newbie here....well, new to Prius....however many, many years familiar with driving and working on cars and trucks as a hobby....this seems to be a good forum...i have belonged to several over the years.... i have done some research of the archives about using after market wheels and the issues associated with the tire pressure monitors, additional weight, uncommon bolt pattern, etc....my question is has anyone had their touring wheels chrome platted and if so how did they turn out? (pics would be nice)...did the chrome add a lot of weight and did the fuel economy suffer much?....thanks in advance for replies...i have had my Prius about 2 months now...it is a 2008 mag gray touring model with pkg #6 options...so far averaging about 50-52 mpg to and from work...i drive 31 miles one way to work each day...i have added some chrome trim around the windows, lift gate and lower body panels...i have also added a stainless steel exhaust tip...i like a 'sporty' looking car and for me it the chrome and exhaust tip add to the looks...i can sends pics to a private e-mail if anyone is interested...i don't know how to post pics to the forum yet...
I -suspect- you could buy the Volk Racing eco Prius wheels for close to the same price as chrome plating the stock ones. They are lighter as well so your mileage may actually improve! I see no reason the tire pressure monitors could not be moved to the Volk wheels. You -might- have to adapt the wheels to accept them, but I suspect they would fit. The Volk wheels use a steel valve core.
thanks David...i don't want to spend a lot of money on new wheels...the stock ones are fine for now but i have always been a fan of chrome wheels...as a teenager owning and working on muscle cars of the 60's and 70's one of the first mods i would do to my car was put on a set of chrome 'mags' to enhance the car's appearance....sure seems funny that back then i used to brag about how much horsepower my car had and now i brag on how many mpg my car gets....what a contrast....
eBay Motors: FACTORY 15" Toyota Prius OEM Chrome Wheels Rims Corolla (item 350047330250 end time Apr-20-08 16:26:13 PDT) you might want to contact them to see if they have any touring 16 wheels. otherwise have you thought about just have the wheel covers chromed?
i did think about chroming the wheel covers but wasn't sure how well the chrome would stick to plastic that is exposed to the weather...i have seen the chrome plated plastic wheel covers for sale but i have no experience with them...i may try and contact some local companies that do chrome platting to see what they say...i'll keep the forum posted...
i am not sure about this one. but, maybe can you get any chrome plated wheel cover and put them on the wheels. just as long as they are 16" and they are 5x100 bolt pattern.
