Small Projects
All of these projects were done in a matter of minutes with simple tools.
The costs below do not include shipping since they were included with a large
order, but figure it was a couple of dollars additional. Note that, in
general, the Internet prices are competitive with dealer invoice pricing.
For the larger options, it will likely be better to have them port installed to
avoid the extra shipping and painting charges. Dealer invoice and MSRP
prices are for SET.
- Stainless Steel Exhaust Tip
- Threshold Protectors
- Husky Floor Liners
- Fake Radio Antenna Mast
- Garage Door Bumpers
- Cargo Nets
- Emergency Kit
- Side Window Deflectors
- First Aid Kit
- Center Radio Speaker
Glare Reduction
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: Flat screwdriver or 1/4-inch nut driver
Source: TRDparts4U, P/N PTS18-08050
(Toyota)
Cost:
TRDparts4U = $33.35
Dealer Invoice = $38.00
Dealer MSRP = $64.00
Time: 1 minute
Discussion: Amazingly, this little part came with three pages of
instructions! The most difficult part of this addition was lying on the
concrete and orienting the hose clamp that came with the part to make
tightening it easy. Save some money and do it yourself. You can
get even less expensive ones from Wal-Mart or another discount store, but you
will be missing those instructions!
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: Rag
Source: TRDparts4U, P/N
00012-20496-01 (Gulf States Toyota)
Cost:
TRDparts4U = $35.98
Dealer Invoice = $31.90
Dealer MSRP = $49.00
Time: 2 minutes
Discussion: Since our van was new, no cleaning solvent was required. I
used the rag to make sure there was no dust on the surfaces before attaching
these with the supplied double-sided tape. I missed the fact that the
invoice cost was actually $4 less than what I paid until I was putting this
page together. The part box we received had been shipped between several
dealers based on the multiple stickers, so I figure Toyota lost any profit due
to all the shipping costs.
In this picture, the threshold protector is in the middle. It is the
hard plastic type that goes down over the outboard edge. You can see
that it has already caught a couple of foot scrapes after just the first few
hundred miles. The running board is on the left. The Husky floor
liner can be seen along the top in the foot well.
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: None
Source: Car Bytes
Husky Part Numbers:
| |
Grey |
Tan |
| Front: |
35052 |
35053 |
| Second: |
65062 |
65063 |
| Third: |
75052 |
75053 |
| Cargo: |
44052 |
44053 |
Cost:
Car Bytes = Front - $65.99, Second - $65.99, Shipping - $20.00, Total -
$151.98
TRDparts4U =
All-weather Floor Mats - $59.80, Shipping - $15.00, Total - $74.80
Time: 2 minutes
Discussion: We did not order any mats with the van, to our sales rep's
amazement, because we wanted these Husky Liners. Why pay twice? We
had to save and store the mats from our GM vehicles until we sold them.
We have had these liners in the last several vehicles and love their ability to
catch spills, contain wet feet (it rains frequently in Florida), and keep sand
from spreading (we have a lot of that here too). We think they provide
much better protection than the TRDparts4U all-weather or Weathertech mats.
In the driver-side picture, note how the liner goes up over the dead pedal to help contain
the dirt.
We have no current need for the third row or cargo well versions.
Looking in the passenger slider.
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Level of Difficulty: Very Easy
Tools: Wire cutters, matches
Source: Advance Discount Auto Parts
Cost: $6.99
Time: 2 hours
Discussion: My wife has been a collector of antenna toppers for the past
several years. She was very dismayed when I told her that her spiffy new van
came with the radio antennas embedded in the rear quarter windows and that
there was no mast antenna. She expressed her dismay with The Look. I took the
hint and began a search for a method to attach a short antenna-like object to
the van.
I finally found my solution at an auto parts store. They still sold a
version of the fake wire cellular antennas that were popular 10-15 years ago.
My minor modification was to shorten it and remove the spiral section. Once I
had the two straight sections, I slid my shrink-wrap over the top portion of
the mast, wrapped the two pieces together with some wire to give the sections
lateral strength. I then super-glued the joint to provide some axial
strength for adding and removing antenna toppers. When finally dry, I slid the
shrink-wrap down over the joint and heated it up to make it look better.
I attached it to the outside of the roof rail so it would not interfere with the
sunroof.
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Level of Difficulty: Very Easy
Tools: Scissors, Rag
Source: Lowe's
Cost: $1.54 each, $6.16 total
Time: 10 minutes
Discussion: The purpose of this small project is to prevent scratches and
dents to the power rear door in the event it is opened inside the garage.
If the door is opened accidentally, it will hit the insulation pads and reverse
with no damage. The pads are 1/2" pipe insulation (the stiff cheap stuff,
not the soft expensive stuff). It came in six-foot lengths that I cut in
half with a pair of scissors. I wiped the dust off of the hurricane
braces and centered the insulation pieces on the door where the Sienna is
parked. We have eight braces on this double door, so I bought four pieces
of insulation. Once the insulation pieces were all placed and aligned, I
pulled off the protective strips from the attached tape and pressed the foam
firmly onto the braces.
You can also see these strips in the background of the antenna photo above.
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: None
Source: TRDparts4U, P/N
00012-20414-01 (Gulf States Toyota)
Cost:
TRDparts4U = $24.15
Dealer Invoice = $51.70
Dealer MSRP = $69.00
Time: 2 minutes
Discussion: This is formally called a "Fully-enclosed Convenience Cargo Net
Assembly". Since we mostly run with the third row folded, we are putting
these on the sides, for the moment, as you see here.
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: None
Source: TRDparts4U, P/N
00012-00441-02 (Gulf States Toyota)
Cost:
TRDparts4U = $51.75
Dealer Invoice = $55.00
Dealer MSRP = $70.00
Time: <1 minute
Discussion: We went with the Extra-Mile Emergency Roadside Assistance Kit
that is sold by Gulf States Toyota.
It has more useful things in it than the more expensive Toyota Emergency
Assistance Kit (EAK, P/N PT420-00045). On the TRDparts4U website, you
need to look under the 2004 Sienna listing, since it is not included under the
2006 section. For the moment, ours is stored under a second row seat
where it mostly fits underneath. See a description of the contents and
our additions here.
The official position for the Toyota EAK is in the passenger side of the
rear cargo area well. That is compatible with the driver's side of the
well being used for an AWD limited use spare kit. The entire set of
instructions for the Sienna are as follows:
4Runner, Highlander, Land Cruiser, RAV4,
Sequoia, Sienna
1. Install Emergency Assistance Kit to D-ring.
i. Pass the free end of the tether strap through the right
rear (passenger side) D-ring located in cargo area of vehicle.
ii. Pass the strap around the bag and secure into position.
The only D-ring there is the fold-out one that you use to hold down the
cargo net when you stretch it across the rear door. Of course, you could
use any of the three fold-out tie down fasteners in the well area.
The instructions also specify a strap ("Tether Strap - Heavy Duty, P/N
PT420-08040") to hold the EAK to the D-ring. Ignore any website
instructions that try to sell you the D-ring. You do not need it unless
you are installing the kit elsewhere. ("Hardware Kit (includes D-ring and
nut plate), for Corolla and ECHO only. P/N PT420-0J040").
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Level of Difficulty: Very Easy
Tools: None
Source:
WeatherTech
Cost: $89.95 plus $12 shipping
72324 - Sienna WeatherFlectors Side Window Deflectors, Front & Rear Set,
$89.95
70324 - Sienna WeatherFlectors Side Window Deflectors, Front, $49.95
71324 - Sienna WeatherFlectors Side Window Deflectors, Rear, $40.00
Time: 10 minutes
Discussion: We have had some form of side window deflectors on every vehicle
we have owned. We get lots of rain here in Central Florida, so being able
to leave the windows cracked and still be assured that water will not get in is
a Good Thing. The design of these deflectors is better than the usual
"bubble" style because they protrude less from the side of the van.
One important point about this style of window deflectors. We power
fold our mirrors every time we pull into the garage to give us more walking
room. The WeatherFlectors barely clear our folded mirrors. I am not
sure other styles would have the same clearance.
Installation was easy -- just follow the instructions. Be careful
about correctly inserting the front edge of the front window deflectors.
[Picture of project]
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Level of Difficulty: Trivial
Tools: None
Source: FieldTex (order code
912-ARV999)
Cost: $49.99 (free shipping)
Time: <1 minute
Discussion: We thought about moving the old first aid kit from our SUV to the
new van until we realized that all the medicines in the kit (as well as
everything in the kit in my truck) were well past their expiration dates.
Even the bandages were looking suspect. After an Internet search, I
settled on FieldTex's Auto/RV
Pak case with supplies as something that will last us through the kid's
adventure years. This is a roll-up kit (4" x 4" x 12") that fits neatly
under a second row seat. See a description of the contents
here.
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Level of Difficulty: Very Easy
Tools: Black Satin Spray Paint
Source: Lowes
Cost:
Paint = $1.59
Time: <1 hour
Discussion: When I drive, there are certain times when I was greatly
irritated by the sun reflection off of the black and silver JBL Synthesis
logo on top of the center speaker. When I had that speaker cover off
for my XM radio installation, I masked around the logo label and sprayed it
satin black. I thought of going with flat black, but the satin matched
the rest of the cover better. Now I have no more glare.
[Picture of project]
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This page was last updated
01/16/11
