Buying Vibe this Week

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jazzvibe
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun May 20, 2012 10:54 am
Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Hello all,
We began thinking of getting me a new car recently, since I drive all around the county for my job, and neither of us are able to work on cars. My 2003 PT Cruiser is just at the stage where I end up renting a car every few months so that I can take it in for repairs. Repairs, rental costs, time away from work to make these arrangements...it is better to go back to having a car payment. I love my Cruiser and wanted another wagon-like car with better gas mileage. Living in Metro Detroit and having auto workers in my ancestry, I could not buy a foreign-badged car. Dear Husband found the Vibe, and it solved all of my problems. I am buying a 2009 GT in Red Hot Metallic with 28,200 miles from a dealer, with a GM Certified Pre-Owned plan. The car is from Hawaii. It was bought at Jim Falk Motors of Maui in Kahului, HI, used there from January '09 to June '11, then shipped to the mainland. Apparently it was then driven to Michigan, registered, and then traded in February 2012.

I have to thank all of you at this site. Your discussions about the sunroof rust caused me to check that out, and the dealer is replacing the sunroof glass panel before I buy the car. I loved the way the car drove. There is plenty of room for my wonky knees to not touch the steering column, and it has the best sound system I have ever had. The seats are quite comfortable. I am looking forward to taking possession this week or next, and learning more to like about my car! Any advice?
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

Welcome to GenVibe! It sounds like you'll have yourself a very nice Vibe GT! It's got less miles than mine does :P! Glad to hear the dealer is replacing the sunroof glass for you. I would also have the dealer run the VIN and make sure all the recalls and/or TSBs have been done on it. There were a couple recalls for the accelerator pedal and a TSB for a harsh downshift (assuming it's an automatic). Besides that, I can't think of anything else except post pictures when you get it! We love pictures around here :P! My 2009 Vibe GT is by far the best all around vehicle I've owned and I'm sure you will love yours as much as I love mine!
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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zyzyix
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by zyzyix »

Hi and welcome :)
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

Congrats on the new car and welcome! I guess it goes without saying, don't let your relatives know it is actually a Toyota under the skin! :D Good luck with it and love the red GTs!
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
09vGT
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Location: Little Rock, AR

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by 09vGT »

Welcome fellow GT member! You will enjoy your ride for miles to come! I currently have close to 92,000 trouble free miles on my '09 GT!
jazzvibe
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Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Thanks for the welcome, all. J to Envy, thanks for the reminder about recalls. I think I assumed that that was part of the Certified plan. My husband is taking my trade-in over tomorrow to be evaluated, I will have him ask if they have checked for whether the recalls have been done. It is an automatic. BTW, I have never seen a shifter like this one. I will have to learn more about it. I currently plan to simply put in drive and go. I don't imagine me ever doing the shifting.

Thanks, Zyzyix!

Thomas, the relatives who matter are deceased, but I still have to honor their beliefs. Plus, you can't imagine how many of those "Out of a job yet? Keep buying foreign!" bumper stickers I see every day. We are still in a depression up here, too. Housing prices are less than half what they were before the crash. My brother bought a Hyundai recently and loves it, but he lives out of state in a less car-centric area. Believe me, I KNOW it is a Toyota, but as my salesman kept telling me, "it was built in California with union labor." Close enough, I say. After all, my PT Cruiser was built in Mexico by those maquiladora workers who are exploited.
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

Yeah, I hear you. Both my grandfathers were both big Buy American guys, one for only Olds, the other was buy anything GM or nothing. :D

As for the shifter, 99% of the time just put it in drive and go. You get better gas mileage and don't need to bother with it. But if you are coasting down a hill and need some more engine braking, you can drop it down a gear or two. Or if you anticipate needing to pass someone you can drop it down too, take off, then flip it back into drive. I would use it more often if it shifted quicker, since I really miss having a manual transmission to drive everyday. But my family won out on this car so we got the slushbox.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

jazzvibe wrote:Thanks for the welcome, all. J to Envy, thanks for the reminder about recalls. I think I assumed that that was part of the Certified plan. My husband is taking my trade-in over tomorrow to be evaluated, I will have him ask if they have checked for whether the recalls have been done. It is an automatic. BTW, I have never seen a shifter like this one. I will have to learn more about it. I currently plan to simply put in drive and go. I don't imagine me ever doing the shifting.
You're very welcome! It's better to be safe and ask, then not and find out something wasn't done.

