New owner with many questions

I'm new here and new to the Prius family.

My previous car was a Subaru Legacy GT wagon with some nice, tasteful mods. I loved my Subaru and had plans to drive it into the ground. Unfortunately, last fall a couple "drivers" inexperienced with driving in the snow had other plans; they helped me off the road and my beloved wagon was totaled.

I consider myself lucky to have found a clean-one-owner, low mileage 5 with just about every option I could have asked for, so I don't plan on going bonkers with mods. I know, famous last words.

For starters, I would like to shave the Prius and hybrid badges off the hatch and the hybrid badges off the fenders. Monday I was at the dealer having the car inspected before committing to buy it; while I was there I asked one of the parts department employees if the badges are attached with double-sided tape, pins of some kind or both. The parts guy immediately said double-sided tape only. I bought the car and as soon as I got home I carefully removed the badge on the right fender; much to my chagrin, I discovered the holes in the fender. That is when I also discovered the parts guy is an idiot.

Are all the badges pinned? If the answer is yes, I will probably live with it the way it is. I am definitely not going to spend the money to have a body shop fill the holes and paint as needed. However, I am toying with trying to find amber LEDs to install in the fender holes and tying them into the turn signals to use as repeaters. That may be the poor mans version of buying new mirrors with integrated turn signals. Assuming I can find the just-right LEDs, will it be cool or stupid?

I've spent the past 10+ years driving Subarus and know the language and all the acronyms, but I am totally lost here. I have read through the glossary. It doesn't address the language of accessories and modifications found in this forum. As I read some of your signatures with the myriad of mods and upgrades you've done, I don't have any idea what some of them are. Any help in this area would be appreciated.

I know I'll have more questions and hopefully I won't be a complete PITA until I find my way around.

/diary

 

Thank you, Dylan. I have read and posted in the What did you do to ur Gen III thread. Bummer about the alignment pins, guess that's a little mod that won't happen. Before I buy things like the JDM mirrors I will lower it and upgrade the sway bars, but the mirrors are nice.

 

Thank you, Jimbo. I have read the acronym glossary thread as well, but I will spend a little more time going through it again before asking what may be a dumb question.

 

Fabulous, thank you!
I sincerely appreciate the help and getting pointed in the right direction.