Best moldings...where to find?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JenGwen323 @ Sep 9 2007, 03:20 PM) [snapback]509657[/snapback]</div>

What color is your car? That can make a big difference in deciding which of the many ways to go.

 

The ones from the PriusChat store are painted. They get them from Metrotpn.com, a Toyota dealer in Ohio. These are what I have on my SuperWhite '06.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JenGwen323 @ Sep 9 2007, 03:20 PM) [snapback]509657[/snapback]</div>

Hi JenGwen,

My two cents:

SIDE MOLDINGS PriusChat Shop's color-keyed body side moldings are painted, but they are an absolute perfect color and gloss match. Because they are a perfect color and gloss match, have perfect tapered ends that you could not duplicate, and are located on the car's sides, I recommend getting them instead of using generic black ones from stores or body shops or using the BumperDefender.com color-matched bumper strips as side moldings.

BUMPER GUARD STRIPS I like BumperDefender.com's 2" wide, full-width, color-matched, front and rear bumper strips. The color is impregnated so there isn't any problem with chipping. But unlike the PriusChat Shop's side moldings, you probably will not get an absolute perfect color match (and you certainly will not get a perfect gloss match) to your Barcelona Red. However, you can probably find a pretty close color match among the 5 reds that BumperDefender.com offers. You can order color samples from BumperDefender.com to see which one matches best. I know that one PriusChatter has reported that BumperDefender.com's "Inferno Red" is a pretty close match to your Barcelona Red. I think you can get away with a close, but not perfect, color match for the car's bumpers (as opposed to the car's body side moldings) because it's kind of expected there (for this reason, I think you can also elect to use a body shop's black bumper guard moldings ... it's pretty common to have black moldings on a car's bumpers no matter what color the car is).

Note that if you order the BumperDefender.com 2" wide strips, you should order an 8' strip for the rear, and two 3.5' strips for the front (one on each side of the license plate holder).

In terms of placement/location of the bumper strips:

(i) Rear - I installed the rear bumper strip immediately above/on that crease that runs the length of the rear bumper.

(ii) Front - This is more complicated because there is no similar crease that runs the length of the front bumper. It's Crease, Interrupted. You have the license plate holder with its rounded corners in the middle of the bumper. You have the front air dam spoiler which has a top edge that's slightly higher than the crease in the front bumper. You have the little round tow hole plug on the driver's side which you should try to obstruct as little as reasonably possible. (Note that I think you can get away with obstructing no more than the bottom 1/6 of the tow hole plug.) You have to take all this into consideration when installing the front bumper strips.

For both the front and rear bumper strips, I extended them to the crease that's about 3" away from and surrounds each wheel well opening.

TOP OF REAR BUMPER PROTECTOR This only comes in rubbery ribbed matte black from PriusChat Shop. There is a clear film applique available, but it doesn't protect as well.

In my opinion, having close, if not perfect, color matched bumper strips, or black bumper strips, and black top of rear bumper protector, would look fine because factory OEM bumper strips and rear bumper protectors are frequently that way. Also, anything black on the bumpers would echo the black that's already all over the car.

If you will be installing body side moldings and/or bumperguard strips, I strongly recommend having either a good body shop install them, or have two people install them (you need a second set of eyes, if not hands, to make sure they are being installed straight). One PriusChatter strongly recommends this LA body shop to do the installations:

Manongs Autobody And Repair
4780 Eagle Rock Blvd Los Angeles CA 90041

TELEPHONE NUMBER
(323)551-6789

* * * * * * * * * * *

In my opinion, I do not think it will look odd to have on your car these colors/items:

1. PriusChat Shop color matched body side moldings.

2. 2" wide BumperDefender.com color matched front and rear bumperguard strips, or 2" wide black bumperguard strips available from body shops.

3. PriusChat Shop black top of rear bumper protector.

That's the way my car is (though I know it's easier to get away with it on Magnetic Gray than Barcelona Red), and I think it looks fine:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/4720d1185170712-magnetic-gray-club-prius___with_bumper_guards___side_moldings_051.jpg[/IMGLINK]

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-modifications/4719d1185170324-here-where-buy-side-moldings-bumper-guards-prius___with_bumper_guards___side_moldings_067.jpg[/IMGLINK]

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-modifications/4718d1185170280-here-where-buy-side-moldings-bumper-guards-prius___with_bumper_guards___side_moldings_052.jpg[/IMGLINK]
Feel free to PM me or email me directly at [email protected] if I can be of any other help. Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the advice - this is all stuff that I want to do but since I just picked my Seaside Pearl up last week, I'm getting over having to write all the other checks. I'll add this stuff to my Christmas list and hope that someone in the family takes the hint
Thanks to all of you for your wonderful advice and information. I haven't posted much 'cause I don't have much to say but I have learned a lot from reading all the posts!!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(07seaside @ Sep 10 2007, 08:37 PM) [snapback]510349[/snapback]</div>

Hi '07seaside,

Congratulations and welcome! I think that's a great idea to add this stuff to Christmas lists. I'm doing a similar thing too, e.g., I recently added a professional grade tire gauge to my list.