As far as the shifter, I just put it in drive and go. I have messed around with shifting a few times, but it's just kind of annoying for me. As trb said, you get better mileage just putting it in drive anyway.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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tpollauf
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by tpollauf »

jazzvibe wrote: Living in Metro Detroit and having auto workers in my ancestry, I could not buy a foreign-badged car.

Awesome find and WELCOME ;) I'm just an hour to your south (update your profile so your location shows with your user name) and have the "almost" identical Red Vibe GT :D Mine has the 5-speed manual BUT other than that we're TWINS. It's ashamed that this Vibe, which is likely totally rust free, will now be subject to the nasty winters we have here in the Midwest. You may want to cross the border and look into Krown undercoating in Windsor. I hear a lot of Canadians do this to their rides and it preserves the undercarriage! Post pics when you get it and ................................................. WELCOME :)
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jazzvibe
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Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Thanks for the welcome, Tpollauf,
Well, I got my profile and siggy done. I borrowed some photos from the website where my car is for sale, so I can show it to you. We got the financing and insurance taken care of today. Since the sunroof is going to take a few days to get and install, I don't get to take possession until next week. The holiday gets in the way.

I thought the very same thing about the road salt, Tpollauf. Turns out that this landlubber knows nothing of living on an island. My sis was watching HGTV House Hunters. It was set in Hawaii, and they were making a point to look at all of the metals that were outside in the regular air. Everything that was outside and COULD rust, DID rust. Salt air! Our big lakes are not salty, so it never occurred to me that Hawaii could be saltier than a winter in the upper midwest. Luckily, I have 32 months or 71,800 miles left on the corrosion warranty.

Sorry about the size of my siggy picture. I will downsize it another day.
My Recently Deceased Vibe
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Murdered By A Dodge Charger 11-23-16!
hotbug1776
Posts: 585
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:58 am
Location: Erie, Pa and Bellevue, Oh

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by hotbug1776 »

Welcome, love the color!!! I hope your vibe gives you years of joy and faithful service.

Maybe we'll see you in Erie, Pa on the 7th of July at the Genvibe meet.

Again, I hope you enjoy your vibe for many years to come.
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SACM
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by SACM »

I just bought a 2010 Vibe base model and I absolutely love it..what a great car. I want to eventually put some rims instead of the hubcaps it came with......and I really want a factory roof rail becaue I think it adds to the sleek look. Any ideas how to get one, and whether they are difficult to install on my own. :D
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

SACM wrote:I just bought a 2010 Vibe base model and I absolutely love it..what a great car. I want to eventually put some rims instead of the hubcaps it came with......and I really want a factory roof rail becaue I think it adds to the sleek look. Any ideas how to get one, and whether they are difficult to install on my own. :D
Welcome to you too and maybe start a thread on your new car too. The Matrix roof racks are pretty cheap ($250 ish on ebay) and there are a couple of threads on here about them, including this great one with install pics too: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=38211&p=463271&hil ... of#p463271" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
tpollauf
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by tpollauf »

jazzvibe wrote:Since the sunroof is going to take a few days to get and install, I don't get to take possession until next week.

Does this imply that this Vibe currently does NOT have a factory sunroof? If so PLEASE post close-up pics of the aftermarket sunroof and I hope whoever installs it does a clean professional job 8-) . Your signature is perfect. don't change a thing about it until you take some actual pics when in your possession.
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2014 Silverado, 2004 Vibe GT

"everything is modifiable"
jazzvibe
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Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Does this imply that this Vibe currently does NOT have a factory sunroof? If so PLEASE post close-up pics of the aftermarket sunroof and I hope whoever installs it does a clean professional job . Your signature is perfect. don't change a thing about it until you take some actual pics when in your possession.
No, tpollauf, not an aftermarket sunroof. I researched the car before we went to see it and I found this website. I learned about the rusted-out sunroof glass frames and checked it out. Completely rusted. Rust rained down like ...rain! They are replacing the glass and its frame as a condition of me buying the car.

