I'm wanting to remove the standard 'HSD' and written 'Toyota' badges from the back of my Prius. Then I wanted to replace the HSD badge with a 'Hybrid' badge like the ones on the front fenders on 06+ models, wheee can I buy just one of these badges? As they usually come in pairs, and will it fit on the flat surface? Or is it contoured to the curve of the fender? I'm a bit nervous about removing badges? As my cars Barcelona Red, red paint fades over time, when I bought my Prius I got paint protection from Toyota, does this mean the patches under the badges will fade as they aren't covered by paint protection? Thanks
Debadging on the rear hatch is a simple matter. Here is a thread that covers the most common methods: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...-what-use-debadge-without-damaging-paint.html The fender-mounted HybridSD badges are available separately and go for about $19: toyotapartsbarn For all intents and purposes, the back of the badges are essentially flat. There is a small wrinkle in your plans. These badges have two plastic pins on the back (that mate with positioning holes in the fender) These will have to be carefully cut off and sanded flat. It shouldn't be that hard to do, but you will have to be careful not to lift the film on the adhesive that is pre-mounted on the back of the badge. I can't speak directly to the paint protection. Without it, it is best to apply a few extra coats of wax where the OEM badges were mounted.
Thanks I'll try cutting off the pin on it, the ones on the rear don't have pins do they? When I got the paint protection, the dealer said it didn't need wax and not to use wax on it, as it has the protection, is this for any particular reason? Like will it react with the paint protection?
AS for the PPF material. Toyota and Lexus use 3M 3rd gen films. These are required to be maintained as your would your paint which means washes and wax on a regular basis. As you may know the warranty on dealer product is the same as the vehicle warranty. If you had the product installed at a certified dealer the warranty would be 5 years. Getting back to the care of the film. ALso you do not want to use any products which are abrasive or have dyes. Use only products which are recommended for urethane. We recommend using a paint protection sealant like XPEL Sealant which is an acrylic vs poly sealant. This product bonds to the porous urethane film to protect it. Need more info you can PM me.
To provide input on your fading issue. Your vehicle has 3M film. 3M film (others as well) have UV protection to protect only the film and NOT to protect the underlying paint. You do not want the film to product the paint from fading so when you remove the film, you do not have a fade line. The fade line comes from the black bras. Hope this helps. Remember paint fades when the paint is not polished and protected with a wax/sealant etc. There are other factors too - enviromental, where the vehicle is parked etc. But this can be over come with professional car care products.
Thanks The paint protection I got was just a treatment done to the paint, not actually a clear bra (Toyota doesn't offer that in Australia), therefore The paint is still unprotected in that sense. Im just worried that the areas without the treatment under the badges will fade
Could you go back to the dealer and ask for a "touch-up" on the spots bared by your debadging? -- perhaps when they are treating a new car. It's at least worth a try ... :nod:
