GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

UPDATE

Air Intake Ducting And Resonator Removed - 09.29.13





Illinois Route 66 Specialty Vanity Rear License Plate - VIBIN - 10.31.13

removed

I like! They really look good with the silver, and the 16" sidewalls. They may not fit with the 18's, though... Really clean, too.

The more I look at them, the more I love the look of them. I wasn't so sure at first, but now I am really happy with them. It will be interesting to see how they look with the 18s come springtime.

I just ordered a pair of the overlays for my mom's Vibe !

they look awesome! cant wait to order some for mine

Very nice Carrie Your Silver Vibe looks REAL good in the snow. When you perform this to your mom's Vibe GT, post those pics so we can see how it looks on a darker color

NascarXprt wrote:they look awesome! cant wait to order some for mine

I have your signature to thank for making me decide to get them ! I can't wait to see them on your GT!

tpollauf wrote:Very nice Carrie Your Silver Vibe looks REAL good in the snow. When you perform this to your mom's Vibe GT, post those pics so we can see how it looks on a darker color

The overlays for my mom's Vibe are supposed to arrive tomorrow, so installation pictures should be up some time this weekend !

UPDATE

50,000 Miles! - 05.25.14

Oh wow. It looks too good (: do you do anything special to make the headlights look so crystal clear?

gtv237 wrote:Oh wow. It looks too good (: do you do anything special to make the headlights look so crystal clear?

Thanks!

Well, I don't know if it would be considered special, but here's what I use on the headlights (and taillights and fog lights):

1. Mother's California Gold Caranuba Wash & Wax soap and a bug sponge on all the lights whenever I wash the Vibe.
2. Whenever I use a clay bar (Mother's California Gold Clay Bar Kit) on the paint, I also use it on the windows and all the lights.
3. Whenever I wax (Mother's California Gold 3 Step Ultimate Wax System) the paint, I also wax all the lights.

I guess it's working well so far because the headlights, fog lights and taillights all still look brand new and are showing no signs of yellowing, hazing, etc. after 5+ years of ownership.

UPDATE

Magnaflow Performance Catback Exhaust System - 07.11.14

WHY WEREN'T YOU AT THE MEET

Oooooo..... cant wait to see how that exhaust looks and sounds!

vibenvy wrote:UPDATES

Grafx Werks Metallic Silver "Poyota" Decal On The Lower Left Corner Of The Windshield - 07.04.14

I will post a picture of the "Poyota" decal and some pictures of the exhaust installed later this week after I get the Vibe washed...

Neat! I actually call my Vibe a "Ponyota" on my Mustang websites. That way it is a PONtiac, a "pony" car, and a Toyota!

NascarXprt wrote:Oooooo..... cant wait to see how that exhaust looks and sounds!

It looks great! The Magnaflow muffler is about half the size of the OEM muffler, so it tucks up very nicely under the rear end and isn't noticeable at all unless you actually look up under the rear end. The tip looked huge before the exhaust was installed, but it actually looks just right in the opening in the lower rear fascia. It fills the opening very nicely and IMO looks totally stock.

The sound is great too! At startup, it has a bit of a growl to it, but it mellows out when the idle levels out. It's barely louder than stock unless you step on the gas and even than, it's still not too loud or obnoxious.

My exhaust guy said he was very impressed with the ease of installation, the fit and quality of the setup and the mellow sound. I had to take it back to him this past week because a rattle had developed right under the e-brake / console area. He put it on the lift and immediately saw where a bracket was hitting. He heated the metal up and bent it downward a bit. No more rattle!

I am very satisfied with this exhaust! I highly recommend it! I also recommend ordering it through Hott Exhaust. They are an authorized Magnaflow dealer and have ridiculously cheap prices (even cheaper than eBay!). There's a link on their website to email them about coupon codes. I did that and they emailed back with a code that dropped the price about $140.00. Also, shipping on everything is free, so the exhaust ended up costing me about $440.00 shipped. My exhaust guy only charged me $60.00 for installation, so $500.00 installed for a full stainless steel setup with mandrel bent piping... not bad at all if you ask me!

trb wrote:Neat! I actually call my Vibe a "Ponyota" on my Mustang websites. That way it is a PONtiac, a "pony" car, and a Toyota!