In my travels today, I was beside and behind a beautiful gray Vibe with a pinstripe. I followed it for a few miles. As it merged to the right lane, it revealed a PTCruiser in front of it. I got to drive behind and compare the two for a half mile. The Cruiser is wider in the back, taller in the back. It is not nearly as flashy, though. I just love all that chrome and color under the rear light bubble (or whatever they call it).
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

jazzvibe wrote:Since the sunroof is going to take a few days to get and install, I don't get to take possession until next week. The holiday gets in the way.
That sucks :(. This weekend would be a great time to cruise around in your new Vibe. The signature's looking great! Can't wait to see more pictures :D!
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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jazzvibe
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

We have already arranged a little trip to Grand Rapids. Three nights in a Bed and Breakfast on a lake, maybe a West Michigan Whitecaps game, a walk through Meijer Garden, no dogs demanding to go in or out, no friends having a crisis! The Vibe is likely to be ready by the weekend, but we will be on the opposite side of the state by midday Thursday. I will get her on Tuesday, and spend time driving her around the suburbs here before I take her out on the highway. I am like J to Envy in some ways, when feeling like racing, I get up to the speed limit very fast. ;)
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ramenboy...
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by ramenboy... »

Welcome to the family

That vibe is about as well travelled as you!

You'll have a blast, both with the folks on here and with your vibe
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jazzvibe
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

I took delivery of my 2009 Vibe GT today. I met with my salesman in a parking lot at a community college halfway between his town and my town and we sat in my PT Cruiser and I signed all the paperwork, we exchanged keys, and off we went. It took a while to get the seatback in the right position. It is quite supportive and comfortable for the lower back. My neck, on the other hand, is telling me that it would like some support, though. I am thinking of getting a soft roll pillow for under the headrest so my neck gets a little support. I have a degenerating disc back there.

I drove home via the freeways. I did not exactly lose anyone in the blindspot. I did catch someone on my right who I had not noticed, and a blindspot may have been involved. I have a question about this blindspot. Is it a bllindspot in which you can lose someone in the next lane even when you turn and look over your shoulder, in addition to using the right side and rear view mirrors? I am old, and still use my own eyes, turning my head to look over shoulders before changing lanes. I have never gotten used to having right side mirrors. We did not have many cars with them when I was learning to drive.

The sound system was great fun. I turned on tunes, not just my usual NPR. I could hear things in old songs that I know, that I did not know was there before, like tinkling keyboards and bells and things. Somebody To Love by Jefferson Airplane, was amazing, as were the Motown songs I heard. I think I am going to know a lot less about the world, losing some of my NPR time!

I brought in the manual so I can figure out how things like the auto headlights work.
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CAMOGIRL
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by CAMOGIRL »

Welcome to you both!! I can't wait to see more photos :)
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1SC
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by 1SC »

Welcome to GenVibe and congrats for your new purchase.
I am looking foward to see your pictures !
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

jazzvibe wrote:I took delivery of my 2009 Vibe GT today. I met with my salesman in a parking lot at a community college halfway between his town and my town and we sat in my PT Cruiser and I signed all the paperwork, we exchanged keys, and off we went. It took a while to get the seatback in the right position. It is quite supportive and comfortable for the lower back. My neck, on the other hand, is telling me that it would like some support, though. I am thinking of getting a soft roll pillow for under the headrest so my neck gets a little support. I have a degenerating disc back there.

I drove home via the freeways. I did not exactly lose anyone in the blindspot. I did catch someone on my right who I had not noticed, and a blindspot may have been involved. I have a question about this blindspot. Is it a bllindspot in which you can lose someone in the next lane even when you turn and look over your shoulder, in addition to using the right side and rear view mirrors? I am old, and still use my own eyes, turning my head to look over shoulders before changing lanes. I have never gotten used to having right side mirrors. We did not have many cars with them when I was learning to drive.

The sound system was great fun. I turned on tunes, not just my usual NPR. I could hear things in old songs that I know, that I did not know was there before, like tinkling keyboards and bells and things. Somebody To Love by Jefferson Airplane, was amazing, as were the Motown songs I heard. I think I am going to know a lot less about the world, losing some of my NPR time!

I brought in the manual so I can figure out how things like the auto headlights work.
Glad to hear the Vibe is officially yours :)! It sounds like you really enjoyed it on the ride home!

