sfprankster's (mis)adventures modding a 2014 Prius Model Three

My (mis)adventures modding a 2014 Prius begins here...


Being new to Prius ownership(Sept 4, 2014), and having an OCD tendency to change what works by design into my own personalized version, I have created this thread to record the changes to my 2014 Blizzard Pearl Prius Model Three with Bisque interior. I'll attempt to post the links or promo codes I have used in this process, along with any tips/tricks I learn along the way.



Some of the first mods to my Prius, nicknamed the Faux Five:

Computerized Tinting of San Jose, CA, installed the Llumar CTX15 window tint on the rear windows and Llumar Air80 tint on the driver/passenger windows, to dampen the heat buildup/glare from the sun and to make the gf happy.


Replaced the carpet floor mats with Toyota All Weather Floor Mats. The ease of cleanup was the motivation for this mod, as I live in the boonies(CA redwoods) and there is minimal road surfacing around. I have the NEW floor mats available for sale in this thread.


Removed the stock plastic wheel covers and installed center caps. This is a temporary mod until my new wheels/tires deliver next week.


I installed a bumper protector to the rear bumper. I use my Prius for business travel and carry cargo 3-4 days a week.


I replaced the front and rear Toyota badge blue/black backgrounds with carbon fiber vinyl from SimCarbon. I used several(3) layers of masking tape around the badges(bottom center, top right and left corners) to protect the paint and gently pried the badges to release the pins from the body using a plastic tipped bicycle tire iron. Apply the vinyl to the blue/black background and trim the edge with scissors. use a hobby knife to cut out the pin locations and re-install.


I had my Toyota dealer change the Semi Truck Backup Simulator(reverse beeps) to a single beep when placing the vehicle into reverse. According to the service manager, the only options available are a single beep or constant beeps. It's not possible to disable them completely.

I changed the interior lights to LED's from iJDMTOY. The increase to the overall brightness and light color has been very much improved IMO. Precision LED provides an excellent "how to" video instructions.

Standard 1210-SMD LED Interior Lights Combo Package for Toyota Prius:


Map lights:


Vanity lights:


Rear dome light:


Door lights:


Rear cargo area light:



License plate lights:




I got to see the LED's in use after dark tonight for the first time. The amount of light increased dramatically from stock bulbs . I'm glad I didn't get one of the brighter options available. Everything has been plug-n-play, no modifications other than changing over the bulbs to LED's. If done without breaks, this mod can be accomplished in as little as 30-45 minutes.

Map and rear dome lights on after dark:



10% off promo code: GoJDM

3k HID fog lights installed by Extreme HID of San Jose, CA.

Before:


After:

 

(Mis)adventures to make the darkness go away...


My gf should never have let me go to Extreme HID alone...

5K HID Headlight Installation:
Added a 5k HID headlight kit to my Faux Five Prius, while waiting for the fog light installation.


3k HID Fog & DRL:


3k HID Fog & 5k HID:


3k HID Fog, 5k HID low & halogen high beam:


Mock up of Drag DR-19 17" wheels and tires on order for my Faux Five Prius. White spoke w/ machined lip.

 

They are Drag DR-19 17 x 7.5 wheels from America's Tire. I wasn't sure how much chrome accents I would be adding to the car, so I'm going with the white spoked wheels. There's just enough machined aluminum showing on the rim lip to accentuate a few chrome/polished stainless steel/aluminum features if I go that direction in the future.
To me, a mostly white....errrrrr I mean Blizzard Pearl theme is simplistic, yet elegant IMO.

Keeps me out of trouble and occasionally I learn a few things, like the fact that interior halogen bulbs are HOT, when on for a short period of time, and are effective at removing skin from fingers rather quickly.

Thanx!!

Really one of the most straight forward LED/bulb replacements to do. Once you access the socket, getting the correct polarity on the LED is simple, as you can swap the direction of the electrical plug into the socket. Unlike the door lights, where the plug is keyed into the socket, allowing you only one way to make the connection.

 

To me, the black wheels and the black paint look good together. It gives the perception of clean lines, symmetry and a more aggressive appearance.

On mine, when I removed the wheel covers, it made the wheels looks too small in the fender wells against the contrast of the Blizzard Pearl paint. And the fact I couldn't stand the sounds they made from flexing, when hitting the road reflectors or small bumps. I know, I'm not supposed to be driving by braille.


