How to Buy a Junk Car?

[Gold]

After doing some research I think the best solution for my off grid cabin is to use a Toyota Prius as a generator. There are kits to tap into the battery system and install an inverter. Most of the time the power draw is  a handful of LED lights. A couple of hundred watts at most. The well pump however is 2500 watts at start up. The Prius could be nice and quiet running the lights from battery power. When the well pump is needed the Prius can run the engine to charge the batteries.

I'd like to find a Prius that has been in a rear end collision and have it towed there. I'm not looking for one to double as a daily driver. I'd like one that isn't road worthy but has a good battery and engine. The only problem is I have no idea how or where to search. I'm not a car guy so I'd like to find someone who can help me to find a car and also can give it a good once over.

 

[JohnRoberts]

a totalled wreck might not break the bank, but you are buying a lot more than a motor/generator/battery bank...

Hopefully the crash didn't wreck the electrical system.

JR

 

[Gold]

I won't be saving any money if it doesn't work. That's why I want help.

 

[scott2000]

I'd like to find a Prius that has been in a rear end collision and have it towed there.

Where Is the battery on a Prius??

 

[pvision]

By the time you've found a wrecked Prius and had it towed to your location you'll have spent more than buying a running example

One advantage of a running example is that it can also be used as a car

If you definitely want a wrecked one have a look on Copart
https://www.copart.com/lotSearchResults/?free=true&query=prius

Nick Froome

 

[Gold]

Where Is the battery on a Prius??

Good question. It looks like there are two. One in the front and one in the rear.  The kits plug into the one in the rear. Side collision anyone? I guess I'm really looking for the best price/performance ratio to get this going. I only need it as a generator so I figured a non road worthy one with batteries and engine in decent condition would be the way to go.

 

[Gold]

By the time you've found a wrecked Prius and had it towed to your location you'll have spent more than buying a running example

Hmm, maybe you are right. The prices on my local Craigslist look better than the cars in the link you provided.

 

[Gene Pink]

I only need it as a generator ...

Need I state the obvious? 

Gene

 

[Gold]

Need I state the obvious? 

Gene

If the obvious is buy a generator it’s not as obvious as it seems.  The only generator I would consider is a slow turning diesel. It’s VERY QUIET there and even with a generator I’d want to charge batteries for silent operation most of the time. Slow turning diesel generators are expensive. Batteries are expensive. Then you’d have to get the switching and charging right.

It would be over $10K USD to put together a system like that. With a Prius you just plug in the kit, turn it on and take advantage of all the engendering that went into designing it.  Done. And a Prius with 150k miles on it is probably around $4500.

Currently I charge batteries  in NY before I go. That covers the lights. I have a cheap 2 stroke generator for the well pump.

 

[bluebird]

I think its a great idea.  Your just going to have to keep looking around for the right one, Craig's list, eBay, junk yards, perhaps police auctions.
It will be one of those learn as you go things.

 

[PRR]

Do you know how much gasoline a generator can suck?

And how bad gas can go in the off-season?

IMHO it makes more sense if the Prius can drive to the gas station.

Are you sure of the 2500W pump start-up? My 1/2HP pump sucks over 5000W. I have started it, once, on a 3,700W generator, but you could hear it strain.

2500-5000W DC-AC inverters are large and expensive, even if you just need a surge.

(There should be an alternate technology, a 1/16HP pump that runs longer but without the huge start-up surge inherent to grid-connected motors.)

> battery on a Prius?? .... One in the front and one in the rear.

The one in the front is the plain ordinary 12V batt like all cars. It would run your KW inverter a while, and would use a standard 12V inverter (though in high-KW sizes 24V batt is more practical and common).

The "traction" battery is the big one, and mounts toward the rear, IIRC above the back axle specifically to reduce danger in rear-end collision. Older Priuses used a 273V system, NOT any common inverter interface. (You may have found Prius-folk who have hacked this.)

AutoTrader.com (also a newspaper) shows many Priuses under $3000, one at $1600 (but 241K miles!!). Considering how loved these cars are, I suspect any that can run are fixed-up, and unrunnable wrecks are parted-out to keep other Priuses on the road. So $2K may be the low-end of the market.

 

[shabtek]

Diesel generator. Auxiliary tank.
Repurpose old air compressor trailor or better yet light plant. If clever or frugal.
Buy off-road fuel and avoid taxes, hoard when prices are low.long shelf life, no expensive batteries.

 

[Gold]

Do you know how much gasoline a generator can suck?

And how bad gas can go in the off-season?

IMHO it makes more sense if the Prius can drive to the gas station.

Are you sure of the 2500W pump start-up? My 1/2HP pump sucks over 5000W. I have started it, once, on a 3,700W generator, but you could hear it strain.

2500-5000W DC-AC inverters are large and expensive, even if you just need a surge.

(There should be an alternate technology, a 1/16HP pump that runs longer but without the huge start-up surge inherent to grid-connected motors.)

I only am running a few lights most of the time. The only big power draw is the well pump. It's 5000W on start up and 2500W running. The other type of slow draw pump used for solar is about $2500 as was the one I already have. I will surely loose a bunch of money switching. The well pump hardly gets used so a couple of hundred watt draw for lights at night is the average draw. It makes no sense to run a giant generator for lights. I wouldn't consider it for noise reasons anyway. A generator battery system is the best fit.

I don't plan on registering the car so road worthiness isn't important. I don't see going through much gas. Maybe a half a gallon a day at most. We are there once a month at most but we go year round.