As far as blind spots are concerned, I would suggest getting some little blind spot mirrors to add onto the side mirrors. I did almost sideswipe someone unintentionally because they were in my blind spot on the passenger side. It was then and there I decided to get some 2" round blind spot mirrors to avoid this happening again. They make a huge difference. I have mine in the lower outer corners of both side mirrors. Some people put them on the inner lower corner, upper outer corner, etc. It's all about personal preference. Before you actually stick the mirrors on, move them around and see what you like the best. You can get these mirrors at Walmart, Auto Zone, etc. for under $10.00 a pair.

I too love the audio system, especially with the subwoofer. The music I listen to (80s Hair Metal) sounds amazing on the factory audio system, especially with the equalizer set to "Jazz" :P.

Great call on reading the owner's manual, but beware... it has alot of false information. It seems that they copied and pasted alot of information from the 2008 Vibe manual or something. Many owners here have discovered information that is nowhere near pertinent to the 2009-2010 models. If there's anything you have a question about, I would search around here for an answer and if you can't find it, make a post so you can get the real deal from actual owners. The automatic headlights can be touchy. Sometimes they might not turn on until it's pretty dark outside, other times they may turn on when driving under an overpass or something. I found them to be very annoying and ending up disabling them. If you're driving and you feel the headlights should be on and they're not, turn them on ;). They're really a pretty simple system.

Keep on enjoying your Vibe and I look forward to seeing more pictures of it!
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jazzvibe
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Thanks for the "welcomes," I am having fun reading here. I think about how I was when I got my first car, an old 1966 Mustang, and I imagine I would NEVER have gone to bed at night for reading online if there had been internet forums back then! My Vibe is a fun car, and now that I am aware of them, I am seeing them absolutely everywhere. In the Detroit suburbs, they seem to be very popular.

I haven't had the Vibe a week, but I have already been to Discount Tire and had to order a new one. I have a large nail going from the sidewall through to the tread. It is nicely embeded and no longer leaking air like it was on Wednesday, but there is quite a groove cut out of the tire. They did not have one in stock, so I have an appointment to go back after work on Monday.

I have gone to a couple of auto parts stores looking for some kind of extensions for the visors. My PT Cruiser had visors that extended out and you could catch the sun no matter where it was coming in to blind you. So far, no luck. I saw something on e-bay that is very simple, just oblong plastic pieces a bit smaller than a visor, and some elastic loops. You simply put the elastic on the visor, slip the plastic in underneath, and manually pull it out to block the sun. With the bands already on the Vibe visor, something like this could work very well. Nice smoked-but-see-through thin plexiglass would be best. I could even cut it out and smooth it down with my Dremel, if I had a source for the plexiglass (and the patience to do it). I broke a rule of mine in buying this house: "Don't buy a house west of where you work." I drive both ways into the sun. Those in the lower latitudes don't have this problem as much as we in the north do. Winters up here are especially hard on the eyes.

No pictures yet, I want to remove a STICKER the dealer put on the rear hatch paint and the front plate that advertises the dealership, since we don't need front plates in Michigan. I have never worn a tee shirt or jeans that advertised the maker, I sure don't want to go around advertising for the car dealer.

J_to_Envy, thanks for the info on the convex mirrors. I read the thread about the blind spot mirrors and adjusted my mirrors as the Car and Driver article said to do. I will experiment and watch before deciding if I need the little stick-on mirrors. If I do get them it will probably be to show the area closest to my car, like others said they do.

I agree that the "jazz" setting sounds best, even with rock music.
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

jazzvibe wrote:I haven't had the Vibe a week, but I have already been to Discount Tire and had to order a new one. I have a large nail going from the sidewall through to the tread. It is nicely embeded and no longer leaking air like it was on Wednesday, but there is quite a groove cut out of the tire. They did not have one in stock, so I have an appointment to go back after work on Monday.

No pictures yet, I want to remove a STICKER the dealer put on the rear hatch paint and the front plate that advertises the dealership, since we don't need front plates in Michigan. I have never worn a tee shirt or jeans that advertised the maker, I sure don't want to go around advertising for the car dealer.

J_to_Envy, thanks for the info on the convex mirrors. I read the thread about the blind spot mirrors and adjusted my mirrors as the Car and Driver article said to do. I will experiment and watch before deciding if I need the little stick-on mirrors. If I do get them it will probably be to show the area closest to my car, like others said they do.

I agree that the "jazz" setting sounds best, even with rock music.
That sucks about the tire. I too have had a few tire issues of my own. That's the one negative about the GT is it's 18" tires that are rather expensive, but the beautiful 18" wheels more than make up for it.

