What are your "must have" after-market accessories

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Some nice dark tint. That was the first thing I did. Looks so much sleeker with the tint plus it stays cooler! Second mod was to get the ipod2car connector so I could hook my ippd directly up to the stereo. Sounds great, works good enough. I also got some clear plastic mats at WalMart to put over top my factory mats so they stay nice and clean... What else...let's see...I wanted to put some cool blue flames on the hood and get some nice rims but my wife would have none of that. I also REALLY want to put a good stereo in with some big amps, killer speakers, and a nice sub, and then dynamat the whole car, but again, my wife doesn't want me to mess with the new car or spend $5k for the system. Maybe after we've had it a while.... Oh, I almost forgot, there is a cool connector thing that takes allows you to use the grayed out buttons on the Nav (if you have one) when you're actually moving. That would be great to have too...

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Stoner Invisible Glass (glass cleaner) and Rain-X.
Also, I keep an auto squeegee and a plastic sports bottle filled with water in the back of the Prii.

I hate dirty windows! :x

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

[font=Comic Sans MS:b668894d67]Tires aren't really an accessory, but Goodyear ComforTred tires sure make the ride better. Clear paint protection will keep your pretty Prius pretty. Zaino car polish for beauty. Lots of people like a better sound system. B-Quiet on all the doors.

Oh, and check out the PriusChat sponsors for many droolworthy items. :mrgreen:[/font:b668894d67]

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

I agree with the dark tint. One note, I also tinted my front side windows and reflections of the interior of the car are more prominent, especially the dash vents. Makes using your side mirrors a bit more difficult.

I love my leather steering wheel cover:
http://www.wheelskins.com/index.php

My black paint job shows dust even without my leaving the driveway but I can go without a wash up to every other week with one of these:
http://calcarduster.com/originalDuster.asp

and a little Meguiars Spray Wax. I like to use microfiber mitts and towels.
Takes only 5 minutes a day.

For the inevitable:
http://www.chipmender.com/

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Windown Tint, most definitely. Makes a huge difference with the heat and glare in my black Pri. I consider this a necessity and wish the Pri would come with it factory installed. Next in line are the side wind/sun visors. They let me have the windows down without getting blown away (windows down does seem to lessen MPG at least at freeway speeds). Also vinyl or rubber floor mats to protect the carpet. Lastly a cargo tote for the back end. As for the splurge, the gold insignia package looks really nice on the black Pri, and sets it apart from all the rest!

 

My list of *MUST HAVES*:

Door mouldings - helps prevent door dings from other inconsiderate drivers in parking lots, and they really add to the car's appearance..

Mud flaps- they also add to the appearance and do help keep the car cleaner if you drive in wet/muddy areas (before installation, I'd get mud splatters on the front fender and front doors, and halfway up the rear bumper whenever I had to drive through the dirt road to get to the barn.

Stone shield/hood protector/bra- take your pick, but highly recommended as the hood shape tends to be highly prone to stone chip damage, especially if you're in an area where they put down salt/gravel mix on the roads in the winter..

I also recommend one of those cheap $15 portable battery boosters to jump start the car in case the 12V battery goes dead.. The one I bought also has a fluorescent lamp built in that is actually very handy.

I second the Rain-X, especially on the side and rear windows- it really makes the difference on rainy days..

Better tires will also improve your driving experience.. Get a good tire gauge to go with the tires as proper inflation is critical.. If you buy a digital gauge, make sure you try before you buy as many of them have really shallow ports that don't align/seal very well to the valve stem, so although the readout may be extremely accurate, you could lose a lot of air due to the poor design when you take the gauge on/off the valve stem..

I have a Classic Prius, so Graham's OBD-II Miniscanner is also a must-have.. Being able to see battery SoC, charging rates, RPMs, etc are an additional level of feedback vs the consumption display on the MFD that allow you to drive the car more efficiently. Work is in progress by a number of other people for a CAN-bus based version that will work on the current HSD Prii, so keep your eyes peeled for this product in the near future..

 

Tomtom 700

www.tomtom.com

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prius Noir\";p=\"105363)</div>

I was glad to see your post. I do the same thing with what Meguiars calls their detailing spray. Is that what you are using? Sure keeps the finish slick.

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fredatgolf\";p=\"105611)</div>

I was glad to see your post. I do the same thing with what Meguiars calls their detailing spray. Is that what you are using? Sure keeps the finish slick.[/b][/quote]

You're right, smooth. As long as I get the dust and grime off with the duster it doesn't seem to cause any scratching or swirls on my black paint. I do it 3 or 4 times a week. Right now I'm using the Gold Class but plan on trying the NXT version next.

Also, I use the Mr. Clean Auto Dry system most of the time for washes. Works fairly well. I still get spots on the front doors and rear bumper from the dripping of any extra water trapped within the mirrors and hatch.

A couple of other accessories I picked up off of ebay that I like are mudflaps and an LCD screen protector. Both work great.

I was a bit disappointed with the leather center console cover and armrest covers for the door that I picked up on ebay. I was not bowled over with the fit and some of the stitching. Also the velcro's adhesive doesn't stay stuck. The material is nice and they protect the original surfaces but they just don't have that tight factory fit or look. Too homemade/aftermarket looking.