What polish are you using to pull that shine?

 

Anyone know if the Brake Light Flash Strobe Module from V-LEDS will work on the center 3rd brake light?

Quick and easy antenna mod....

All you need is some white(or any color to match) 5/8" shrink tubing, scissors and a hair dryer.



Temporary until I find another option I like.

Stubby?
Shark fin?
Other?


Can you tell I was bored at work yesterday?

 

Email from VLEDS in response to my question:

[email protected]
To Me Today at 7:41 AM
Hi Chris,

Yes this product works great with third brake light applications.
Note that this only works with LED lights so as long as you have LEDS in your third brake light then this should work great for you.
If you have any more questions please feel free to contact us and have a wonderful day.

Thank you,

Customer Support
360-543-5700
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm PST



Might be time to add a flashing 3rd brake light to my Faux Five during Project Exterior LED's.

Better pics of the Faux Five after a bath and a Brazilian wax.

Can even see the white antenna much better than the "after dark" pic I posted last night.





The countdown to delivery of the wheels on order: T minus 4 days

Tires in stock, wheels delivered yesterday. Me with appointments 90 miles away today.


17" Wheels & Tires:
New Drag DR-19 17" x 7.5" wheels and Yokohama YK580 215/45/17 tires installed on the Faux Five Prius.




Damn, the amount of clearance between the tires and the fenders is going to be bothersome until I can install a lowering spring set.

 

The "make the darkness go away" (mis)adventure...


With my level of OCD, I'd constantly be adjusting the dampening and pre-load , and never accomplish much else.

Project External LED's has begun...

I installed a set of 7440 5k white LED reverse lights from VLEDS today. Another very simple plug and play mod that takes at most, a few minutes to complete, with no tools required.

The LED's, a high quality light with 21 LED's installed on an aluminum body and knurled edges, came very well packaged for shipping. A pair of LED's inside a sealed bag with individual foam wrap on each LED, shipped in a padded envelope, stuffed with styrofoam peanuts to maximum capacity. can anyone say "Packaging overkill"?


Locate the turn signal/reverse light cover in the cargo area and remove the cover to expose the sockets. The lower of the two sockets is the reverse light. Rotate the socket to remove from the body.


For safety, here's where you need a friend, gf, wife, significant other or anyone you trust with your life.
Have them start the car and place it in reverse so you can test for the correct polarity of the LED. Once you determine the correct polarity, plug the LED into the socket and re-install the socket into the body. Replace the cover, then rinse and repeat for the other side.


Stock halogen bulb in the broad daylight:


5k LED in broad daylight:


From what I could tell in the daylight, the LED's are significantly brighter than the stock halogen bulbs. Updated after dark pics in Post #18 below.


VLEDS Promo code: 10OCT for 10% off your order

Better pics of the Faux Five in its natural habitat, the Santa Cruz Mountains, with the new 17" wheels/tires.

 

The "do I really need these" (mis)adventures...


Carbon Fiber License Plate Frames:
Added some 1/4" firm weatherstripping to the back of the license plate, before installation, to keep the rattles away.




As an added bonus, the license plate frames match my carbon fiber vinyl badge backgrounds.

They came in the mail today, after I took the pics.

You can see the temporary CA registration sticker in the lower left corner of the front window in the pics.

Received a set of color swatches I requested from Wheelskins today.


Another tough decision comes to the forefront...

Do I order a steering wheel cover in a single color? two color? with/without perforations?

For the record, I'm working with a Bisque interior on an obviously Blizzard Pearl Prius.

Color choices:
Sand-very possible on a single or two color cover...if two color, top /bottom or sides?
Oak-wrong color for my interior
Grey-wrong color for my interior
Charcoal-another possibility as a second color that I need to see in a few different types of light, matches the console
Black-another possibility as a second color that I need to see in a few different types of light, matches the dash

Update on the reverse light LED's. Pics taken after dark without any other light source or flash.

The oleanders in the image are 30' away with the camera sitting on the spoiler.


Looking into the LED reverse lights from 12' away, with no other lights turned on.

Holy bat guano Batman, these are bright. There is enough brightness to cause flares in all of the images. Somewhere near full retina burn.




...and in the background, Manfred Mann's Earth Band begins to play "Blinded by the Light"...