Good call on removing the dealer sticker and license plate frame! These were the very first things I did to both our Vibes. Unfortunately our dealer had put stickers on that were a major pain in the a** to get off, but after a total of about 3 hours per Vibe and some blood under my fingernails, I got them both off and it looks so much better. I hope your dealer sticker is much easier to remove :P. And I removed my front license plate almost 2 years ago and filled the holes with color matched plastic plugs. Front license plates are required in Illinois, but I have not been pulled over yet. My mom hit a large cat last year and ended up needing a new front bumper cover. I made sure the body shop did not drill the holes for the front license plate. Every vehicle looks so much better without a front license plate, but especially the 2009-2010 Vibe GTs.

I'm glad you found the blind spot mirror thread! I had forgotten about it. I need to adjust my mirrors per Car And Driver one of these days and see how it goes.

There's definitely nothing better than cruising in my Vibe with the music turned up so I can hear the sub :D!
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

Lucky you having a '66 Mustang as your first car! I would have loved my dad's '65 fastback, but he sold it when I was 11 in '76. :x I ended up with a '81 Olds Cutlass instead. It was a new car, but not a neat car. Maybe I can finally get one when I retire!

Please let us know if you find anything on the sun visor. That is the one thing that annoys me on the car. It never fails that the sun is right in that open spot every day, and an extension would certainly help. Great idea on the plastic piece though. I have an acrylic store by my house and I may see if I can grab a scrap piece of black tinted acrylic and try to make something with my router table. Maybe I can slit the edge of the visor and have it slide into the visor when not being used. Might be worth buying a used one to experiment on.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
jazzvibe
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Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Hi TRB, yes that 66 Mustang was fun. My first husband and I rebuilt the small-block 289 engine in the rented garage at our apartment complex. It was an adventure owning a 20 year-old Mustang. I had a cowl cover that was held in with spring loaded clips. It kept the rain out of the passenger compartment. I did not have a functioning heater, so while we still lived up north, in New Jersey, I had an extension cord slung over a tree branch next to where the Mustang parked. In the winter, husband would turn on a space heater inside for me when he went to work, so that it was warm when I left an hour later. Once he was transferred to Baton Rouge, I had to get a car cover because the torrential afternoon rains there defeated attempts to keep the inside dry. The one thing we couldn't fix was my lungs. I came down with asthma about the time we got the car running, and exhausts were one of my main triggers. Despite it all, I did love driving that car! When we got divorced, I got the four year old Chevy and he got the Mustang. I just could not drive the car without getting sick.

I have been looking online for visor extenders. So far, the one that seems the most functional is the one I found on e-bay. "Visormates." Amazon has it, too. I have no idea why they don't make these with see-through plastic, though. http://www.amazon.com/review/R1IG9RDV90 ... 9RDV902DIW
Other ones are too complicated. Either they clip onto the visor and hang down below (these are see-through) - but have a gap the sun can still shine through, or they are big and bulky and you could have an accident re-positioning them every time you go around a curve! Then there is the one that is a static-cling see-through soft plastic. It looks like a rectangle of heavy window film. Window film is illegal on front side windows and windshields in Michigan, so you can't leave it on. Yeah, I can see myself peeling it off the windshield to move it over to the side window in heavy traffic. Who creates these things? My PT Cruiser simply had a telescoping swing arm on the sun visor. If the sun was coming through the space behind the rear-view mirror, you could kind of cant the visor in a way to slide it behind the mirror with the telescoping arm. Or you could extend the visor further back on the side window than the visor would normally go. It was as easy to use as a regular visor. It did not cover every situation, but it helped a lot most of the time.
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Today I set up my office on wheels. My Car-Go desk, with my printer and my computer, allow me to write up my work while still on the road. The computer is sitting on the pull-out writing surface.
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In the console, you can see my alcohol rub for washing up after leaving a health care facility. I also found a perfect place to keep my hairbrush. I have been growing my hair out and need to keep my hairbrush at the ready now that it is getting hot. I also have a small box of Kleenex stuck in the desk and a neoprene pocket from my old PT Cruiser hanging above the armrest. I may keep change in it, since the Vibe has so many compartments that I don't need it for what I used to use it for.
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The a/c electrical outlet makes my life a lot easier. I can charge the computer between facilities and use the printer (no battery pack) more easily. I used to use a converter, which added another complication into hooking everything up.
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The desk is held in place with the passenger seat belt. I have a cable that locks the desk in place by tethering it to the passenger seat. The small compartment is for files.
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Everything put away and ready to roll.
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My office on wheels at dusk. Ready to work on Monday.
Last edited by jazzvibe on Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
My Recently Deceased Vibe
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Murdered By A Dodge Charger 11-23-16!
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

