Journyforce's 2009 Pontiac Vibe base

[journeyforce]

Purchase date: 8/8/2011 with 33K on the clock2009 Vibe Base with manual transmission/windows/lock.According to the VIN check it is the only one in that color with those features(or lack of them) madeMods/Upgrades:- USA Spec PA20-GM (Allowing the ability to use, control and charge the iPod from the stock radio)- OEM all weather floor mats- Stubby Honda antenna (Part#39151-SWA-306)- Optional OEM black shade for cargo hold areaFuture things to get:- Weather beater or OEM Vibe all weather rubber cargo matI got my Pontiac Vibe from Carmax in Aug 2011Here are a few pics of the car before I got to take it home from Carmax

[journeyforce]

The former owner had a GPS mount disk installed and left it when they traded in the car. It is annoying as crap when the sun hits it just right but I don't know how to remove it without damaging the dashSince this is a garage, here is my old 2005 Ford Focus that I had before I got the Vibe. I traded it into Carmax when I got the Aura I got it at Crapple....err.... Apple Ford. This is a pic of it after I paid for it and was about to leave the dealer with it. This car is the bench mark for this Vibe. The Focus needed nothing but regular oil changes and trans service. It performed very well in the Blizzard of 2010

[jake75]

"3. Fabric cover to hide cargo(I have the gray plasticy one that came with my car but wanted the optional one)"I think there was one for sale on this board within the past week.EDIT was by ou.grizzly 8-12-11 post $50

[vibenvy]

Once again let me say how awesome the Mystic Blue Metallic is ! Beautiful Vibe for sure .Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »3. Fabric cover to hide cargo(I have the gray plasticy one that came with my car but wanted the optional one)Quote, originally posted by jake75 »I think there was one for sale on this board within the past week.EDIT was by ou.grizzly 8-12-11 post $50http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=45069FYI the part number for the GM rear cargo security shade is: #19171208. There are currently a couple on eBay. I would recommend getting one through GMPartsCenter.net though because it's a little cheaper .And if you're curious, here's a picture of it installed:

[journeyforce]

Thanks for your picture. I did get it from a seller on eBay who I had bought stuff for our Hyundai Sonata in the past from. I think the seller is a chain of dealerships in MI which goes under the name suburbanautoparts . Keep watch over their auctions because they sell new OEM 09-10 Vibe radio knobs (Part number #19204643) I guess GM knew their radio knobs were crap and started making that part available

[star_deceiver]

Curious as to what $$$ they were selling the Vibe for?For that disc on the dash, grab a hair dryer and heat the thing up enough to melt the glue. Then use a little goo-gone (or similar product) on whatever gets left behind on the dash!You might find it handy to remove the little door on the 115v outlet. Most plug in chargers fit awkwardly and tend to fall out with the door there.

[journeyforce]

Thanks for the heads up help.I got the Vibe for a little over $12,000(US) when it all taxes and other things were added upBook value from the book the bank uses says the car was worth over $14000 in its condition. Because it is so gas friendly I got a rate of 3.27% on the loan

[jake75]

Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »Thanks for the heads up help.I got the Vibe for a little over $12,000(US) when it all taxes and other things were added upBook value from the book the bank uses says the car was worth over $14000 in its condition. Because it is so gas friendly I got a rate of 3.27% on the loanThat is very reasonable - and only 33,000 miles. My guess is that the majority of people want an automatic. I've read that you get all the money paid for AT when you sell. The lack of power windows, remote keyless entry, & cruise also keeps the price down. The good side of that is fewer things to go wrong. I could live with manual windows but really like keyless entry and cruise.

[Kincaid]

Good to see another stick shift on Gen Vibe!

[journeyforce]

I agree with what you say on the keyless entry and I would have liked to have it however since the Saturn Aura I have has remote entry which works only when it wants to i have gotten used to using the key.According to the VIN checker it was the only one with the options, trans and color made. it might have been specially ordered. I worked at the original dealership it was sold from when I was in college and I never saw any vehicle on their lot without power windows and locks so it had to have been specially ordered. I have been meaning to go over there to order a part and inquireI do wish it had a button or lever to open the hatch

[journeyforce]

Thanks for your reply. I got 34 miles to the gal in start and stop traffic and it only cost me $32.00 to fill it up. By contrast my Focus only got 28(auto), the Sonata 24MPG and the Aura gets about 26 mpg.It is a fun car

[journeyforce]

So here are a few new pics of my Vibe 2 weeks after owning it.Here is the mandatory side shotI keep snagging the low tree branches with my antenna so I wanted to replace it with a smaller one. I saw from this site that a lot of you get one from a Honda CRV or S2000 so I went to the Honda dealer and inquired. They had two types. One had splines and one was plain. The one with the splines is Part# 39151-SWA-306. The plain one was part # 39151-SWA-305. At the closest Honda Dealer to me the splined one was cheaper.I took antenna into the dealer and compared the base of each. The non splined one(like most of you have) has a slightly bigger base then the Vibe antenna. But the splined one has almost the same size base. The screw part on the spline antenna is just as recessed as the vibe one. The non-splined one by contrast has a slightly longer screw coming out of it I got the one with splinesHere is a pic of the car with the original antenna Here is a close up of the original vibe antennaHere is the Vibe with the new Splined antennaHere is a close up of its baseAnd here is what it looks like from a bit of distance

[vibenvy]

Antenna looks great ! Great start on mods !I like the Honda one I have, but I found this one on eBay the other day and am kind of contemplating ordering one since they're so cheap. I like that it looks just like the factory Vibe antenna, but it's 7" shorter.

