Esta's Adventures

[ern-diz]

Man, she cleans up nice! Not a fan of hubcaps, but I don't immediately hate those. Kudos.

[scratchpaddy]

Thanks, 39!

Originally Posted by ern-diz

I don't immediately hate those.

I get the impression that's the highest praise anyone will get from you about hubcaps. I used to hate hubcaps so much. My second car came to me with awful chrome things even cheesier than what came on my Yaris. I still worked for a body shop at the time, so I chucked the hubcaps, sanded the steelies down, and had the boss paint them with some leftover silver mixed for another job. That was the car I drove for three years before a drunk took it out.



I thought about leaving the hubcaps off of Esta, like you suggested in another thread, but black steelies just look incomplete to me. I couldn't warm to the look.

[ern-diz]

Originally Posted by scratchpaddy

I get the impression that's the highest praise anyone will get from you about hubcaps.

Bingo

Originally Posted by scratchpaddy

I used to hate hubcaps so much. My second car came to me with awful chrome things even cheesier than what came on my Yaris. I still worked for a body shop at the time, so I chucked the hubcaps, sanded the steelies down, and had the boss paint them with some leftover silver mixed for another job.

I vote for this for Esta!

That paint job with some silver chrome trim rings and (if you can find) some Toyota center caps would be the business

[scratchpaddy]

Originally Posted by justanotherdrunk

it looks great without the license plate

keep it off as long as possible

It looks suspicious. I'll get it plated the moment I get the title in the mail from the dealer.

Originally Posted by ern-diz

That paint job with some silver chrome trim rings and (if you can find) some Toyota center caps would be the business

You mean, like an old Corolla?



On my Chevy, I thought about leaving the wheels black and getting chrome center caps for the "police car" look, but I could only find 5-lug caps. I like silver steelies, but I don't have free access to leftover automotive paint and a professional to apply it anymore. I guess I could do a rattle-can job, but the hubcaps were clean, easy, and $27.

I checked the spark plugs today. I'm in love with this engine bay. Everything's so easy to get to. I was worried I'd lose much of the easy serviceability of the Metro when going to a newer car, but maybe not. Toyota clearly had the mechanic in mind when they laid everything out. The manifolds are backwards, though. Intake in front? Who does that?? It makes too much sense!

Anyway, the spark plugs looked really good. Somebody used anti-seize, so they came out easily, and the gaps were right on, about .043" on all four. The belt and radiator hoses also looked good. I love working in an engine bay where everything is so shiny, new, and clean.

[scratchpaddy]

Thanks, David! And, ern-diz, I remember the pictures you posted in the "first car" thread. That was a nice Corolla. I love hatchbacks. I think your caps were more like these, though.

Originally Posted by ern-diz

That paint job with some silver chrome trim rings and (if you can find) some Toyota center caps would be the business

Okay, you knew what I wanted before I knew I wanted it. I decided I was going to paint my wheels silver after all, then looked to see what kind of center caps would fit. That led to pictures of Yarii with black wheels, chrome trim rings, and center caps, which I thought looked damn good. So, no need to paint the wheels after all.

The trim rings arrived today in a box that looked like it had fallen off the truck, three or four times, then run over once or twice for good measure. I didn't need my boxcutter, since UPS had already ripped the box open for me. Thanks, guys!



The trim rings somehow survived, though. I got 1.75" deep ones per another member's suggestion on some old threads. I'm glad I got the plated plastic ones instead of real metal. There's no way metal trim rings could have survived that shipment without bending.



I like it. Only one side has the center caps right now. I'm still waiting for the other center caps to get here. Hopefully the shipper treats them more gently than the trim rings.