LOL ! Unfortunately, the Poyota decal on my Vibe was starting to peel up a bit, so I just removed them. I wasn't so sure about them anyway (nothing wrong with the decals themselves, I'm just not a fan of decals, logos, etc.). We have the GV decals on the hatch glass and I'm thinking that's all we'll ever have.

I have yet to get any pictures of the exhaust installed because I'm wanting to wait until the Vibe is clean and the weather and my schedule have not been cooperating lately. It's looking like Labor Day weekend will be spent doing full details on both Vibes, so I should have some pictures up than.

Unfortunately, I don't have any way to get and / or post any sound clips of the exhaust .

I finally got around to washing my Vibe this morning, so I was finally able to add some pictures of the exhaust installed to my post above...

Tomorrow is my Vibe's 6th birthday!

Carrie!

Happy Belated Birthday to your Vibe! I need to figure out when mine was manufactured too...

It's almost that time of year when my wallet gets fat, so I'm definitely looking at an exhaust upgrade as well. I have neighbors across the street with loud exhausts who rev their trucks throughout the night; drives me insane when I'm trying to sleep. I work early in the AM, so maybe I could get some payback by waking them up while I'm heading to work? So... How's it sound? On a scale of "1 to loud" where are we sitting? Wondering if the GT exhaust will fit the Base, but I don't see a problem with it.

Great work as always. You definitely inspire me every time I check the forums

MaSlade wrote:Carrie!

Happy Belated Birthday to your Vibe! I need to figure out when mine was manufactured too...

It's almost that time of year when my wallet gets fat, so I'm definitely looking at an exhaust upgrade as well. I have neighbors across the street with loud exhausts who rev their trucks throughout the night; drives me insane when I'm trying to sleep. I work early in the AM, so maybe I could get some payback by waking them up while I'm heading to work? So... How's it sound? On a scale of "1 to loud" where are we sitting? Wondering if the GT exhaust will fit the Base, but I don't see a problem with it.

Great work as always. You definitely inspire me every time I check the forums

Thanks for the belated birthday wishes !

I'll be getting new tires for the 18s for both Vibes in the spring when I get my income tax refund. I was wanting to get the OEM wheels powder coated metallic silver at the same time but it's not looking too good for having enough money for 8 tires and 8 powder coated wheels so that may have to wait until 2016. I am also hoping to finish up getting the last few parts for Project PowerStop and finally getting those killer brakes installed. Time will tell I guess...

The exhaust is really mellow until you step on the gas. It's not obnoxiously loud, but loud enough when accelerating to be heard. There's at least one member on Matrix Owners who has a 2nd gen Base and had the 2nd gen Vibe GT / Matrix XRS Magnaflow catback exhaust installed on it with only minor modifications. I definitely think it's reasonably doable.

It's nice to hear I inspire you ! This is one of the main reasons why I'm a member here. If I can inspire someone or help someone out with a question they have or something, it's always makes my day !

You haven't updated your Garage thread in a while. You need to get some updated pictures of that new brake setup on there. I'm dying to see them!

removed

UPDATE

Chrome Engine Appearance Cover Bolts - 04.18.15


$1.59 a piece at my local Ace Hardware! Adds a nice touch to the engine bay!

Nice!! I know what my next upgrade will be

JR

You have to love cheap and easy upgrades like this. I was just cruising the fastener aisle at the local Ace Hardware when I happened upon the display of all sorts of chrome fasteners, bolts, etc. I started looking through them and found some that looked like they would fit the engine cover perfectly, so I took one of the original bolts back to match it up and voila!

