Simple mods that make a big difference

[nyprius]

Since getting my 05 #6 Prius a year ago, my enjoyment of the car has been greatly increased by making several simple modifications that I learned on PC. These include: unplugging the center dashboard speaker, turning off the annoying reverse and seatbelt beepers, and learning it's OK to put wider better handling tires on the car.

I'm sure there are several other simple things I could do that would make a big difference. But I have no idea how to quickly find them among the thousands, perhaps millions, of posts on PC. I'm not so much referring to things that require lots of time, labor and expense, though those might be useful too. Mainly I'm referring to things that could be done quickly, like the examples above. Does anyone know if there's a list of simple mods? If so, please provide it or the link to it here. Alternatively, if you know of simple mods beyond the ones above, please list them. Thanks!

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyprius @ Jul 1 2006, 12:47 PM) [snapback]279763[/snapback]</div>

Alternatively, if you know of simple mods beyond the ones above, please list them. Thanks!
[/b]

Howdy ... I started a thread on this very subject a while back, and offered up some of mine and asked others for their input. The thread died on the vine pretty quickly, I'm afraid. And today I can't even find it. But... one place you can look is in my sig for the Prius Mods. I have much of what I've done listed there - some are easy and some aren't. But you can at least sort through them very quickly. Have a look!

[walt]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jul 1 2006, 04:02 PM) [snapback]279770[/snapback]</div>

Howdy ... I started a thread on this very subject a while back, and offered up some of mine and asked others for their input. The thread died on the vine pretty quickly, I'm afraid. And today I can't even find it.
[/b]

this one?
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=17747&hl=

[nyprius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jul 1 2006, 04:02 PM) [snapback]279770[/snapback]</div>

Howdy ... I started a thread on this very subject a while back, and offered up some of mine and asked others for their input. The thread died on the vine pretty quickly, I'm afraid. And today I can't even find it. But... one place you can look is in my sig for the Prius Mods. I have much of what I've done listed there - some are easy and some aren't. But you can at least sort through them very quickly. Have a look!
[/b]

Thanks Darelld! That's an excellent mod list! I especially like having the fog lights work independently. The work is a little beyond me though. I wouldn't mind paying someone to do the mod and at the same time installing much brighter foglights. Actually I would love to have independently functioning HID yellow foglights (ie: fogs can go on and off, regardless of whether headlights are off, low or high). This would look great and be effective in bad weather, unlike the OEM fogs. Others referred to them as worthless except for ornamental purposes. I agree.

Do you or others have more simple mod ideas?

[berylrb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyprius @ Jul 1 2006, 02:47 PM) [snapback]279763[/snapback]</div>

unplugging the center dashboard speaker, turning off the annoying reverse and seatbelt beepers, and learning it's OK to put wider better handling tires on the car.
[/b]

Just curious what was/is annoying about the center speaker?

b

[nyprius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(berylrb @ Jul 1 2006, 06:47 PM) [snapback]279810[/snapback]</div>

Just curious what was/is annoying about the center speaker?

b
[/b]

Many people on PC said the center speaker messed up the sound somehow. I'm not an expert, so I don't know how. They said disconnecting the speaker largely improves sound quality. I did and it does!

[samkusnetz]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nyprius @ Jul 1 2006, 04:17 PM) [snapback]279852[/snapback]</div>

Many people on PC said the center speaker messed up the sound somehow. I'm not an expert, so I don't know how. They said disconnecting the speaker largely improves sound quality. I did and it does!
[/b]

the amplifier has an equalization curve permanently set (like if someone welded your "mid" eq knob in place after turning it up) and this can cause distortion in some pieces of music (try any rock music with a brass section). the center channel, it so happens, is the most egregious contributor to this boosted range of frequencies, so by unplugging it, you get closer to "true" sound out of the system.

[Godiva]

Very simple things I would do again (on my next Prius.)

The BT stiffening plate. *I* noticed a difference. Best $150 and 30 min. I ever spent.

The mudguards. Really keep the car much cleaner.

The bumper guard (black plastic) on the rear bumper.

The back-up buzzer in the rear tail-light (and turning off the regular beeper.) Okay, this was my mother's idea, I'm neutral on it. I don't see people really noticing I'm backing up whether I have the beeper or not. But it was simple and at least I can tell the cop as we both stand over the body that I installed a back up beeper...the moron just chose to ignore it.

Cargo net (I installed it myself), spider net (the rings are already in the car) and the cargo tote. Hardly a mod but I would do all of these again in a second.

GT covers.

Wheelskins.

Robinredbreast's (Priushoods) glove box covers and driver's side cover and the screen hood. Absolutely. As for the center console cover and armrests...I like them so much I've decided to get leather installed on them permanently and will have the car done this summer. But those aren't mods I can do myself so I don't count them. I haven't counted anything I couldn't do myself, like the 3M clear bra. I don't have tint (yet) either so that's not included.

[Bill Merchant]

Lots of good mods here! A not-quite-do-it-yourself mod is to change to quieter, better handling tires. You don't have to go with a wider tire and worry about nav/odo discrepancies. The Goodyear ComforTred tire comes in the same size as the OEM ones.

One little mod I made was to cover the underside of the hard part of the cargo cover with self-adhesive shelf-liner. My grubby fingers got the white fabric backing looking ugly with just a few pulls. The "brushed steel" vinyl I attached looks great and cleans easily.

[nyprius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Jul 6 2006, 12:26 AM) [snapback]281813[/snapback]</div>

Very simple things I would do again (on my next Prius.)

The BT stiffening plate. *I* noticed a difference. Best $150 and 30 min. I ever spent.

The mudguards. Really keep the car much cleaner.

The bumper guard (black plastic) on the rear bumper.

The back-up buzzer in the rear tail-light (and turning off the regular beeper.) Okay, this was my mother's idea, I'm neutral on it. I don't see people really noticing I'm backing up whether I have the beeper or not. But it was simple and at least I can tell the cop as we both stand over the body that I installed a back up beeper...the moron just chose to ignore it.

Cargo net (I installed it myself), spider net (the rings are already in the car) and the cargo tote. Hardly a mod but I would do all of these again in a second.

GT covers.

Wheelskins.

Robinredbreast's (Priushoods) glove box covers and driver's side cover and the screen hood. Absolutely. As for the center console cover and armrests...I like them so much I've decided to get leather installed on them permanently and will have the car done this summer. But those aren't mods I can do myself so I don't count them. I haven't counted anything I couldn't do myself, like the 3M clear bra. I don't have tint (yet) either so that's not included.
[/b]

Thanks to everyone! All great ideas!