Trikkonceptz - 2004 Vibe

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:22 am

Hi guys, glad I stumbled on to this site and as you will immeadiately notice my Vibe is heading in a totally different direction as most of yours. I wanted to squeeze some more gas mileage out of the Vibe so I began to alter my driving habits. Once I noticed that 40 mpg was an easy goal with this automatic, it became a game for me and now my goal is to hit 60 mpg + on all gasoline.My current vehicle modifications are;-Removed roof rack (Completely)-Blocked off front grille-Blocked off Fog lights-Gutted interior behind front seats-Picked up tire pressure to 55 fronts / 50 rear-Removed Passenger side wiperFuture Mods are;-Changing tranny to manual-Rear wheel skirts-Belly pan-Kamback Spoiler-Mirror delete-Shaved Door handlesLast Mod;-Chop top to slope for optimal air flow / partial boat tailI hope to gain some real practical knowledge of this vehicle through you guys and anything I can do to help you I will. Enjoy the Pics ...

MRCN RCE · Post by **MRCN RCE** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:20 pm

hmm interesting... 60 mpg?? damn that's a lot. good luck on hitting that.keep us updated with how everything's goin

Kamikaze · Post by **Kamikaze** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:15 pm

I'm assuming you have done this before on other cars? if so any pictures? and what did you obtain for MPG's?Cool idea (for something different)

BlueCrush · Post by **BlueCrush** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:05 pm

The front looks wierd all covered up like that. By the time your all done you should ready for the Bonneville Slat Flats..lol..j/k.Some pretty drastic mods , but if that is what it takes for you to get to your goal. Not too sure if the future mirror delete is legal or not, though. Good mileage for an automatic. Must be fun to keep trying different. Good luck and keep us posted of your mods and results.

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:30 pm

"I'm assuming you have done this before on other cars? if so any pictures? and what did you obtain for MPG's?Cool idea (for something different)"Actually no, this is the first time I concentrate my efforts for this type of goal. As far as vehicle modifications, yes, I have been customizing cars for over 20 years and currently own a 2004 Scion xB which is ranked 3rd in the country by Scion. I plan to make that one a long range electric car, simply for the wow factor ...The funny thing is, if we as drivers were to just slow down, I drive 55mph on all major hwys, these Vibes are quite economical. I recall just on altering my speed the Vibe jumped to 35mpg with no mods.Peoples perception of the hazards of driving the speed limit are just that, perceptions. I drive the right lane and try not to impead traffic flow and in the three months of doing this I have NEVER been honked at or cut off. And I drive 2 of the most dangerous roads in florida, I-95 & the Turnpike. My daily commute is 110 miles.

CountryVibe · Post by **CountryVibe** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:44 am

Dol you have any problems with the engine getting hot with no air flow over the radiator?

Kamikaze · Post by **Kamikaze** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:53 am

I've slowed down and have noticed I can achieve 30-32mpg in town, big thing for me is hitting the lights... I've found for each stop light I don't hit, i loose on avg. 1mpg.. I hit 8 red lights on my way to work, and was getting between 20-24mpg. the same trip the next morning at the same speeds, hitting all the lights green, (not having to stop once.) I got 31.1mpg (using the scanguage)Hwy I've seen close to 32-36mpg. @ 55-60mph (although I don't drive Hwy as much as I wish I could for the even better MPG)

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:00 am

Quote, originally posted by CountryVibe Â»Dol you have any problems with the engine getting hot with no air flow over the radiator?No heat issues whatsover, the car remains steady @ 195 all day long, obviously on the hwy I use a lot less electric fan, but still, it remains constant. I'll have the fog deletes done next week and the pieces I am using will incorporate an airdam that is about 3" lower than the stock bumper. It will work well to push air around the front end instead of under the car.The funny by product of these mods is that the car accelerates much better at hwy speeds with less wind resistance.

BlueCrush · Post by **BlueCrush** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:02 am

So if you stopped at 32 stop lights on your way to work, you would be getting 0mpg then?

02csnow · Post by **02csnow** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:36 am

If you ever decide to change from the 2 piece armrest to the 1 piece armrest for weight reduction, let me know.

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:43 am

Quote, originally posted by 02csnow Â»If you ever decide to change from the 2 piece armrest to the 1 piece armrest for weight reduction, let me know. I'm not sure I understand? I have a center console that I guess acts like an armrest is that what you mean? If so what do you have to replace it with?

kevera · Post by **kevera** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:45 am

It's totally weird,but weird is not always a bad thing.Give you props for being original,good luck on your quest.

