OK so I have budgeted myself about $250 max to pretty up the engine bay... Honestly right now I really don't know what else to do.

Current mods:
Injen SRI, DC Sports Header*, TRD Exhaust*
DF210 & XXR 962 17x7 wheels, 10mm hub spacers for rear wheels*
Hotchkis front strut bar, TRD rear sway bar*
Fogs, Bazooka tube, seat covers, ist rebadge, stubby antenna, window tint*


*=I have ordered the part or have allotted money to this mod and it will be completed in a timely fashion.

ANYWAY, I was swapping out my Injen SRI for my stock airbox to do a more in-depth gas mileage record between the two when I decided that things needed a little sprucing up. SOOOO....
I cleaned up inside and painted the cover. I'm not 100% on the design theme, but I'm almost set on a blue/silver (chrome?) theme on the interior which is why I went with a blue/silver cover (GO LIONS! hehe):


I'm thinking about the following:
Injen SRI will be chrome.
Chrome acorns for engine cover
Chrome dipstick handle
TRD Radiator Cap
TRD Oil Cap
AEM Chrome battery tie down (unless there's a TRD labeled one?)
Blue radiator hose
Blue loom for the smaller cable bundles
Blue CC lighting.
Randode's Toyota/VVT-i overlay in CF.


I did some pricing and I figure I can get all this done easily under my $250 limit. The only thing is, I don't know where to get the chrome dipstick handle. I searched and searched the forums and google and could only find some universal handles that I don't know how they hook up. I saw some people on here with them and hopefully they can give me some insight.

If anyone has any thoughts/suggestions, I'm open to suggestion. Like I said, nothing here is really finalized, more of a brainstorming thing for now; ultimately, of course it is my decision what I do but I like hearing about some options.

Oh yea, I'm perfectly comfortable with stripping the paint off the engine cover; it was painted stingray metallic to match my car but was stripped to do this color... Just for fun, yanno? I also have an extra one lying around so if I royally mess this one up I have a spare.
I know the bottom left of the cover has a really jagged tape line, I intend to touch this up if I decide to keep this look.

 

intake

 

Intake,billet oil dipstick

 

I have an Injen SRI sitting after I get a few tanks out with the stock airbox for MPG comparisons...

But where do I get the billet oil dipstick??? I've found some online but don't know if they'll work with my car...or how they work in general. I mean I know it's just a stick but I need some reassurance.

 

you'll also notice between the stock air box and the injen sri is the smoothness at idle (ie less vibrations) and you might want to retest your theory in the middle of summer just be sure... winter and summer blend fuels

 

wish I had a better pic of Larrys (Maxivisvires) engine bay but this is about as clean as it gets... I know he dumped alot of $$$$ into the engine to get it to this level

 

Holy cow that looks nice. I'm not really looking for show-quality as I'm far from that but just to the point where when I have to pop the hood to do some work I like how it looks.
I'm a real stickler when it comes to this with my PCs...I really don't care for PC cases with windows but I still have the need to make everything look nice and clean inside. I guess it transfered over to my car's engine bay as well.
I've bought the loom, tie down, and radiator cap, just need to decide on some other things.

I still don't know how the billet aluminum dipstick or chrome dipstick handle would work.

 

whenever you do the loom make sure you use the same color electrical tape underneath otherwise your gonna have the black showing through

 

Yea it's the same type that I've always used with PC towers...got a local guy that sells loom, zip ties, and the tape all in the same color.

I'm thinking about going with just a full valve cover paint job and dress up the would-be hidden wiring some.
After doing some searching with the parts list I've created it looks like the radiator hoses are going to be the most expensive part... everything else is relatively cheap and easy to come by. I think I might just go with a chrome dipstick handle or something and just see if I can figure it out.

 

Yup.

My old K&N really helped the idle...I can really tell a difference between how it used to be and how it is with the stock airbox.
I read your other article comparing your intake vs stock and I agree with what you said. I don't know if it's mostly a placebo effect or what, but my car feels peppier from a complete stop with the stock aribox. I just like the sound way too much.
I have 2 more tanks to empty, which should take me a week. and then the intake goes on.

By the way, my stock airbox vs K&N averaged out (5 tanks) almost even with winter gas and -2 MPG using the K&N on summer gas.
I don't know why I kept it on since my reason for buying the xA was fuel economy in the first place...

 

Killer glass radiator hoses!