Refurbishing Applianaces: Flipping a 2005 Toyota Prius

So, as soon as my reliable but much-unused Saturn was sold I was already closing in on a new project. Though it was listed for well over what I usually look at I happened to find a 2005 Toyota Prius that was up on Craigslist for $2500 that they claimed had a shuddering engine. 'Fair' condition blue book is $3700 for these, and 'Good' condition is around $4300.

When I texted to ask about it, they said that they had just replaced the spark plugs and that had apparently resolved the shuddering issue. When I went out to look at it, I found that the body was in good shape- some scrapes and scratches and a marble-sized ding on the roof, but otherwise not bad. The interior however was (and for now, is) horrible. They have a toddler and did not do a very good job of cleaning the car at all. I test drove it and didn't notice anything out of the ordinary- though I'm not an expert on hybrids (yet). It is rather high in mileage- almost 264k.

That was the day before selling the Saturn (but after the buyer had test-driven it and given me a deposit). I waited until the morning after selling the Saturn and texted the seller and offered them $1600 for the car. They came back with $1800- which was what I had actually hoped to get the car for- and I bought it.

It had a host of codes when I checked them, but I cleared them before driving it in to work this morning and the CEL hasn't come back on yet. It likely will need new(er) tires and MOUNTAINS of cleaning products to bring the interior back to looking like it shouldn't have biohazard warning stickers.

I've not had a chance to get any decent pictures of it, but will be taking plenty to document fixing and cleaning it up- hopefully it will be a pretty good transformation and in a month or so I'll be able to sell it for a tidy profit.

EDIT: So people don't have to search through the whole thread for it, here's the photo album link: http://photobucket.com/albums/w411/Ashyukun/Prius%20Flip

Buy/rent/borrow a steam cleaner with a wand.

http://youtu.be/JT10-bIAgyk

Datsun1500 wrote: I'd take it by a detail shop for an estimate. I'd spend $100 and let them do it instead of taking 2 days to do it myself, but that's me.

Yup. My sister was selling a truck that I thought would take mountains of cleaning products also. My mom took it to a detail shop and for around $100-150 it looked damn near good as new. I was truly amazed.

Yeah, I may see about getting a price on it from a detail shop just to see what it would be. Honestly though I feel like I almost need to pull the seats and such out and clean them out of the car and be able to get better access to clean the carpets. Would be nice to not have to do all that work myself, but will have to weight the costs.

Planning on checking up on a couple of used tire places here in town and seeing if they have the 185/65R15s that the Prius uses- I filled the tires up yesterday evening on the way home, but it looks like the driver's front tire is back down to being low, and I was told that it needed tires. Preliminary searching says I can get new ones for about $300 installed (and including a free alignment), so I'll have to see if I can get decent used ones for better than the ~$75 installed.

Total money in the car now: $2,015

(Purchase Price- $1800, Notary services- $25, TT&R- $190)

Take all but the driver seat out and take it to them. they might like nothing have them in the way...

Mad_Ratel wrote: Take all but the driver seat out and take it to them. they might like nothing have them in the way...

Only problem with this being that if the seats have any stains, site of toddler catastrophes, then you may be on your own to clean them UNLESS you work an agreement with the detail shop such as "Seats are in the hatch. Could you clean those as well? I'll bolt them back in or set them on fire myself depending on how clean they come out."

I detailed in college and I can say that having seats out of a filthy car make things much easier to clean. Easier does equal being more inclined to work that last spot of spilled coffee and toddler vomit from the carpet under the seats as opposed to "I sprayed some cleaner under there and vacuumed it out with the shop vac. Best I could do considering the prior conditions."

I'd love to see some before and after pictures of this.

I'll definitely be taking pictures of it before and after- I hope that it will look considerably different!

At that mileage the battery pack is usually getting less efficient. My friend noticed a few MPG drop as he approached 200k

Stopped by a detailing place and got a quote- $145 and I'd need to leave it for the day since it would likely take them twice as long as usual. Their normal interior detail price is $100, so I thought it was a fair price. Unfortunately since it's been raining so much they can't do it tomorrow, so I'll have to get it in sometime next week (and see about getting more quotes tomorrow).

Looks like I'm not going to have any luck putting used but good tires on it- the used tire shops don't have the size it uses (185/65R15). New ones, out the door including an alignment, will be about $315. More than I'd like to spend, but if I want to get a premium for the car when I sell it having new tires is probably necessary.

I went over the car a bit this afternoon, checking stuff out and clearing out the loose crap I could. I got two free sockets, a screw driver, 3 Allen wrenches, and an oil change pan with the car. And about 50 cents in spare change.

Took pictures, but haven't had the chance to put them up.

I wouldn't be surprised if the battery pack is a bit weak, but for now I need to get things with the ICE figured out. It is consistently throwing a P0505 code (idle air problem- the prius doesn't have an iacv but uses other tricks) and occasionally P0420 (catalytic system not performing to spec). The engine also seems to run more than I think it should- I thought it would shut off at stop lights, and I want to think it did initially, but the last few trips it has run pretty much constantly. The P0505 apparently can be caused by a fouled throttle body, so I'll try and clean it out first. I was told it may have an exhaust leak, so I'll need to hunt that down and see if that is what is causing the catalytic code.