VforVIBE · Post by **VforVIBE** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:00 am

Quote, originally posted by trikkonceptz Â»I'm not sure I understand? I have a center console that I guess acts like an armrest is that what you mean? If so what do you have to replace it with?The people of GenVibe like the arm rest found in the 2003 & 2004 Vibe better then the one found in the 2005-2008. The older ones are higher because of the extra lid.

02csnow · Post by **02csnow** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 7:35 am

^^^^^ What she said. ^^^^^The console between the front seats.03 - 04 Two pieces ( two parts lift up )05 - 08 One piece ( one part lifts up )So that means you will lose a little more weight in the interior.

joatmon · Post by **joatmon** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:21 am

what special tires did you put on the car? I hope you put special tires on the car. If you are running stock tires, god forbid continentals, a blow out at those pressures would be drastic

Blueridge9 · Post by **Blueridge9** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:55 am

Quote, originally posted by kevera Â»It's totally weird,but weird is not always a bad thing.Give you props for being original,good luck on your quest.x2Your daily commute is 110 miles!? Dude why not move closer to work or carpool??

Kamikaze · Post by **Kamikaze** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 12:58 pm

Quote, originally posted by BlueCrush Â»So if you stopped at 32 stop lights on your way to work, you would be getting 0mpg then? probably it pretty much tops out at my worst MPG at about 20.back on topic, I can't wait to see the finished product.

bull77 · Post by **bull77** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:57 am

Quote, originally posted by Blueridge9 Â»Your daily commute is 110 miles!? Dude why not move closer to work or carpool??my thoughts exactly --- but its pretty cool whats he doing to the vibe i'll take 3rds or 4ths on your center armrest

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:17 am

I am no longer on the stock tires, I have since switched over to Goodyear tires, and have had no issues with the PSI I am currently running, infact I can say with certainty that I am getting better wet and Dry traction because of it. Either way, here are some update pics on the grille blocks I did yesterday. I will finish them in a cpouple of weeks, but I wanted to get a couple tanks under my belt to see how it is working out. So far others love the new look, they have renamed the Vibe to Mantis .. LOLEnjoy,

lowincash · Post by **lowincash** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:52 am

interesting look you're going for...good luck with the project

Daox · Post by **Daox** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 9:40 am

Hey Trikkonceptz. Nice to see your Vibe here.

damronjr · Post by **damronjr** » Wed Jul 23, 2008 5:21 pm

Quote, originally posted by trikkonceptz Â»I am no longer on the stock tires, I have since switched over to Goodyear tires, and have had no issues with the PSI I am currently running, infact I can say with certainty that I am getting better wet and Dry traction because of it. Either way, here are some update pics on the grille blocks I did yesterday. I will finish them in a cpouple of weeks, but I wanted to get a couple tanks under my belt to see how it is working out. So far others love the new look, they have renamed the Vibe to Mantis .. LOLEnjoy,Wow that looks kind of cool! Can't wait to see the finished product!

ramenboy... · Post by **ramenboy...** » Fri Aug 01, 2008 12:51 am

yeah looks pretty cool... are planning on leaving the car at stock height?

trikkonceptz · Post by **trikkonceptz** » Sun Aug 03, 2008 1:34 am

I do plan to lower it .. I will lean on you guys for the best advice on the proper drop set up for the Vibe. I'm used to air suspensions and the like.So any advice on what spring set up to use? Is there any that can give me less rake and more level a drop, even drop the rear more since I have no weight in the back anymore?

emt · Post by **emt** » Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:01 pm

looks like a fun goal to go for. In south florida I assume you use a/c unless you do your I95 & turnpike driving at night when it's a little cooler or you use some mighty strong antiperspirants. .............Concerning "Peoples perception of the hazards of driving the speed limit are just that, perceptions.", I've never had much problem with my perception of the car/van behind me ..... But, If a big 16 wheel semi get's within 5 foot of my bumper, I'm hitting the gas.

Celtic_Curse · Post by **Celtic_Curse** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:36 am

I like it. Keep posting pics and progress

AtomicVette · Post by **AtomicVette** » Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:43 pm

cool. I like to see this kind of stuff. I really wanted to convert my old 72 MGB into an all electric vehicle, but I hate the idea of adding all that weight from lead/acid batteries. i wish battery technology would catch up. anyway, if you've already been researching the electric vehicle stuff for your scion, you may already know of this site, but I'm going to link it anyway. It's got a lot of good info for converting to electric.http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums/

Trikkonceptz - 2004 Vibe

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