The pictures aren't showing up :(...
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
jazzvibe
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Joined: Sun May 20, 2012 10:54 am
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

I hope I fixed it. Added "c2" after the "i." It shows up for me now in both Chrome and IE, but then it showed up for me yesterday, too.

Today I saw four Vibes just on the way to work!
My Recently Deceased Vibe
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Murdered By A Dodge Charger 11-23-16!
tpollauf
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by tpollauf »

jazzvibe wrote:I hope I fixed it.
Yes you did :) ......................... Thanks ;) That's a sharp driveway pic of the Vibe resting peacefully until the next business day. :D
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2009 Vibe GT (manual), 2009 G8Gt, 2009 Vibe GT (auto)
2014 Silverado, 2004 Vibe GT

"everything is modifiable"
journeyforce
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by journeyforce »

Congrats on your "new" car. The Vibe is a great car and the whole time it was made(2003-2010) It was GM's most reliable car. Kinda of ironic that GM's most reliable car was a Toyota. By the way sometimes you will find Vibe parts to be expensive. You can get the parts at Toyota. Simply ask for a 2009 Matrix with the 2.4l engine.

I like your work area but I am curious, I thought the higher up(read anything above the Base 1.8l Vibe) had a passenger front seat that folded forward and had a hard shell on the back to sit things?

As for your old PT Cruiser: gas mileage was good or bad depending upon what context you are looking at. Most people look at the PT and think it is a car and then get really disappointed when they find out it has really crap gas mileage for a small car. However both Chrysler and the US Govt classify it as a light truck/SUV for fuel economy ratings
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do? ... s&id=19036" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It was to bump up Chrysler's CAFE ratings(the Govt standard for fuel econ)
So looking at it from a SUV/light truck stand point it gets stellar gas mileage (for a truck)


Get the blind spot mirrors. Advance auto sells small round blind spot mirrors that are the same size as the ones that J_to_envy has but these have an added feature of being adjustable(they have a pivot type thing) they were $3.99 plus tax in my local store

Now there are some things to keep in mind. If your car has radio controls on the steering wheel use them always instead of the knobs. GM pulled a cropper when it came to radio design and the knobs break easy. Buy a couple at the GM dealer to put away as backups

My brother is in the middle of restoring a 66 mustang(there is a few pics of it on GENVIBE)
viewtopic.php?f=40&t=37659&p=421132&hil ... ng#p421132" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a I6 and seems to scream secretary car but I have a 289 that I am in the middle of rebuilding that will go into that car. He seems to be smart about keeping it original as it had one of those "reproduction" Mustang tape decks(the over priced ones you see at Carlisle car shows) in the car when he got it that had crapped the bed and instead of cutting out the hole for a modern CD player/iPod playing radio, he wisely decided to wire up the new radio and stick it in the glovebox. Eventually we will get this kit that attaches under the center console(as long as the dealer installed AC is not installed) and attach the radio there. As for the reproduction radio, it left in favor of a $10 junkyard find(I found a AM radio that was in a 65 Falcon that after being cleaned up and new knobs attached wnt into the Mustang and looked original(the difference between the Falcon and Mustang radio's were just the part number and the knobs. The radio got Mustang reproduction knobs and the part number cannot be seen) )


Things to get for your Vibe:

1. Trunk cover(if yours did not come with that white/gray fold up canvass thing)
2. Trunk mat(they make a allweather Vibe OEM mat with heavy rubber construction and also the cloth one from a 2009-2012 matrix(with the rear sub woofer(big speaker in the trunk) )
3. They used to sell Vibe OEM alweather floor mats but have discontinued selling them(I got my set used) but if you don't have your original vibe floor mats then a set of 09-12 matrix mats will work

Good luck with your car
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

Looking good! Love the genvibe.com website on the laptop in the pic!
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

jazzvibe wrote:I hope I fixed it. Added "c2" after the "i." It shows up for me now in both Chrome and IE, but then it showed up for me yesterday, too.