SWMBO got her first good look at it today- and is very skeptical that I'll be able to sell it for anywhere near what I want to try to. I'm hoping I can prove her wrong.

The battery is probably degraded but at that price it is still a good deal.

I've noticed a slight decline in mpg and more frequent ICE engagement (at low speeds) since buying my Prius with 217k (231 now). But, frankly, if it ever gets bad enough to bother me, i will buy a refurb pack and keep on trucking, because the car is great and a refurb hybrid pack is still no more expensive than most of the trans rebuilds i have seen people on this forum buying for much crappier cars.

Sounds like you've made your mind up on the detail shop. I was going to suggest looking on Groupon for a Detail deal. Here in Miami that's big business, so there are always deals. But I pulled a DIY on my jeep. Bought new {used} seats, pulled the old ones, cleaned the carpets as best I could, then cleaned the seats up, turned out decent. But to sell for a premium, I'd leave it to the pros!

Good Luck! I'm interested to see how this whole flip turns out!

QDogg wrote: Sounds like you've made your mind up on the detail shop. I was going to suggest looking on Groupon for a Detail deal. Here in Miami that's big business, so there are always deals. But I pulled a DIY on my jeep. Bought new {used} seats, pulled the old ones, cleaned the carpets as best I could, then cleaned the seats up, turned out decent. But to sell for a premium, I'd leave it to the pros! Good Luck! I'm interested to see how this whole flip turns out!

Thanks! I'm mostly decided that I will have someone else take care of cleaning the interior- it's just well beyond what I want to deal with and I don't have all the tools necessary- and renting/buying them would likely be less cost effective than just having it done. I have looked through Grouon and only found deals on exterior stuff, but did find a $5 coupon off any detailing at the place I was quoted $145 from, so that will help a bit. I'm still checking around for other options both conventional and through some locals who know individuals who do detailing.

Unfortunately due to other things that came up I didn't get as much don't this morning in getting more quotes for that, but did get to try something I'd been curious about. The headlight assemblies were very cloudy and slightly yellowed. So I used rubbing compound and my orbital polisher and attacked them to very good effect- they're not as clear and nice as the rear assemblies, but they look a LOT better and should work much better too. I took a picture after I'd finished one of them but before the other and the difference is quite apparent. I'm uploading what pictures I have to photobucket now- hopefully I'll be able to link them here later today.

My tablet is being a pain and not letting me type much, but here's the album of pictures so far: http://photobucket.com/albums/w411/Ashyukun/Prius%20Flip

wtf, did a bottle of ketchup die in the back seat?

In reply to patgizz:

Murder car.

Datsun1500 wrote: How do you let your car get like that, much less drive it like that?

I can't speak to how you let it get like that- you drive it with the windows down all the way and use lots of hand sanitizer after you get out.

So, I got a few more tire quotes- and am left with a bit of a decision to make.

The first tire place quoted $315 out the door- and their service when you buy 4 tires includes a 4-wheel alignment.

The other place (there are more, but all more expensive...) was only $280 for the tires out the door- but they don't do an alignment along with installing the tires, just balancing and the likes.

So- I need to decide whether having the car aligned is worth the extra $35 or not. The car doesn't seem to NEED an alignment- but of course it's hard to tell without actually checking it. The cheaper place does do and alignment CHECK when they put on 4 new tires- but actually aligning it if it needs it is another $80.

Get a printout of the before/after if you get an alignment. That is one area many shops do a horrible job.

I wouldn't align it yet, you may end up changing something else in the suspension which pretty well ruins an alignment.

I've been scoping these out...

I never get an alignment from tire shops, they generally stink at doing them.

Another vote for saving $35 unless the tire shop in question know what they're doing alignment-wise. IME 99% of them don't.

chandlerGTi wrote: I wouldn't align it yet, you may end up changing something else in the suspension which pretty well ruins an alignment. I've been scoping these out...

That's a very good point, I haven't had the chance to figure out if the shocks & struts need to be replaced.

Got the tires done today without the alignment. They had to replace a wheel stud due to a cross-threaded lug nut but that was only an extra $15. Also told me that the rear drum shoes & drums were shot, so I'll be looking at adding those to my parts order since I was NOT paying them $300 a drum to replace them for me.

Tires & wheel stud: $292.25

Total spent on car: $2307.75

Holy E36 M3 that is a dirty interior.

Yeah... NTB may have had the best prices on tires & installation of them (though admittedly I didn't think to check Wal-Mart's prices- will keep that in mind next time) they're full of E36 M3 when it comes to the prices of the brake work.

They gave me the quote for replacing the rear drum & shoes on the one side they'd checked (at least it looks like it's only one side...) and it broke down along these lines:

Brake Shoes: $110

Brake Drum: $130

Installation: $120

Because I'm trying to do this as cheaply as possible and figure replacing drum brakes is well within what I can do, I told them to just put it all back together and I'd worry about it. So of course I go home and look up what the parts will cost ME if I order them from Rock Auto.

Brake Shoes (both sides): $10

Brake Drums (2x): $30

Brake drum hardware kit (may not need this): $15

So for almost ONE TENTH of the cost of having them do it- assuming the quote was for both sides and not just one- I can do it myself. It's even more ridiculous if the quote really was just for one drum's worth of work.