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Sportwing body side moldings installed

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by exbauer, Jun 27, 2009.

  1. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    I installed the Sportwing body side moldings today. They are a perfect match and I think they look okay. The car definitely looks better without them. But, for the added protection I will deal with them.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    #1 exbauer, Jun 27, 2009
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  2. Gadgetdad

    Gadgetdad New Member

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    Are the "Sportwing body side moldings" the same as the ones in the PriusChat store?

    Does anybody else have the side moldings installed on the Gen3?

    Lee
     
    #2 Gadgetdad, Jun 27, 2009
  3. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    The ones on the PriusChat store are the same ones. But, Sportwing updated the design on the 2010 where they are a little thicker and the ends are cut at an angle. I like the way the new design better than the old.
     
    #3 exbauer, Jun 27, 2009
  4. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    I understand that side moldings are an optional accessory for the 2010 Canadian Prius.

    I wonder what the 2010 Canadian Prius' side moldings look like and what height and angle they're installing them at.
     
    #4 Boo, Jun 28, 2009
  5. RickFlashman

    RickFlashman New Member

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    Sportwing doesn't list the 2010 in their website yet, where did you get them?
     
    #5 RickFlashman, Jun 29, 2009
  6. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    #6 exbauer, Jun 29, 2009
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Check out Canadian owners' pics in the canadian forum. Richard P posted a pic of his black Tech Pack with bodyside mouldings. They do look a lot better than previous bodyside moulding accessories (on any Toyota since Toyota removed them as factory-installed on their cars)
     
    #7 Tideland Prius, Jun 29, 2009
  8. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    Thanks. Here's Richard P's Canadian Prius with side moldings:

    [imglink]http://i686.photobucket.com/albums/vv229/Sylvieetrichard/Estrie2009030.jpg[/imglink]

    Can't tell from the pic, but the Canadian moldings look the same or substantially the same as the Sportwing.

    Compare the height of the moldings in Richard P's Canadian install with the height of exbauer's Sportwing install (assuming exbauer installed them per Sportwing's or metrotpn's instructions).

    Richard P's Canadian install is lower -- on the bottom half of the doors ... this seems to be the most prevalent height for side moldings that I've seen on cars like the 2010 Prius that have an angled, raked crease in the sheet metal high up on the body side (think Honda, Acura) ... I think it looks better this way, but offers very little protection against dings from opening doors. I think exbauer's higher install does not look as good, but will protect much more against dings from doors.
     
    #8 Boo, Jun 29, 2009
  9. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    The only two factory bodyside mouldings that I've seen that are up by the door handles are the Accent and the Grand Prix. All other cars are lower in the door so I never got the point of the mouldings other than it's a stylistic cue. They don't protect anything because the side doors are almost always bulging out at the top rather than the bottom.
     
    #9 Tideland Prius, Jun 29, 2009
  10. yardman 49

    yardman 49 Active Member

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    Thanks all, for the photos!

    I like the looks of the body side moldings in both photos. But I wonder what they would look like at a mid-level height?

    When I had the BSMs installed on my 2009 G2, I had it done mid-height (that was the actual height recommended by the installer and the molding instructions; $211 installed). By mid-level I mean that the molding was halfway between the bottom of the door handle "scoops", and the top of the lower indented door accents; also, the mid-level height was close to the outermost radius of the door. Seemed like a good compromise all around.

    On the 2009s, putting them too low accentuates the "bulbous" look of the G2s, while putting them too high makes them look too much like "after market add on", IMO.

    I do really like the way that the 2010 looks with the BSMs. Since it doesn't have the lower door accents of the G2s, it seems as though there is more freedom of placement.

    Both exbauer's and Richard P's installs look really nice to me. Nice, but without a definitely different feel, due to the difference in height placement.

    Nice work!
     
    #10 yardman 49, Jun 29, 2009
  11. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    I think it looks better lower. But, I followed the instructions provided by Sportwing. I feel there is better protection at the height they instructed.
     
    #11 exbauer, Jun 29, 2009
  12. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    #12 Danny, Jun 30, 2009
  13. exbauer

    exbauer Active Member

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    no problem. go right ahead.
     
    #13 exbauer, Jun 30, 2009
  14. jaywolf

    jaywolf Member

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    #14 jaywolf, Jul 13, 2009
  15. pnutty

    pnutty New Member

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    Looks great on both cars, I kinda like the positioning of the moldings on the black car though.
     
    #15 pnutty, Jul 13, 2009
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