UPDATE

WeatherTech TechShade Windshield Sunshade - 05.30.15



2015 GenVibe Meet Weekend - Pontiac, IL - 06.19.15 - 06.21.15

























60,000 Miles! - 07.28.15



Nice Clean Rear End! - 08.02.15



Altgeld Hall At Northern Illinois University - DeKalb, IL - 08.09.15

Nice !!! Also I see you finally got your avatar back up on the site. That license plate is one BUSY area on the rear of your Vibe. It's more like a mini-bulletin board. lot's of graphics, letters, & numbers on a small area. One good thing with it looking so busy is that it makes it tougher for law enforcement folks to see the actual plate numbers Now your mom has to get something similar. She can NOT be out done by her daughter

Yep, I was at the library yesterday and got the avatar issue resolved, although I have a better, closer up picture of the license plate I'm going to be switching to once I can get back to the library. Still need to get a cool picture of the two Vibes together for a new signature picture. I also have a few more pictures I still need to add to this thread...

My mom and I are still trying to come up with a good Route 66 plate for her Vibe. We're having a hard time because the parameters for options are so limited and she's being super picky . My parents and I will be heading down to Pontiac in September for an all Pontiac show they have every year and I'm going to pick her up one of the Route 66 license plate frames from the Route 66 Museum! Twins !

vibenvy: Did you leave the rear Pontiac emblem on because you knew there were a couple holes behind it??

I removed mine with thread and went right through the two little plastic bits that go in those holes. Now I got to think of some way to cover it up, like a small plastic cover.

Yes. I had read on here, before I even got my Vibe IIRC, that the rear arrowhead badge had two holes underneath it. Could you just order a new badge to re-install?

vibenvy wrote:Yes. I had read on here, before I even got my Vibe IIRC, that the rear arrowhead badge had two holes underneath it. Could you just order a new badge to re-install?

Yeah possibly, and new stickum but i like it unbadged.
Just need to find a blank to put in it.

Also removing the rear wiper, so I need a much larger blank to put in there

ctgottapee wrote:Also removing the rear wiper, so I need a much larger blank to put in there

You might want to think twice about removing the rear wiper. It really comes in handy during the winter because the 2nd gen rear ends are snow, slush, ice, dirt, etc. magnets.

vibenvy wrote:

ctgottapee wrote:Also removing the rear wiper, so I need a much larger blank to put in there

You might want to think twice about removing the rear wiper. It really comes in handy during the winter because the 2nd gen rear ends are snow, slush, ice, dirt, etc. magnets.

Thanks for the advice, and I do see what you mean
I'm gonna wax the window to help.

I'm removing the rear panels so I can use something to cover the small emblem holes - there should be access.
I also found some black hex key small studs that would screw into the holes at the hardware store.

UPDATE

08.10.15



Hey Good Lookin' ! - 08.14.15



eBay Plain Black Plastic Rear License Plate Frame - 09.11.15



Black Painted Engine Oil Dipstick Handle - 09.13.15





I decided to get rid of the "Route 66 - Enjoy The Ride!" rear license plate frame because, as Tim (tpollauf) mentioned a while back, there was a lot going on between the plate itself and the frame. I ended up picking up two (one for each Vibe) plain black plastic license plate frames on eBay for $8.99 shipped. These look much better and actually go rather well with the black of the lower rear fascia.

The yellow engine oil dipstick handle had been bothering me for a while because the yellow stood out way too much amongst the black, silver and red of the engine bay, so I painted it with satin black Krylon Fusion and now it blends in perfectly! I am very happy with how the engine bay looks!

All Nice And Clean - 10.20.15

Looks good.

I wish I had a GT front bumper... or a GT for that matter lol

Jamaroon wrote:Looks good.

I wish I had a GT front bumper... or a GT for that matter lol

Thanks!

I love the GT exterior styling. It's so sporty and aggressive ! You could always do a front bumper swap !

Ugggggh yours looks so much prettier than mine and I am jealous. Mine has 114K miles on it because I've driven the crap out of it. My paint looks horrible! I swear my Vibe attracts every one else's car doors. And my headlights have faded horribly. (my signature picture is old) Can I just keep looking at yours?

seb0168 wrote:Ugggggh yours looks so much prettier than mine and I am jealous. Mine has 114K miles on it because I've driven the crap out of it. My paint looks horrible! I swear my Vibe attracts every one else's car doors. And my headlights have faded horribly. (my signature picture is old) Can I just keep looking at yours?