BTW, I think the costs of the moldings are approximately as follows:

1. PriusChat Shop color-keyed Body Side Moldings - $122

2. PriusChat Shop Black Bumper Protector - $37

3. BumperDefender.com color matched Front (two 3.5') and Rear (one 8') Bumperguard Strips - $78
(plus around $12 if you order the anvil type cutting shears from them or buy them on your own at Home Depot or at a garden supplies store - they're the same thing as anvil type pruning shears which you may already have in your tool shed).

Also, FYI I understand from another PriusChatter that BumperDefender.com's "Steel Blue" is a near perfect color match to your Seaside Pearl. If you decide to go with their bumperguard strips, I think that you should ask them for a sample in Steel Blue (and any other blue they have that you think might match).

Take care.

 

Echo my confirmation from my car that Inferno Red is a match for 07 Barcelona Red.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JenGwen323 @ Sep 12 2007, 10:36 PM) [snapback]511694[/snapback]</div>

Hi JenGwen,

Two more cents:

* FYI, the shark fin antenna has poorer reception than the OEM stick antenna.

* Even if you have a body shop install the BumperDefender.com bumperguard strips, you should tell them or confer with them as to exactly where on the bumpers the strips should be placed. In this regard, consider my placement/installation advice above.

* I have another bumper thingy to add to your Christmas list. NoBump.com makes these small, round, spool-like, rubbery bumper guards that screw into the top holes of your front license plate. They're cute, round, cheap ($9.95) and effective. Because of their low shipping costs, GirlsLoveWheels.com is the cheapest place to get them ($9.95 + $2.95 shipping). Here's a photo:

[IMGLINK]http://priuschat.com/forums/attachments/gen-ii-prius-modifications/4718d1185170280-here-where-buy-side-moldings-bumper-guards-prius___with_bumper_guards___side_moldings_052.jpg[/IMGLINK]

Welcome, congratulations, good luck and Merry Christmas!

 

Duplicate post deleted.

 

Boo -

Thanks so much for all the good advice - especially in color. I think I'm going to order the black/grey bumper strips. I think it will tie nicely to the other black.

BTW - for anyone who's interested. I ordered a set of WeatherTech mats in Tan since my interior is supposed to be Bisque. They don't even come close to looking good. I'm sending them back and getting black. I think it will tie to the dash and doors just fine. Sorry, but the carpet looks grey to me, not tan

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(07seaside @ Sep 14 2007, 01:22 PM) [snapback]512595[/snapback]</div>

Hi 07seaside,

Maybe you've already seen it, but if you want to see how your Seaside Pearl would look with black bumper guard strips, check out Zang's photos in his "Oh What a Bumper Bummer" thread:

http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=35636&st=0

Whatever color you decide to go with, you need to think about placement/location of the bumper strips (see my discussion above). E.g., in terms of how far to extend the bumper strips, IMO I think it looks best if the bumper strips are extended only to the round crease that's about 3" away from and surrounds each wheel opening (see photos of my car), as opposed to extending the strips all the way to the wheel openings (see Zang's photos), but of course it's up to you as to how you'd like them.

Good luck. Feel free to PM me or contact me directly at [email protected] if I can be of any other help.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JenGwen323 @ Sep 14 2007, 10:48 PM) [snapback]512860[/snapback]</div>

JenGwen,

On my Prius (and I believe everyone else's Prius with a dealer installed license plate holder), the back of the license plate holder is flush with the bumper (it is curved to more or less match the curve of the bumper). So the bumper guard strips have to stop at the license plate holder. That's why I said that you have to order two 3.5' strips --- one for each side of the license plate holder.

When you say that you "recycled the dealer frames", what do you mean by "recycled"? And are you talking about the curved license plate holder I described above that is flush with and sticks out about 3/4" from the bumper, or are you talking about that thin flat frame that "frames" or surrounds the edges of the license plate (and which typically has the name of the dealer on it)? If you're talking about the former, then I think you have to get another one put on (probably by the dealer or a body shop). If you're talking about the latter, then you can get a new one (there's a lot of variety ... most of them tacky) from an auto parts store and put it on yourself.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JenGwen323 @ Sep 14 2007, 10:48 PM) [snapback]512860[/snapback]</div>

Hey, you're the second person I've run into in the past two months that's moved or is moving from LA to Austin. From what I've heard, Austin is unlike the rest of Texas, so you probably won't need a Prius gun rack there.