Before I bought my 17s (Matrix with Firestones-now on sale on classifieds) I drove several Vibes and Matrices with 17" wheels/tires. Quite frankly I thought the ride of the Dunlops was terrible; noisy and harsh. I couldn't really check out the performance (did my evaluation on new vehicles). Th...

I would just get the cladding replaced and do the splashguard install. That is what I did and now I'm glad I didn't wait for the TSB. Once your warranty is up it'll be much harder. For those of you having problems-call the toll free number in your warranty book. Talk to Pontiac! Tell them how happy ...

Covered under warranty!My new parts are in (lower sides and wheel mouldings to be covered under warranty. I spoke at length to Pontiac customer service and they agreed it was a problem. I also mentioned that two friends had bough Vibes on my recommendation (no lie). The solution will be to install s...

Same here. After installing the rears I'm not sure if it was even necessary since I also put in a subwoofer (I used a powered 8" Bazooka tube). I do think the 3 way Kappas are outstanding-the emit tweeter is the best high end tweeter IMO. Unfortunately they don't make them in components.Tim

With any speaker you'll have to use brackets or the method described here (breaking out old speaker basket). I've done installs both ways and both are fine. Then you have plenty of depth. The two way kappas are great. I haven't ever heard the reference models against each other so I couldn't tell yo...

I have the Kappa components in front and two-ways in the rear and am very happy with them. Ideally I would go with Kappas front and back. For and extra $20 its a definite upgrade from the reference series. No speaker is going to give you great bass in the Vibe doors but the Kappas are very musical.Tim

I looked at them and they should fit fine. In fact, a 6 3/4" (Euro) is necessary for a solid fit in the rear if you don't use speaker brackets and mount directly to the door. They are not a high efficiency speaker and will sound best with power. The sub will make a huge difference for absolute ...

I am going to call the customer service line and gripe. Mine has 7K miles on with no gravel and the pitting is very noticeable. A friend with 9K and paint has none. Same tires. I also bought two-tone thinking more durability. Big mistake. The gray cladding is just a money saving gimmick for GM. Our ...

Mike,If you did your own headlight swap you can do the speakers. They are very comparable in difficulty. A few more screws with the speakers.Tim

To replace the stock speakers is a pretty easy install. Easier than, say, changing the oil. cohocarl has posted a great page on it- here is the link: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=785The door panels come off very easily. The sail panel cover for the tweeter just pops off. After removing th...

If anyone's interested I have a pair of top of the line Kenwood 6 1/2" coaxials brand new never mounted for sale for $79 plus postage if I have to mail them. I decided to go with components all around, separate amps, etc. I just posted these in the buy and sell section. If you have the stock se...

Yes,Thanks to those of you who replied with the info. That's who I was referring to. Thanks Lorin for the information. I may try the CAI first just to save money. Just purchased the TRD springs and have to get them installed. Anyone have any concerns over whether installation of the CAI or exhaust w...

Has anyone installed the TRD CAI or exhaust in a base car yet? The price is down to $195 for the CAI and $300 for the exhaust. Supercharger may be out of my price range. On the other hand, CAIs and exhaust change the sound and feel of a car but don't always produce when actually measured at the trac...

The tweeter mount just snaps off-give it a pull. The replacement should be fairly easy and any good aftermarket tweeter should work. I dont' know if the factory set-up includes any type of crossover so I would buy one with a built-in crossover. Crutchfield sells several different tweeters that shoul...

My base 5 speed has gotten between 27 and 31, all mainly highway, no air,no stop-start with the 31 being completely interstate. I've got about 3K on the car. As far as the comments that 30 is something wonderful, I have to disagree. I've owned about 50 cars and my experience is I typically meet or b...

From what I can gather, the reason Crutchfield lists no front speaker options other than component speakers is the protrusion of the tweeter of a two-way speaker. They don't even recommend some component woofers such as the Infinity Kappa because of the height of the woofer mounting surround. That, ...

Hi all,Thanks for a great step by step on how to install speakers Carl. Extremely helpful. A couple general remarks on the speakers and car audio in general. I just popped by door panels and it appears that the base stereo speakers are the same as in the moon and tune (sans tweeter); junk. Don't bla...