ok took the ugly hubcaps off and like the wheel look.... Im getting ready to paint the brake calipers... with caliper paint. Should I: Leave them alone? Paint them red for the performance look? Paint them black chrome? Also, Has anyone removed the ugly blue front and rear emblems and painted them - thinking black chrome or black or grey to get rid of the blue on a black car?
Red would look silly as it's not a performance car. Plenty of threads on people changing out the front and rear emblems if you'll do a search. I happen to like blue on black but can understand if someone wants to get rid of blue on Barcelona Red or Sandy Beach.
Leave them alone. They look better than most and I don't think it is worth the trouble, but to each his own.
Paint the brake calipers red. Trust me. A little red trim is FIERCE! Plus if you ever get new rims (which I suggest, the stock 15s look pathetic) then the red will still show up nicely. As far as emblems go, you can buy a whole set of black chrome emblems for the Prius. It costs like $300 though. http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/jdm/prius/ext_grazio_bluishblackchrome.jpg Alternatively, if you're going for the "red trim" look, you can swap the blue part of the Toyota logo with a red outline. They are basically high quality vinyl stickers. But it is $85 on eBay just for 1 set. A lot of money for some stickers. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2009-10-TOYOTA-PRIUS-30-HEAT-RED-HYBRID-STICKER-T25-R-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3f003b43ecQQitemZ270586823660QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories
$80 +++ for emblem stickers??? I've got a bridge in NYC too if you have spare$$$.... Here's the best DYI link - he also has one for the rear one too: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...tions/65627-front-blue-emblem-replaced-4.html
I like the idea of red in the emblem to go with the black paint. It's much sharper than blue with that color. Here's a place where they are a little cheaper. Rakuten: Silk blaze /Silk Blaze heat red emblem / black base [two places of ZVW-30 prius sets] rear (T25)/ front (T24)- Shopping Japanese products from Japan Not sure if this kit will fit the C's emblems. Still pretty expensive after you pay shipping from Japan. But it's a nice subtle change that just adds a bit of flair rather than scream "performance car", if you don't mind the price.
IMO painting the calipers red would look silly behind the stock wheels, but do what ever makes you happy. Just use a high temperature paint. I don't care for the blue behind the front and back badge either, but my wife likes it and it's her car. She said, "It makes the Prius stand out as a hybrid", to which I replied, "but it's a Prius, everyone already knows it's a hybrid"... Here is a link to some precut carbon fiber look vinyl stickers that will cover the blue background in the emblem: Toyota Prius Carbon Fiber Emblem Insert Decal Blue Heat JDM 2010 2011 2012 | eBay
I got the MGP covers as well and had them installed. I also plastikoted (if that is a word) my emblems. They look good, but the coat was uneven. I took it off and covered them in vinyl. Front carbon fiber and rear gloss black. You can do it with the emblem still on. The front comes off easily the rear is more work.