My ultimate accessory is my garage. A bit costly but well worth it.

 

I've done...

1) Tint
2) Wheelskins steering wheel cover
3) Center Arm rest cover
4) Heatshield sunshade
5) A mini-trash can
6) Cargo Net + Tote

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

I thing I found very useful is a little sunshade for the Prius screen, to eliminate day time screen glare. While driving during the day, especially in the afternoon, I could not see the screen about half the time (I had played with contrast, color background, etc., to no avail). The leather shade is made exactly for the Prius screen. It is available from Ebay (search for Prius accessories).
Also, potentially useful, given the previous discussions about the short life of the 12V battery, is a 12X2X2 inches rechargeable battery made to charge an exchausted car battery through the car lighter socket. I don't know if it works (never had to test it yet!), but, for about $40, I thought it might be worthwhile having in the car, in case I need it after a long trip leaving the car in the parking lot.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silentak1\";p=\"105632)</div>

I've done #s 2, 3, 4 and 6. I've also put on a Dashtopper for the dash and GT seat covers. I want to add the NAV enhancement from Coastal Tech when it comes out as well as an Auto-Lock system.

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

My "must have" accessories:

1) XM Radio (XM Commander). Even Toyota realizes this is a "must have" amd will be offering XM Radio as an option on the '06 Prius.

2) Goodyear ComforTred tires. The Prius practially screams high tech except for the Goodyear Integrity tires.

3) Cargo Net. Dealer quotes were as high as $82.50 just for the install. I did it myself for nothing. Requires drilling 2 small holes in the plastic liner in the trunk.

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Yeah I saw that Display screen sun visor on ebay, and I made my own.
I bought myself tin metal sign for "sale or no trespassing sign", sprayed paint black color, cut the shape (using scissor) curved around the front, bent into shape, sanded edges, used adhesive velcro and I am happy.

 

Yea., bunch of do it yourself, if you take the time can look good:

1) rear mirror added a wide angle mirror
2) side mirrors, added blind spot units
3) rear window, added wide angle lens
4) arm rest (door) and center rest - made my own
5) good idea Isalak., that consode protector/shade will be making one
6) clear plastic mats over factory mats

7) the window tint seems to be a good investment
8) made my own DVD system., used a DVD deck with screen I had, found a good spot, applied velcro to keep it there, and using an FM transmitter to the FM radio receiver for the sound..works great. Even buying a small deck ($149) and an FM transmitter ($40) and a multiple outlet ($17) is a lot less then the one from Coastal. I can remove it anytime, also.
9) A 12 volt back up supply is great., I splurged there, I got a Sears unit for $80, had a $10 discount, this unit provides 110 AC, jumpstart, air compressor, and 12 DC. Remember if you are a good samaritan, YOU CANNOT jump start another vehicle with the Prius, you can only get a jump, not the other way around.

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Well I just picked up my Prius (Black Pkg.6 with tan interior) on July,1 and just love the vehicle. Gas mileage was bad in my Corvette and Jeep Grand Cherokee and I was in search of a great car to do my 60 mile round trip drives to work each day and I found it in the Prius . So now I have a great Summer, Winter vehicle (that now pretty much stay in the garage which is a good thing-- so I keep the miles of them and they will last longer) oh and and one very cool get me to work car.

So far I have added the following:

1. Extended Warranty
2. Clear Bra
3. Exact mats (high quality clear mats over the factory mats)
4. Window Tint (illegal Lemo tint in rear and rear side windows, 30% on frt. side - yes it's very dark and it will take some time getting comfortable with it, although in bright sun it does help and isn't so bad. Just when it's cloudy or when night time driving. Also, hope I dont get a ticket for it being too dark.
5. Rear bumber protector
6. Body side molding
7. Mud Flaps
8. Cargo net from my Jeep Grand Cherokee works great
9. Scotch guarded the interior
10. About 3 coats of Zaino wax
11.Rain-x on glass
12. for now I purchased from target some towels that match the interior to place on seats until I can decide on which seat coverst to go with.
13. Added a medical kit, a blanket (again to match interior) and spare tire in a can to storage area.
12. Sun Screen
13. Within the next 2-weeks I will have pin striping done (in paint)
13. Thinking of swaping out factory tires for better ones
14. Will use Mobil-1 syn. oil when it is time for my first oil change.

 

Re: What are your "must have" after-market accesso

Impressive list demonstrative of one who cares about their Prius as much as most of the rest of us do. However, I would be careful concerning the flat tire in a can as I am told that they may render a tire unusable. Why not spend $30 or $40 for an inflator?

 

Yea, Stay away from the spare tires in a can, all that is is spray foam with can seal up a hole, and the can re-inflates the tire if the leak is fixed. Trouble is the stuff in the can gets into the tire area and makes the tire unsalvageable. The tire places hate it to, it makes their life very difficult, and it is hard to clean off the wheel, after it has been applied. The better solution is the compressor, and if the leak is serious, install the spare and have the tire fixed.