A little disappointed with the Vibe

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hamiltonfighter
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A little disappointed with the Vibe

Post by hamiltonfighter »

A little disappointed with the Vibe, but still excited to get oneThis is my second post so please don't flame me to much. Inform me if possible.I've been looking to get a different car for a few weeks now and have been really interested in the Vibe or Matrix. For the last six years I have enjoyed playing with a 1st Gen Dodge Neon. I hadn't realized that the Neon was so well supported by the aftermarket modding community. People are making eight second Neons and 350hp Neons are easily done. I was looking at Ford Focus’s for a little bit and they’re even getting 400hp (or for $15-$20,000 you can drop in a V8 and get 1000hp).I’ve been looking around on this forum for a week now trying to learn more about the Vibe. I was surprised that people haven’t been getting big horse power numbers yet. You’d think that since there are multiple cars with the same engine that this would be different. What is the fastest reported Vibe so far? What is the largest horse power reported? Are there performance internals made for this engine? Now, I plan on using the Vibe for a family car, but it’s always nice to be able to play with mods during the time of ownership. I plan on getting a GT model and that is already beating my old Neon. But, eventually I wouldn’t mind being able to beat my father-in-laws Subaru Legacy GT./postDonnie
ponta2147
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Post by ponta2147 »

Correct me if I'm wrong, other members, but I think the MatrixOwners community has more heavy modders than the GenVibe community in terms of performance mods- we have some people on here who have done some performance mods, but not as many.
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hamiltonfighter
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Post by hamiltonfighter »

Does anyone know what kind of numbers they're getting? HP? Quarter mile?
jake75
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Re: (hamiltonfighter)

Post by jake75 »

Maybe someone will take a poll to see what % of members have any interest in mods for higher hp for their Vibe. I'd bet it would be a low single digit.
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djkeev
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (hamiltonfighter)

Post by djkeev »

So, you're not disappointed in the Vibe as a car, you are disappointed that this wonderful car doesn't have a huge displacement V8 under the hood!IT is what it is. Move along, nothing to see here.Dave
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hamiltonfighter
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (djkeev)

Post by hamiltonfighter »

Quote, originally posted by djkeev »So, you're not disappointed in the Vibe as a carThis is correct.I don't care about V8's I like watching videos of little cars, like the Neon, pass Corvettes on the race track. David vs Goliath.
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VforVIBE
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (hamiltonfighter)

Post by VforVIBE »

Quote, originally posted by hamiltonfighter »I don't care about V8's I like watching videos of little cars, like the Neon, pass Corvettes on the race track. David vs Goliath.I have to say meh to that one, it's like watching baseball players on steroids, it's just not right. There is a funny video of a Corvette vs a suped up Neon, the Neon wins, but tends up breaking down and had to be towed where as the Vette was able to drive home.These car were not meant to have that much power, and there are a lot of owners who ruin their cars by trying to put too much hp in.The Vibe doesn't have an aftermarket, because there is no demand for one.
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lovemyraffe
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (VforVIBE)

Post by lovemyraffe »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »These car were not meant to have that much power, and there are a lot of owners who ruin their cars by trying to put too much hp in.+1
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BlueCrush
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (hamiltonfighter)

Post by BlueCrush »

You can make anything go fast if you have the money. Go to http://www.monkeywrenchracing.com and spend away. There are a few turboed Vibes on here and a few Turboed Matrix's on MO. Go to NewCelica.org for high HP#'s with our engines. They are at 666hp+.
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Post by AKLGT »

you MIGHT possibly make it faster than a stock LGT, however, unlikely if it is modified at all. You're talking about a car that comes with maybe 200 bhp to start to another with 265 turbocharged bhp (underrated power). add exhaust, intake and chip to either and you will get maybe another 15-20 hp on the Vibe and about 50-70 hp on the Legacy. I went from an 03 Vibe GT with intake and tune to a completely stock 05 LGT with autotragic trans and well... ya, not gonna happen. We also had intake, exhaust and chip on the 04 Vibe and again... not gonna happen. Vibe is a great car, don't get me wrong. It's just not built for racing (straight line specifically). The amount of time and money you would need to put into it to have it be somewhat fast (like say 13's, maybe even 12's) just isn't worth it imo. Start off with something that's made for it and then build from there. or just use it for what it's worth, pay it off since it's super cheap and then go buy yourself a real race car.
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jkm311
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (BlueCrush)

Post by jkm311 »

Welcome, Donnie! I see a few members have given their 2 pennies on this subject, so my only contribution/angle is based off your comment:Quote, originally posted by hamiltonfighter »I plan on using the Vibe for a family car...Do you have another car in the family, besides your future ride? I ask because adding the performance mods necessary for you to "have fun" with the Vibe might keep it out of commission on and off for the first few months. And for a family car, getting 200 WHP seems like an optimal range, IMO. Hope the Vibe offers enough flexibility for you. It's actually a fairly easy vehicle to work on (in most instances), which is nice. You might not triple or quadruple your numbers, but considering how light the Vibe is, you might get it in a good place, and for not a ton of dough.Good luck!
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AKLGT
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (VforVIBE)

