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Do I Really Want the Rear Bumper Applique?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by ggood, Jan 28, 2013.

  1. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    Someone posted here that you can just flip the trunk OEM mats over and get a rubber floor mat. That's what I do. Not a perfect symmetric fit but can't beat free and it of course folds over to access the compartment underneath.

    And I don't like the rear bumper appliqué. It doesn't look good to my eyes. But again, if free, I'd use it. All I takes is one scratch to get your worth out of it.
     
  2. ggood

    ggood Senior Member

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    Thanks all. I'll go with the appliqué for fear of scratching up the bumper. Not thrilled with the look, but I like the look of the heavy duty strips even less (on this car).

    I'll try flipping the carpeted mat before I do anything else. Seems like the easiest thing to do, since its always gonna be there anyway. Canvasback confirmed by email that their 2010 prius cover does not fit the PIP, according to one of their big online resellers. However, if the only problem is that it would be a tad bigger in some areas, it may still be worth considering. I like the idea of having the seatbacks covered when the dogs are in the car, or when carrying large cargo. Of course, a $10 tarp is a heck of a lot cheaper than the $150 canvasback.
     
  3. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I bought cheap carpet from Home Depot and cut it to size. It helped protect my GenII for years and then my first GenIII. Eventually the backing started to flake and leave sand on the seats so I tossed it but for 3+yrs of service and only $11 spent it was worth it. :)
     
  4. G. G.

    G. G. Junior Member

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    I had it put on to help prevent scratches mostly from my dog putting her paws up there before she jumps in. I think it looks nice.
    G.
     
  5. Hi Burrito!

    Hi Burrito! Regenerative Farting

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    I like the rear bumper appliqué -- the way it looks and its function of preventing nasty paint scratches. My 2006 Gen II came with an appliqué from the factory and has taken a beating. Glad I had it.

    When I bought my PiPA in Nov '12 it came with several installed options, but not the appliqué. I asked the dealer about installing it, and he said Fremont Toyota would not. The reason being that appliqués are difficult to install correctly, and unless you have someone who does it often, they end up ruining appliqués, wasting time, etc. Well... that right there was a challenge! (y)

    I bought the appliqué for $41.82 plus shipping from an online dealer in Ohio. It sat in my garage a few weeks while I waited for a day of clear, mild weather. Which also gave me time to search the web for tips on installation. The following two links that I found were quite helpful:



    (above is Part 1 of 4)

    Paint Protection Film Application
    (above has several pages of photos and good text explanations)

    Today I installed the appliqué. It took about half an hour and I'm satisfied with the results. The logo isn't loud at all, and its colors go well with Sea Glass Pearl. The only blemish with my installation was a tiny (2 mm) bubble on the left side, main surface. It's probably only visible to me, and I bet it will disappear into the mosaic of scratches that accumulate over time. I'm posting some photos of the install to show how it looks on the car, and perhaps to inspire someone to DIY! (Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for the DIY'ers...:cool:)

    1_Toyota part.JPG 2_Clean bumper.JPG 3_Squeegee.JPG 4_Completed.JPG 5_Completed detail.JPG
     
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  6. ggood

    ggood Senior Member

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    Good job. Still waiting for my appliqué, since my car shipped before the applique reached the dealer. Guess I'll have a chance to try this myself, if I'm brave enough.
     
  7. ggood

    ggood Senior Member

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    Just following up. I found the rear cargo mat to be too flimsy, so I got the Toyota all weather mat. I prefer its soft rubbery kind of material to the hard slick plastic kind like the Weathertech. I can see where a slicker surface might be better for some purposes, so some people might prefer it. I don't find it hard to get to the storage compartment or roll or fold this softer version out of the way. It's been working fine for my limited purposes.
     
  8. inventor00

    inventor00 Active Member

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    I just went to a carpet dealer , bought a remnant and cut to size for the back trunk mat (over the other ones).
    I bought the car before the appliques came in so I installed it myself (use water spay bottle and used a squeegee to get out the air bubbles). The clear applique for the PIP looks good on white.
     
  9. Sfcyclist

    Sfcyclist Senior Member

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    I was worried it won't protect it well enough so I went with factory black plastic guard instead. $30 and def. very durable. I load my bike quite often and step on the bumper a lot so. The edge protection is what I like the most as it curve to the very edge of the bumper. From the looks of it, the applique does not protect that area at all?

    [​IMG]
     
  10. lensovet

    lensovet former BP Brigade 207

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    It definitely goes down and is quite durable. Of course, less durable than a hard plastic cover, but also much less noticeable. Dad had one on his 2004.
     
  11. Airstream

    Airstream Junior Member

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    I attempted to do it myself and messed it up with bubbles everywhere. I paid for another one and had it installed professionally...took the guy 10 minutes and it came out perfect. Glad yours turned out good.
     
    Hi Burrito! likes this.