Sorry to hear about your Vibe getting beaten up . I always try to park in an end spot when I go somewhere. It reduces your chance of door dings by 50% since you only have a vehicle on one side. Also, you can typically park over further in end spots which keeps your further away from possible injury.

The headlights on both our Vibes still look brand new because I wax them, along with the fog lights and taillights, every time I wax the paint. I know many members here have had good luck with different headlight restoration kits. You could try one of them and than start waxing the lights to help keep them protected.

Thanks for the kind words on my baby! You can stare at it as long as you want !

UPDATE

2012-2014 Toyota Yaris Chrome Trimmed HVAC Knobs - 11.08.15





eBay Black Plastic Front And Rear Door Check And Striker Covers - 01.06.16









TRD Radiator Cap - 01.06.16

UPDATE

65,000 Mile Oil Change - 02.06.16


I took full advantage of the beautiful weather last weekend and washed both Vibes and my dad's Trax. Below are a couple quick pictures I snapped of my Vibe...

Man am I glad you don't have an '06 or even earlier - this is a long thread!

*Very* nice ride, kudos!

How's that Hinda antenna working out? Have you noticed any difference WRT reception? The stock Vibe antenna works great, but an equally good antenna half its size would be a bonus.

KRR wrote:Man am I glad you don't have an '06 or even earlier - this is a long thread!

*Very* nice ride, kudos!

How's that Hinda antenna working out? Have you noticed any difference WRT reception? The stock Vibe antenna works great, but an equally good antenna half its size would be a bonus.

The Honda antenna has been great. No interference with reception or anything. I highly recommend it. It looks so much better than the huge OEM Vibe one.

Thanks for the kind words !

Hello, I was wondering how to know whether the Ultra-Racing parts will fit? Has anyone in the community implemented the parts successfully?

Thanks,
John

2010GTJT wrote:Hello, I was wondering how to know whether the Ultra-Racing parts will fit? Has anyone in the community implemented the parts successfully?

Thanks,
John

Hey John! To my knowledge, there are not any 2nd gen (2009-2010) Vibe GT owners that have installed any of the Ultra Racing bars yet. The front ones that I have listed under my future modifications should fit no problem according to what I've seen on Toyota Nation. I still need to get some measurements and pictures to compare the rear end, but I have been told by a fellow GenVibe member that our 2nd gen GTs share the same rear end as 2000ish Celica GTSs which means we could have access to some additional parts i.e. rear sway bars, etc. I will most definitely post any info I find out on this topic as soon as I find it out so keep your eyes open !

Thanks, I May let someone else be the the guinea pig before I do anything....haha

7 years ago today, I brought my Vibe home!

UPDATE

Reflection - 05.28.16



2016 GenVibe Meet Weekend - Nashville, TN - 06.24.16 - 06.26.16

















Nice View During Breakfast! - 08.07.16



Spending Some Quality Time Together! - 09.03.16



70,000 Mile Oil Change - 09.24.16



70,000 Miles! - 09.25.16

UPDATE

Rustic Road - Lake Geneva, WI - 10.29.16



12.12.16





Princeton, IL - 12.21.16





Kool-Vue Chrome Front And Rear Door Handles And Grafx Werks Regular Red Front And Rear Door Lock Overlays - 01.15.17

UPDATE

The Vibe Has A "New" Older Sibling! (2002 Pontiac Sunfire GT Coupe) - 02.05.17



Fox River At Silver Springs State Park - Plano, IL - 04.02.17

UPDATE

75,000 Mile Oil Change + K&N Washable Cabin Air Filter - 06.10.17







Toyota Engine Appearance Cover - 09.23.17







GM Accessories Rear Bumper Cover Protector - 09.23.17







And a couple other shots I took yesterday while the Vibe was all nice and clean ...

What an amazing chain of events.

Great job Carrie.