Prius with a normal motor

Has anyone done it? Since the thing is so light to begin with put a decent 4 banger in it and I bet you would end up with something of equivalent millage especially if it were highway use. My Google fu is lacking as I did not find anything.

I was thinking 4age just to keep it in the famly.

Now where to find a Prius body with a trashed drive-train. LOL

SHHHHH!!! I have been waiting to see one for challenge money.

I've thought the same thing about the 1st gen. of the Insight. So far, the only "normally powered" Insight articles I've come across were on swapping in modded K-series engines.

Considering how expensive it's supposed to be to replace the batteries in these older (actually, all hybrids), I would wonder where they have gone. The last high mileage Insight I saw for sale was being sold by the folks who used to service my Civics. But would still like to find a 1st gen. Prius (the one that looks like an even uglier Toyota Echo) and drop a GT-S 's 185hp engine in it....ultimate modern day sleeper?

I can't believe I almost went to CraigsList to look for a broken Prius.

There was an article in "Home Power" magazine where a guy bought a 1st gen prius and refurbished the batteries- allegedly made it work pretty much like new again. Apparently they come in "sticks", and some fail before others, so you can mix and match good used ones to make it all work.

A Prius battery pack is $400-600 at a junkyard; they go bad more slowly than the cars are wrecked.

what about a diesel motor, that should get some killer mpg's out of it?

The prius already has a "normal" engine. Its more or less identical to the 1.5 in the echo/yaris etc., with just a change in valve timing and compression. Look at the toyota 1nz engine family, pretty cool engines actually. Take out the hybrid side and its just a yaris?? The 1st gen prius looked very similar to the echo..

As for the insight, IMO, that is a great candidate for an engine swap.

Yeah, I thought they already sold it - the Yaris / Echo.

The Prius isn't particularly light, pushing 3,000 pounds all in. The battery is about 118 pounds, not sure about the hybrid motor and controls. Compare that to around 1,850 pound curb weight on the 1st gen Insight, and you can see why the Prius has been passed over in the "re-motoring" game. The only reason the Prius gets good gas mileage is the tiny gas motor and the slippery shape. Putting a reasonably sized (from our perspective) gas motor in there wouldn't net you that great of mileage.

somewhere out in teh internets is a youtube video of a Prius drag car with a tube chassis and a blown big block Chevy..

I have seen a diesel swapped insight on the web before. Maintained the electric assist and gets 80 mpg.

http://99mpg.com/Projectcars/redlightracingworl

http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/05/insight-1g-first-gen-honda-insight-with-diesel-upgrade-gets-80/

I have only see a video with the noise of a V8. I still want a twinscrew v8 prius though

the Prius might not be light.. but it is a slippery shape. Somebody needs to take one to the saltflats

Prius/Bonneville Salt Flats:

http://www.motortrend.com/auto_news/112_news041221_toyotaprius/index.html

nice.

Lol, this thread is like a 'where were you?' to the people who never considered modding a hybrid before.

There are several fast insights. Im turboing the stock motor in mine for ease/cheapness vs any swap that retains hybrid functionality.

The 1g prius has been modded fairly extensively.. both supercharged and turbocharged, for example, but suffice it to say it is not as mod-friendly as the insight as far as our usual idea of performance goes.

And yes, if you take the hybrid parts out of a 1g prius you have a toyota echo.. weeeeeeeee.

The last high mileage Insight I saw for sale was being sold by the folks who used to service my Civics.

I'll sell you mine with 314k on it for... $8k (i dont want to sell it. )