Post by AKLGT »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »These car were not meant to have that much power, and there are a lot of owners who ruin their cars by trying to put too much hp in.QFTright there! These cars aren't made for that. Not saying it can't be done, but again, reach deep down into that pocket and keep pulling out money... modified cars sound really awesome on paper and look good in Fast N Furious, but you don't see how expensive it is when that motor blows or turbo fails, or the constant (I mean CONSTANT) maintenance that has to be done to keep them running. And if it's your daily driver, forget about all your great fuel economy when your car requires alcohol injection and 100 octane every fill up, gets 13 mpg (when it should be getting 25). If you're making payments on your car, then just use that money to pay it off. Then, when you have more liquid cash, by all means, play. But as we say in the modding world, GOTTA PAY TO PLAY!
AKLGT1998 Subaru 2.5RS
kostby
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Post by kostby »

Welcome to GenVibe.If you want a fast, reliable daily driver, it's likely NOT going to be a heavily modified 1.8L 1ZZ Vibe putting out 300+ hp at the front wheels. IMHO, head straight for a Subaru. Or Mazda. Or Chevy. Or Ford... you get my drift. By the time you replace or reinforce everything NOT engineered to handle double or triple the factory horsepower and torque (engine, transmission, suspension & chassis mounting points) you've easily paid for a faster 6 or V8 in another car designed for higher performance.CAN it be done? Sure. Is it a wise investment? IMHO ONLY if you're selling and installing Vibe/Toyota speed equipment and are using the car to advertise your business.Browse the Forced Induction thread for some of the tales of folks who have S/C or turbo'd Vibe and Matrix engines.And if you're up for a big challenge, we'd love to see your build-up adventures chronicled among the forums of GenVibe!
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Kincaid
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (VforVIBE)

Post by Kincaid »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »The Vibe doesn't have an aftermarket, because there is no demand for one.Not true! The demand is just small, and found only here.
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AKLGT
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Post by AKLGT »

oh ya, and even the cars that ARE made for higher power levels, still blow up.
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TONY TAT2
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (hamiltonfighter)

Post by TONY TAT2 »

I'll avoid NEONS,Thanks for the tip
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (hamiltonfighter)

Post by star_deceiver »

Welcome to GenVibe!!! Now.... What type of Vibe were you looking at getting??? 1st gen, 2nd gen, 1zz, 2zz, 2zr, 2az, slush/stick, AWD, bells and whistles, A/C....???Sitting behind the wheel with a full tank of gas, my 09 1.8L base model weighs damn close to 3000 pounds!!!! That's a lot of weight for 132hp to haul around but I can (if I try) still pull off close to 40mpg!!! If I had the $$$ the first mod I would do is a diet for the Vibe and some lightweight rims/tires!
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06pvibe
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (VforVIBE)

Post by 06pvibe »

Quote, originally posted by VforVIBE »The Vibe doesn't have an aftermarket, because there is no demand for one.I don't believe that to be entirely true either. Remember please that a Vibe is nothing but a pumped up Corolla/Celica and people mod those car for the track every day.Now for straight line numbers you may be barking up the wrong proverbial tree. But as a track car that has both adequate power and handling, I think the Vibe could be a winner... or at least a runner up.And personally speaking, I think the Vibe is the cooler looking of the sister cars anyway. The outside simply has more charactor.Quote, originally posted by kostby »If you want a fast, reliable daily driver, it's likely NOT going to be a heavily modified 1.8L 1ZZ Vibe putting out 300+ hp at the front wheels. By the time you replace or reinforce everything NOT engineered to handle double or triple the factory horsepower and torque (engine, transmission, suspension & chassis mounting points) you've easily paid for a faster 6 or V8 in another car designed for higher performance.CAN it be done? Sure.... Browse the Forced Induction thread for some of the tales of folks who have S/C or turboed Vibe and Matrix engines.And if you're up for a big challenge, we'd love to see your build-up adventures chronicled among the forums of GenVibe!I highly agree with that last statement, and basically agree w/the rest.To build I high horsepower Vibe would require replacing ALL of the internals w/forged internals.You would also (as kostby eludes to) reinforce chassis pieces, lighten every other thing you can (I'm a big believer in lighter wheels as was also eluded to,) bigger stronger brakes, a shifter that won't snap off in your hands (there's $300 right there. See TWM,) and the list goes on and on....BUT, I would follow with great interest someone doing that project. Are you a man of means? If so, please go ahead. I might get some ideas from what you end up with. I'D LOVE IT!!! (
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jessep19
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Re: A little disappointed with the Vibe (06pvibe)

Post by jessep19 »

It's true that not much poeple mod the vibe because... well its a wagon. Most poeple will say that its a family car. But if you want to really get up there, like others said put in a 1zz or 2zz from a matrix XRS ou corolla XRS that's supercharged with a 6 speed. That would be a good start. I get it all the time, "why are you putting money in mods in a VIBE" I tell them that the point of tuning is to do what YOU like and not the others. But there is a little after market for vibe/matrix's. chek it out
AKLGT
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Post by AKLGT »

if you're going to go F/I, don't go with a supercharger. go directly to TURBO... or drop in an LS1 motor... :D woot!
AKLGT1998 Subaru 2.5RS
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