[A Psycho Martyr]

I need that antenna.I bought a tiny aluminum one several yrs ago and it doesn't pick up $*&TAnyways, that one looks pretty nice, but you can tell it's still functional

[journeyforce]

So as I was saying in a few posts I bought a USA Spec unit so as to control my iPod from my factory radio. I originally ran the iPod connector out from the side of the passenger side of the center console. However I did not like how it looked and how I would have to remove the iPod everytime I left the car. While I take my iPod out of the car every night to use in the house, I wanted the option to stow it away hidden still connected when I ran errandsI first thought of the center console and the compartment with the arm rest but I keep alot of stuff in it and the fact I would have to drill a large hole in it due to the round bubble attached to the wire that USA Specs seems to think is needed(It is the wires to allow charging of the new iPods).I then decided to drill a hole into that useless(to me anyway) compartment above the glove box and keep the iPod there. As the radio fully controls the iPod I really did not need to have it at my fingertips and I could access it when I needed to.I first bought a used compartment from a junked 2009 Vibe to drill into (I wanted to keep mine to return to stock should I need to) It is held on by clipsI then bought a few big PCV grommets from Advance Auto. This part would line the hole so as to keep the connector from getting damaged I drilled a big hole in the top of the compartment and ran the wire through and then attached the grommet to it.As you can see while drilling I kind of messed up and drilled it a bit jagged. While removing the jaggedness, I scratched up the top of the compartment. However it is not seen unless you lean down and look for it and that is why I bought the used compartment.Anyway here is a few pics. I will take a pic of the brain box tomorrow. Here is what it looks like from afarHere is the grommet and the scratchesHere is a closer picHere is another pic of the wire coming out of the grommet

[A Psycho Martyr]

That's very nice.I had a similar setup in mine before I got my double-din head unitMine was an AUX cable tho bc my old h/u didn't have iPod control2 thumbs up!

[Adam24303]

Not to hijack this but I went ahead and ordered that one u posted J_To_Envy. I'll let you know how it works out

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »I then decided to drill a hole into that useless(to me anyway) compartment above the glove box and keep the iPod there. As the radio fully controls the iPod I really did not need to have it at my fingertips and I could access it when I needed to.I first bought a used compartment from a junked 2009 Vibe to drill into (I wanted to keep mine to return to stock should I need to) It is held on by clipsI then bought a few big PCV grommets from Advance Auto. This part would line the hole so as to keep the connector from getting damaged I drilled a big hole in the top of the compartment and ran the wire through and then attached the grommet to it.As you can see while drilling I kind of messed up and drilled it a bit jagged. While removing the jaggedness, I scratched up the top of the compartment. However it is not seen unless you lean down and look for it and that is why I bought the used compartment.Looks really good !Quote, originally posted by Adam24303 »Not to hijack this but I went ahead and ordered that one u posted J_To_Envy. I'll let you know how it works outAwesome Adam! Thanks for the heads up .

[mysticbluevibe]

The color looks like mystic blue......same as mine. I'll post some later

[vibenvy]

Quote, originally posted by mysticbluevibe »The color looks like mystic blue......same as mine. I'll post some laterGreat to see another Mystic Blue Metallic owner ! Be sure to make an introduction post with pictures in the Vibe Lounge .

[journeyforce]

Yes it is. The car is lighter then it looks but i took the second set of pics with a crappy blackberry that had a low battery so the flash would not work.I am glad there is another MBM on this forum

[SwissMoose]

I really wanted my Vibe in this color. An AWD one slipped away before I could look at it. Found a salsa instead.Looks great.

[86foxgt]

Once again let me say how awesome the Mystic Blue Metallic is ! Beautiful Vibe for sure .Quote, originally posted by journeyforce »3. Fabric cover to hide cargo(I have the gray plasticy one that came with my car but wanted the optional one)Quote, originally posted by jake75 »I think there was one for sale on this board within the past week.EDIT was by ou.grizzly 8-12-11 post $50http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=45069FYI the part number for the GM rear cargo security shade is: #19171208. There are currently a couple on eBay. I would recommend getting one through GMPartsCenter.net though because it's a little cheaper .And if you're curious, here's a picture of it installed:

Do you know if they made these same cargo covers with this material for the 2003's?? I have been searching everywhere for one! I'm not a big fan of the plastic ones.

[TACPTAZ]

Journy Force,
I gave my daughter a 09 vibe and she has a problem with the radio knobs (volume). I read your fix for the problem in another thread. I have the part number and I'm ordering the part through GM parts direct.
Besides removeing the cover panel and the shifter knob, is there anything special to removing the knobs? Or is it something as simple as finding the tab on the back of the knob and unlocking the knob?

Would apprecieate any details.

Thanks.