Run Prius powertrain on a pallet?

Ok so this might sound insane, but as a hotrodder, welding things together and putting power trains in places they don’t belong is normal to me. Our 1950 Chevy currently has a 54 front suspension about to be 1986 Jaguar front suspension. Has an 86 small block and 72 3 speed auto transmission 57 rear diff about to be a 2004 LS 5.3 From a Silverado. This is my hobby.

so I LOVE hybrids. I’ve had 5 so far. I have an old Lexus ES300, and have toyed with finding a wrecked gen 2 Prius and putting the powertrain in the Lexus. I can work out all the fabrication and crap, I just wonder if there is any knowledge or support for running a Prius powertrain out of the Prius.

please don’t criticize me or attack my idea. I can do it I’m sure but I want to gauge how much of an effort (and there for weather or not it would be worth it) it would take to make it run correctly.

if you’re wondering why, it’s because I want to combine what I love about the two cars. Lexus thought it was a good idea in 2013

again, please don’t flog me

 

I’m thinking use everything Prius. Cut and weld the Lexus so it fits.
I did see somebody use the Prius “chassis“ meaning they used the floor pan in the engine bay and built a 1951 Ford pick up around it, that bothered me and just about every level… A 51 Ford pick up is an awesome vehicle, a Prius is an awesome vehicle, but mixing them is stupid. Like shampoo and bacon

My thought is to bolt or weld everything Prius into the engine bay of the Lexus… CV axles would be made it in a sleeve and welded, exhaust would be all Prius until we’re at arches over the Prius axle, then custom, I guess the wires might be a problem… Not sure I would want to splice those and add resistance. This is in the “thinking” phase. Often find it extremely beneficial to Discuss things almost to the point of exhaustion before doing them… That way obstacles are encountered before they are taking up the garage for six months

 

Valde and jerry missed your comments somehow.

I’d use the whole subframe for sure. And the steering column. Would have to just assume the Lexus airbag and computer would be safe on a Prius Column lol

Didn’t think about the ABS rings. Front are
Workable rear would be tough.

As for evap and gas tank, I’d fit it even if I had to modify the trunk floor.

thinking through this, Camry hybrid is probly a way more suitable donor as they are the same size and such. Nevertheless this would be a sweet project. MUCH more challenging than putting a Toyota v12 into something

 

Wow! Sounds simpler than I’d have expected. The airbags and abs I mean. Reminds me of post-war (wwii) GM interchangeability.


Jerry I meant I didn’t see your reply which is why I didn’t initially respond

The VW is awesome. I never thought I’d want to do a Prius build but I very much do

that’s awesome -
By pallet I meant can it run out of the car. In the street rod world, running a powertrain in a pallet is proof it will run in another car lol

 

Well the fabricating is my gift so I don’t mind that.

So airbags... I wanted to grab this gorgeous ls430 steering wheel for my es300 but didn’t cause of the airbag. It would have worked?! The connectors will the same

 

I meant an early 2000s LS wheel in an 02 es300. Always liked larger spoke wheels.
Pardon how off topic some of this is but I’m learning things about modern car interchangeability that I didn’t expect. Old cars were less surprising cause there wasn’t the electronic side of things. Example: want ball joints in your 49-56 Pontiac instead of kingpins? Everything from the 57 bolts right on (at least for 55-6 but possibly back to ‘37)

dxta yea... the big appeal of the Prius power plant is of course the ICE’s ability to NOT run


If this gets executed, very few beside my self and people on here will appreciate it, but when a 2002 es300 rolls through the grocery store parking lot “off” I’ll be grinning



as for a subframe swap, one thing I didn’t think of was the Prius being a thick wishbone and the ES300 being a big sqaureish loop


I’m sure it can be worked with but I’ll be wanting to see both torn down to the frame rails first. I’ll see what I can find at the local yard. They’ve got the cleanest greenest most organized inventory in the country so I know there are plenty both cars, though I’ll be likely looking at Camry (same as es300)



one more question. With all the Prius cats and evap working and all the monitors clear on the Prius ecu, logically it would pass NY inspection, but could they fail me when it pops up “2006 Prius “ but they are physically looking at an 02 es? Obviously that’s a question for an NY savy person

 

With LS (very popular with streetrods - it’s complete fuel injected computer controlled powertrains from modern GM in 4.8,5.3,5.7,6.2)


Many have published “pin outs” explaining each wire of the harness. When I put on in our family’s 1950 Chevy, I’ll have an old school dash light (simply a red bulb and crystal) connected to the 2005ish ECU check engine light so I know if there is a need for diagnostics.


In this Prius project, I’ll run the factory screen as it’s tiny. I can probably fit it where the ash tray door was on the Lexus and have it hidden. Many low budget LS swaps have a 2000’s gauge cluster in a 50’s glove box. I’m not going that Route.

I wonder - speed read out and gas level is all I care about on the original dash. I’d love the Prius warning lights to be available somewhere, would be nice if the wires that turn them on where easily identifiable and I can put the others inconspicuously somewhere without the whole readout?

 

Wow surprised that’s that Simple. Will it be easy to figure out which wire is which?

And that’s a great thing to hear cause to me fabrication is the easy part as I’m used to it with my ‘50