The Hybrid Convertible Project Prius v

Same. Only the air ducts are shaped a bit differently.

 

Welding has begun!





Bill the Engineer

 

Brace yourselves...

Sunday was one of those days that you dream about. It was the middle day of the 3-day Labor Day weekend, there weren't any home chores to do and the weather was perfect. The day started with finishing the welding and grinding on the front bumper adapter brackets.




Then I mounted the brackets onto the Prius v Chassis in place of the cardboard mock-ups that had been there. These brackets simulate the ends of the former frame on the original Firebird chassis.




Then I mounted the Firebird radiator support to the brackets. (It is the part that holds the front of the fenders in place, and where the hood latch parts are mounted.)




Next I mounted the original Firebird front bumper brackets to the new adapter brackets.




And finally, I mounted the Firebird front bumper assembly onto the Prius v chassis.




It was an EXCELLENT DAY!!!

Bill the Engineer

 

It will be under the rear seat in a drip-proof enclosure. The cooling ducting will also be made drip-proof. The trunk area and under the rear window in a 1960's GM convertible body can become wet in a downpour, even when in pristine condition. The rear seat platform will be elevated because of that, but I plan to use a thinner lower cushion to partially compensate.



Bill the Engineer

 

Mostly a clean up weekend so I could walk through the garage without tripping on anything.

I'm still uneasy about the added length to the nose, but I don't see any way around it since the bumper brackets are already only an inch away from the frame lifting points on the Prius v.




Bill the Engineer

 

Without a doubt, but then mine will still look more stock than a lot of others I have seen.

Bill the Engineer.

 

I looked at that early on. There would have been a lot of creative cutting and welding to keep the length of the fenders and hood the same. Even then the Firebird's grill would have to be made almost flush with the bumper due to the Prius condenser, and the headlight buckets would be interfering with Prius frame parts. The hoof latching mechanism would also have needed a redesign because of the location of the Prius condenser. The lower condenser support frame would also protrude out of the Firebird front valence. Some of these points were mentioned in earlier posts.

Last night my wife brought up a good point. Everything on the front of the car is bolted on, so it can be removed and reworked if I end up not liking what it looks like. I have decided to proceed with the current plan to keep things moving along and decide if I like how the front end is coming together at a later point.

Bill the Engineer