I've driven SUV's and PU's the last 20 years and am used to riding high and looking down the hood. With the Prius unable to clear ANY curb with the front air dam and not being able see anything past the bottom of the windshied, I'd swap my backup camera for a front unit in a heart beat. 'Fraid it only gonna be a matter of time until I run up on a curb when parking.
The Prius is lower in the front end than even my old Camry. After 6 months I still don't pull up very close on curbs b/c I'm afraid of it.
There's a couple of other things you can do. One is to get a cheap ($12) car cell phone antenna and mount it to the front license plate bracket. The tip will be just visible, especially if you put an antenna ball there. A little more high-tech is to get a cheap ($30) reverse sensor that has a digital readout and mount it to the front instead. I know others are working on a front camera.
I've got a parking guide made out of a cell phone antenna (Thanks Arizona Charlie!) and I love it. It may be low tech, but it works like a charm. I back in to my garage and it allows me to pull up to within inches of my door once it comes down, thus allowing plenty of loading space for the hatch. Plus, if anyone asks about it I can give them a song and dance about my wireless recharging system that sucks the electricity through the air whenever I drive under high voltage power lines. I can actually keep a straight face until they start to nod.
Funny this should come up. I was looking at the following item: http://www.heartlandamerica.com/browse/ite...0006010&DL=SCH1 I was thinking of this as a way to replace the external sideview mirrors with internal cameras/monitors looking out the small porthole windows. But I believe they would work well for this application too.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Aug 21 2006, 08:43 PM) [snapback]307171[/snapback]</div> Do you have a picture of that?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RichBoy @ Aug 21 2006, 07:38 PM) [snapback]307116[/snapback]</div> Well, I'm not exactly quaking in my boots. In addition to the previously stated vehicles, I've owned and driven a 'vette and a 300zx....and they were easier to judge front distance with. Love our prius -- just don't want to crunch the front end. "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds" or something like that.
Do a search on PC. This has been discussed before. For example: http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=2...hl=front+camera With a small investment and some work, you should be able to rig something up. Good luck,
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mootsman @ Aug 21 2006, 06:50 PM) [snapback]307082[/snapback]</div> check this one out http://priuschat.com/Back-up-Camera-sighti...d33-t23652.html
