1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

new body old heart engine and transmission transfer

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Peter Vawter, May 8, 2023.

  1. Peter Vawter

    Peter Vawter Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2015
    38
    6
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Okay all here's my conundrum

    I have an amazing Prius that recently had a transmission replaced, all four shocks and struts, catalytic converter, has a trailer hitch and has been modified to a Pico camper that I love to take on trips.

    In other words my car is absolutely perfect in every way.

    However I live in Michigan and it's slowly killing the body of my car.

    It's not what I would call bad but today when I rotated my tires the large Jack went up into the frame a little bit more than I wanted it to where I have some rest in the back.

    I recently found a beautiful Prius near my home for a semi-reasonable price whose engine has just developed some knocking

    I was wondering if you all thought it would be worth buying and transferring the parts of my car that work into that year newer Prius.

    I'm disabled so a good deal of this work would possibly have to be done by a mechanic or by me over months and months of time.

    In all honesty I don't care how my car looks if I could take body parts from the other car and attach it I don't care either I only care if my frame wraps out underneath me.
    So I'm open to that as well

    Truth be told I probably have years left on my car but I like it so much I don't want to be without one and could see it going for easily a couple hundred thousand more miles

    Thank you all for your wisdom and insight on this
     
  2. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,611
    4,465
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Sure. Have someone drop the front subframe with engine and transaxle on both cars and swap them.
     
    douglasjre likes this.
  3. Peter Vawter

    Peter Vawter Junior Member

    Joined:
    May 14, 2015
    38
    6
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    II

    That was my hope and hopefully they could take my struts with it LOL

    Just didn't know what kind of pain that would be with all the electrical side of things I've really never done that kind of work
     
  4. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    7,611
    4,465
    7
    Location:
    Texas Hill Country
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    It would be a couple of days job, ideally by a shop that has a lift. Not cheap due to the manhours but relatively straightforward.
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2020
    8,156
    1,415
    0
    Location:
    Durham NC
    Vehicle:
    2009 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    It's all plug and play you'll be going from first generation generation 2 or the second iteration to the second iteration You don't want to try and flip flop in between the two so you're working on '04 to '06 or '07 to '09 as long as you're doing that you're in good shape your struts can go with it all of that..
     
  6. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2017
    5,286
    4,226
    0
    Location:
    Northern California
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hasn't been online in quite sometime, but you might inquire with MilkyWay | PriusChat regarding a local mechanic.
     
  7. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    1,774
    617
    0
    Location:
    Orlando, FL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    I would put your current vehicle in the air and assess it more carefully before making a determination about what you should do. Very often you don't need to do anything yet. Car prices will probably hit the bottom in January coming up