Quote:
Originally Posted by taco
So do you have to hold the stalk back the entire time to remain in ev. Or is it like click on and off
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You pull and hold it for two seconds, then it clicks into EV mode and you can let go.
It's just a way to re-use and repurpose an existing switch or button, instead of drilling another hole in the dash. Keeps everything very clean looking. I like that it's "secret" too.
OK, you guys are mean, egging me on into painting that lower grill block. I ended going to both the hardware store and auto parts store. I got a can of dark red Krylon plastic spray paint. It was pretty close to the car color, but NOT metallic. At the hardware store, I also got stainless steel screws and washers for a rust-proof way to attach the grill block.
At the auto-parts store, I bought a can of metallic dark-red car spray paint. They didn't have all the Toyota factory colors there. I got a GM Dark Metallic Red that was pretty close.
I did a test of both paints on some scrap political sign material while painting the fasteners. The coroplast didn't melt or have any other negative reaction to either paint.
I pulled the grill block and gave it a couple coats of the metallic red.
Here's a photo of the new grill block removed to paint it.
You can see the wood blocking used as a mounting point for the plastic.
Once the red paint on the coroplast was dry enough, I re-mounted it to the car.
Oddly, the paint job looked much better to the naked eye. Once I looked at the photo, I noticed the paint drip and unevenness, but it actually looked pretty good just staring right at the car itself!
I may end up pulling it back off and adding another coat of paint.
The other thing I was wondering about was the gray pipe insulation in the upper grill block. Could I paint that foam as well? I don't know, so let's try it!
I pulled out some more foam, split it the long way and sprayed some of each of the two paints on it. Again, no melting or other negative reaction, so I sprayed the whole piece of foam red.
Once the two pieces are dry, I should be able to fold them in half and stuff them in the upper grill and have a CUSTOM PAINTED-TO-MATCH foam upper grill block!
Also, I am covered in red paint. When I walked back into the house, I immediately told my wife, "Don't worry, I'm NOT bleeding. It's just paint." as I was holding my hand in the air with red liquid dripping down it..."
PPS: Here's a photo I put together from an image before and after I painted it.