Today I saw four Vibes just on the way to work!
Yes, you did. Looks great ;)!

I guarantee you will be seeing Vibes all over the place now that you own one. If you haven't already, check out the "Vibe Love" thread and feel free to post any of your own Vibe love pictures you may have the chance to snap.
journeyforce wrote:I like your work area but I am curious, I thought the higher up(read anything above the Base 1.8l Vibe) had a passenger front seat that folded forward and had a hard shell on the back to sit things?

Things to get for your Vibe:

1. Trunk cover(if yours did not come with that white/gray fold up canvass thing)
2. Trunk mat(they make a allweather Vibe OEM mat with heavy rubber construction and also the cloth one from a 2009-2012 matrix(with the rear sub woofer(big speaker in the trunk) )
3. They used to sell Vibe OEM alweather floor mats but have discontinued selling them(I got my set used) but if you don't have your original vibe floor mats then a set of 09-12 matrix mats will work
I believe the fold flat front passenger was standard on any 2009-2010 Vibe with a sunroof. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

1. I too highly recommend a GM Accessories rear cargo security shade (GM #19171208).

2. I also recommend a GM Accessories premium all weather cargo mat (GM #19170827). I actually just bought two more so both our Vibes can have them to protect the backs of the rear seats when they're folded down to haul stuff.

3. GM did discontinue the GM Accessories premium all weather front and rear floor mats (GM #19170829), but GMPartsCenter.net still shows them on their 2009-2010 Vibe accessories page and they claim to be able to get discontinued and hard to find parts, so if you really want these floor mats, I would suggest contacting GMPC.net.

If you want to see pictures of any of the above accessories, check out my Garage (click on my signature picture) as I have them all. They are all very high quality and well worth the money. I would suggest ordering everything through GMPartsCenter.net. They offer free shipping on everything except body parts, engines, wheels, etc. and their prices are great. Every so often they'll run deals too where you get 10% any order over $100.00, etc. just keep an eye on their homepage.
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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trb
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by trb »

J_TO_ENVY wrote:
journeyforce wrote:I like your work area but I am curious, I thought the higher up(read anything above the Base 1.8l Vibe) had a passenger front seat that folded forward and had a hard shell on the back to sit things?
I believe the fold flat front passenger was standard on any 2009-2010 Vibe with a sunroof. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...
Journeyforce is correct according to my 2009 Vibe brochure. The GT, AWD and 2.4L Vibes had the fold forward passenger seat. The 1.8L did not get it.
Thomas
the "Mustang Guy"
1987 5.0 LX Mustang
2016 Mustang GT - current daily
2004 Satellite Vibe &
2009 Red Vibe GT -twin's cars
2003 Neptune Vibe GT - prior daily
2010 Red Vibe GT - RIP 6/16/14
2006 Platinum Vibe - son's car
jazzvibe
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Location: Sterling Heights, Michigan

Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by jazzvibe »

Little time to post right now, but I have been wanting to answer about the desk. My desk is not just a surface. It hides my cords and printer, and even my laptop if I need it to inside the big bucket part. I have printer paper, a stapler, notes, paper clips, etc. inside as well. Plus it sits far more forward that a flat seatback does. I tried the flat seatback in my PT cruiser, and it was not the right angle for working from.

The Vibe needs the desk even more than the Cruiser did, since none of the windows are tinted. You can see everything in the car from the outside. Need the desk for making things look less inviting to thieves. I did pick up some pop-up sun shade things for the windows. I use them to cover my purse behind the front passenger seat. Will use them on the road for when the sun is shining in and making it difficult to work.

More reply tonight!
My Recently Deceased Vibe
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Murdered By A Dodge Charger 11-23-16!
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vibenvy
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Re: Buying Vibe this Week

Post by vibenvy »

trb wrote:Journeyforce is correct according to my 2009 Vibe brochure. The GT, AWD and 2.4L Vibes had the fold forward passenger seat. The 1.8L did not get it.
Hmmm... I definitely need to get one of those brochures. Thanks for correcting me ;)!
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2009 Liquid Platinum Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
2009 Steel Blue Metallic Vibe GT - 5-Speed Auto – Garage
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