Totaled Gen 1, 2002

Picture would do wonders but they're hard to post here so you have to put a link now usually when the hoods crumple lightly in the corner it just bends that metal piece of unit construction that goes right by the headlight if you will and usually dings the headlight just putting a ratchet strap around that piece of metal and pulling back putting it around a tree and having the car going on a slight downhill away from the tree nothing serious You can usually pull that right back straight I've seen people pull the hood a little bit too and keep driving depends how big the crunch is. Gen ones get tough to keep going at this age especially after they're crashed.

 

Well all you have to do is drive it around the neighborhood a little bit every 2 weeks to keep everything energized and flowing kind of like this old man if I sit down for too long I might not get back up Not a real good idea at this point for me that is a shame and where is the car located.

 

Oh yes Chicago I forgot I don't know anybody out that way unfortunately

 

Does sound like you're describing the "apron" - the underframe that the fender bolts to. If you drove it home with no codes, that's good, because right there is where the main fuse box is under the hood. The apron isn't hard to pull back to get the fender back on, it's the core support - the crossmember that goes over the radiator and attaches to the ends of both aprons. Getting those pillars on both sides centered again and forward enough to get the hood lined up can be a PITA. I'm 2 for 3 doing those in my driveway with the ratchet straps.

How many miles are on it? Did you buy it new? I have 11 of these cars (bought another last week for anyone here keeping count, lol) and have spare parts for most of these, although I may be out of driver's fenders...LMK. I'll pick it up asap.

 

Oh my, my favorite color. That's messed up more than I thought. You're like me, I hate to see these cars die, and that's what will happen to this one unless some dummy like me gets it. At auction, it'd sell at scrap metal price, probably $300-$400. Let me see what I can get it hauled to Houston for and I'll get back to you.

 

Hello.
Same thing happened to my 2002 Prius in October 2022. Frame was little more pushed in. No warning lights and I drove car back to my house without no problems. I told my insurance that I will keep the car and payout was slightly lower. Found the same color 2001 - 2003 Prius in Pick a Part Junkyard 80 miles away from my location. Bought front hood, front bumper, front bumper support, radiator support, driver side front headlight for a total of $260. The biggest challenge was to find honest bodyshop that would stretch my car on the frame machine. Some shysters quoted me 10K for repairs. They are used to scam insurance companies and get paid easy money. Decided to look for simple body shop and found a great guy who fixed my car in 6 hours and charged me $920. Once you stretch back radiator that is bended it may leak in some area but it will seal on itself with coolant. Car was running as a champ ever since but I had to eventually sell it due to cat converter theft and I needed hybrid battery for my other 2003 Prius. Currently I own 2001 and 2003 Gen. 1 Prius cars.

So to make a long story short it may look like a big damage but its only cosmetic and its easily fixable. All you need is to find a body shop that will stretch it back for you on the frame machine and find those parts first in the junk yard. Look for the same car color so that painting is not needed.

Priusito

 

What you mean? This is easily fixable. There is nothing wrong with this car. Its only cosmetics and it needs to be stretched back a little.

 

I've never used the frame shop to straighten any of that out I just put a strap on it put it around a small or medium tree and then just put the car in neutral and parking brake off and push it backwards using the weight of the car to pull forward on the core support the side frame rail whatever you can bend this stuff with your bare hands practically. A little leaning with the car's weight and a strap and you'll have the thing straight literally a minute and a half or something It is really silly so there's always that I just did a Prius right here the other day a generation too just straighten this exact area out now it's all back together and you can't even tell it was ever crumpled not a bit other than I have black front fenders on a gold car with the black front bumper cover kind of looks like a two-tone car even have the black trunk opening plastic piece to match on the gold hatch so it doesn't look too stupid The guy asked me how I got the car that way did it did I order it.