car handles great, looks great, and gives great mileage. How can you go wrong? :D
     
  14. J.Wilkie

    J.Wilkie 80 Mile Daily Commute

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    Did you ever do the Tom's exhaust?
     
  15. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(J.Wilkie @ Aug 22 2006, 10:24 AM) [snapback]307465[/snapback]</div>
    Not yet. You can check post #1 of this thread to see what is and isn't installed.
     
  16. TJandGENESIS

    TJandGENESIS Are We Having Fun Yet?

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Aug 22 2006, 10:29 AM) [snapback]307469[/snapback]</div>
    You may want to drop an updated list off, way down here at this end of the thread...not everyone will read through all the pages (7, I think)...

    Still, a good read.
     
  17. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    INSTALLED
    Centerline RPM Forged wheels, 17x7, 42mm offset, w/ 215/45 17 General Exclaim UHP tires
    BT Tech stiffening plate
    Chromed amber turn signal bulbs
    Sharkfin antenna
    TRD Sportivo suspension kit
    Tom's strut tower brace
    Tom's front suspension brace
    Sherwood carbon fiber dash kit
    HID fog light conversion
    PIAA wipers (super-sized driver's side and rear)
    Window tint
    VAIS AIC-100i and iPod w/ video



    STUFF I HAVE BUT NOT INSTALLED
    PS2 video source
    JL Audio ZR650-CSi Components (front and rear)
    JL Audio 8W7 subwoofer
    JL Audio CleanSweep CL441-dsp
    JL Audio 300/4 Amplifier
    JL Audio 250/1 Amplifier
    (just waiting for JL to release the CleanSweep SSI summing module...)

    FUTURE STUFF
    Signal mirror housings
    Kenstyle front/rear spoilers/side skirts
    Touring model spoiler
    Tom's floor brace
    Tom's rear lower brace
    Tom's exhaust system
    JL Audio CleanSweep CL-SSI (already paid for but not released yet)
    AV Electronic NVI nav screen interface
    Alpine 6.5" Widescreen Monitors
     
  18. Actual Mileage

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DocVijay @ Aug 22 2006, 04:02 PM) [snapback]307724[/snapback]</div>
    All JL? Any reason? I am looking at the Cleansweep - what does the summing module do for you?

    PS - I love this thread. I have read all 13 pages (or whatever). If my wife finds out what I am doing to my little Prius - I am going to show her this thread
    so she can see what complete obsession really looks like!
     
  19. DocVijay

    DocVijay Active Member

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Actual Mileage @ Aug 23 2006, 02:25 PM) [snapback]308344[/snapback]</div>
    JL makes great stuff. I've used their gear in previous systems in other cars, and was very happy with it all. I also prefer to stick with one manufacturer whenever possible, as the parts are usually easier to integrate, and the manufacturer usually gears a piece of equipment towards it's other parts. They just tend to work better with each other.

    In this case, the two Cleansweep units actually plug into each other for easier setup. I could use another manufacturer, but I'd have to splice wires and so on.

    As for what the Cleansweep units do:

    The 441-dsp unit takes the signal from the JBL amp and removes any factory equalization and gives as close to a flat frequency curve as possible. The ASL circuit would have to be turned off, or it woud adjust the equalizer settings as the car's speed changed. Basically rough curve in, smooth curve out.

    The SSI unit takes the split signals and combines them into one signal. The front speakers have separate wires going to them from the amp. The tweeters get a partial signal and the woofers get a partial signal. Well, an aftermarket amp won't like this, and the crossover frequency the factory JBL amp uses may be different from the crossover frequency the aftermarket speakers use. THe SSI takes these two splt signals and combines them into one full range signal. The rear is a full range, so it doesn't need to be summed. The SSI also combines it in a way that the signal is smoothes out where the two signals overlap. Otherwise the level would likely jump up around the crossover frequency.

    The dsp is already out, but the SSI is not. I'm going to call JL today to get an update.
     
  20. GreenSpeed

    GreenSpeed New Member

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    Wow Doc! Looks nice and shiny!! Sweetness...