2012 Prius Lower Door Chrome Trim

Congrats on the new car! Looks sharp!

Agree with the first mod you made.

Waiting on the window tint and lower body molding here. But not too much longer I hope.

 

looks real nice on black.

 

Did you using any guides when lining these up for install? I am thinking of using painter's tape or a string line to make sure I get them on straight.

iPad

 

They line up perfectly with the bottom of the door. No need for tape.

 

Looks nice. I just bought a 2012 Winter Gray Model 2 and installed the tapered body side molding. I also like the look of the lower door chrome trim. Would the car look funny if it has both the tapered molding (the one installed near the middle of the door) and the lower door chrome trim? It would be great if there is a picture of someone who did this.

 

Just eyeballed the area where these will go on. My car has some protective film on the panel just to the rear of the rear door. Has anyone else had this and what did you do for the lower molding install? Did you remove the protective film or install the moldings over the film?

 

^^^ Thanks.

 

Many of us have put the lower chrome molding on along with the side moldings. Some using the RAV-4 moldings. Click the link below for some pix.

My new PiP with RAV4 side molding | PriusChat

 

That looks great—love the trim.

 

Hi AZ, I did this awhile back but I did remove the protective film for a cleaner look & install IMHO. Also, I did use painters tape as a guidance as I wanted to be as accurate as I could. It's easy but at the same time it's not that easy to get them perfectly lined up or matching from one side to the other. What I mean by this is that both sides are pretty straight on mine but the drivers side I have slightly white underneath meaning it's slightly higher than the other(passenger) side. It's pretty petty when u think about it as others won't even notice. But at the time, it bothered me a little bit but now I don't even think about it. The key is to be patient & take your time. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the link to the pics. I'm still on the fence about whether to go for it. Hope to make up my mind by the end of this weekend.

If I do get them, when I install them, I think I will remove the little piece of protective film on the lower rear door. It's thin but I think that it will still leave a little gap so that water can get in and perhaps weaken the adhesive. I figure that that film only protects an additional half inch above the lower moldings so it's no big loss.

 

It's all in if you like the look. On the install, I had the dealer do it on the side moldings and the rocker panel chrome piece.

 

Thanks. I decided to apply over the protective film. It actually looks just fine. I wouldn't say that I am 100% satisfied with my install job, leaving a large gap between the front and rear (large meaning larger than the gap between the actual doors). I notice it but am sure it won't bother me too much longer.

The other thing I did today was to put some red vinyl over the third brake light. That made a nice difference in the look, with that light now better matching the Valenti tail lights.


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Haha, I know it's something only we know of but bothers us because we could have done slightly better. And yes, in a month time, u won't even notice the gap.

That's one thing I have left alone is the third brake light despite vinyling my tail lights red, I like the slight contrast of the 3rd brake light.

 

I installed mines but the one on driver side rear door panel doesnt stick it pops up in the middle. I dont know what to do with it , either remove and reinstall with another tape or glue with strong adhesive... anyone had this trouble ?

 

I am quite envious of all of you PriusChat peeps who have the knowledge and faith in your skills to put these on. I unfortinately am not a car type guy so I had to pay the dealer close to $115 bucks to have these installed. I guess that is the price you pay for having it warrantied and absolutely no mistakes. I really do like the look of them and people often comment saying my Prius looks different but they can't figure out why....

 

I had a similar problem as u. Most likely it is because of the universal ABS hard plastic that doesn't bend or conform to the body part & the 3M tape is not strong enough to adhere to the less than perfect fit. Despite not sticking in the middle, is it firmly on there where it will not come off? because, mine was like this. Even though the middle popped up, both ends were firmly stuck.

 

Is the hybrid logo able to be removed?