Off with the Racks!

inkinAbyssGT · Post by **inkinAbyssGT** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 2:52 am

Anyone else see the vehicle of the month on matrixvibe.org? The guy has a Vibe GT with no trace of a roof rack system at all? Is there a kit out there somewhere? Unfortunatly the guy has no e-mail address posted so no way to contact him to find out how?Thanks Dustin

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:00 am

That's interesting looking. Shaved the door handles too. His e-mail is listed in his personal profile.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:05 am

From Matrixvibe.org...

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Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:17 am

If you look closer, there's no door handles as well

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:19 am

Right, shaved door handles.

NY Pete · Post by **NY Pete** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:20 am

looks photoshopped to me. look at the reflections in the "shaved" door handles. I dunno...

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:24 am

I thought so at first too, but that's a tough call. The fuzzy area looks like a JPEG compression artifact, less like it's been shopped. If it's fake, it's done pretty well.

slbpsi63 · Post by **slbpsi63** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:25 am

How the hell does he get in the car. "Open Sesame!!" If you look at the top were the roofrack is supposed to be you'll see a little distortion as well.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:28 am

Probably solenoids. As for the distortion, zoom in and take a look around the whole car. The edges of the whole car are distorted the same way.

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 3:30 am

The only one I could find of that car.

inkinAbyssGT · Post by **inkinAbyssGT** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:02 am

Well its hard to tell I even enhanced the photo to a non-destructice 300dpi and the whole pic is just way to low res to start with. If infact the door handles are shaved perhaps, bondo and a new spray job is how the racks were removed? well i'll just keep wishing for a kit.Dustin

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:06 am

Yeah, I've gone over it a few times a few ways and can't really tell. There are a lot of artifacts but they're spread everywhere. However to the original topic, I can't decide if that's something I'd do or not. So far the rack hasn't seen much use, but that's not to say I'll never use it. It's a tough choice.

baltimore17 · Post by **baltimore17** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 5:57 am

It's Photoshop. Here's how you can tell for sure. No guy's gonna spend $2K on a respray over bondo plus another $1K for a solenoid remote electric door latch and then keep the original 16" alloys!

millster · Post by **millster** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 6:02 am

A valid point. Guess I overlooked the obvious. One more thing, you'd think if he wanted the look of the shaved door handles he might have painted the cladding.

Sub-Vibe-R · Post by **Sub-Vibe-R** » Wed Feb 05, 2003 11:20 pm

quote:It's Photoshop. Here's how you can tell for sure. No guy's gonna spend $2K on a respray over bondo plus another $1K for a solenoid remote electric door latch and then keep the original 16" alloys! $1k for solenoid remote electric door latch !!!!! I can ave it for about $150 (canadian) if I install it myself or for about $300-$350 (cdn)installed.But I agree, it is a good photoshop job.

baltimore17 · Post by **baltimore17** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 11:23 pm

quote:$1k for solenoid remote electric door lack !!!!! I can ave it for about $150 (canadian) if I install it myself or for about $300-$350 (cdn)installed.Do such things actually exist? Cool, I want one! I was using my overheated imagination for that (Ben, ton anglais, pas parfait, est mieux que mon francais! (LOL)

VibeSalsa · Post by **VibeSalsa** » Fri Feb 07, 2003 11:35 pm

quote:(Ben, ton anglais, pas parfait, est mieux que mon francais! (LOL)This is a perfect sentence in French. Bravo!

BigWill · Post by **BigWill** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 2:42 am

Some of you people need to stop hatin', and just give the man his props. Almost all of the time, when you see something you don't have or didn't think of, you start to say it is fake. Goodness, let the man do his thing. None of you know if it is real or not, so unless you talk to him...stop hatin'. The car looks good, and if you could have done it first, you would have. AND, you would do it too if you could afford it...

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 4:38 am

quote:Some of you people need to stop hatin', and just give the man his props. Almost all of the time, when you see something you don't have or didn't think of, you start to say it is fake. Goodness, let the man do his thing. None of you know if it is real or not, so unless you talk to him...stop hatin'. The car looks good, and if you could have done it first, you would have. AND, you would do it too if you could afford it...Don't mean to be a hater - but I think this is fake too. Although I do see Big Will's point, maybe he doesn't upgrade the wheels and paint the cladding because he lives on a dirt road. But BigWill, sometimes the most likely answer is the right one - Why would someone go to all that trouble to post ONE pic? Why would someone that has to park his car outside or under a detached carport risk cutting, stripping and repainting his whole car? You gotta admit there's more than a reasonable doubt here. The other members are just talking it through. If you brand them "haters", aren't you guilty of the same "hating" that you accuse them of. BTW - are you actually the artist temporarily known as "Big Dog". It's eerie how similar your sigs and writing are. <---- Again not hating, just letting my mind wander to add up little bits and pieces of my reality (Smirnoff aided, of course)...

BigWill · Post by **BigWill** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 9:58 am

First of all, I am not hatin'...just stating an opinion just like the rest. And second of all, all of my mods are real not like that clown big dog. Now that I must say was really stupid, of him to put all that stuff on there. But I will say one thing, this forum is a little too one sided for me. So I will be returning. I don't belong in here...out

Flip-Side · Post by **Flip-Side** » Sat Feb 08, 2003 1:49 pm

quote:looks photoshopped to me. look at the reflections in the "shaved" door handles. I dunno... I agree. I'm positive its a fake because of the tell-tale blending done to the "roof rack" area. You can see a light haze where the car and background meet, which is a giveaway of a bad blending job. And no...its not simply a reflection. The angle and position is all wrong when you figure in the angle of the light source. Look at the shade of the trees on the roof of the house. It shows the sun is overhead and toward the cars front. The rear of the car is in the shade anyway, so there should be no reflection.

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 8:44 am

quote:Too bad we cannot get in touch with him, so he can post top view, side andle, day and night. you know, the proof.Actualy guys this guy is one of our member.I am not 100%,but i saw this picture(before fotoshop) on the registry.But now i can't find it.I mean the Guy's name is there just the picture not coming up for me.The guy's name is Mike Savege.But how I said it's NOT 100%.If not I am SORRY Mike!!!

Sputnik · Post by **Sputnik** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:35 am

I recognized the picture from the registry as well, but didn't know who's it was.

NovaResource · Post by **NovaResource** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:44 am

quote:Some of you people need to stop hatin', and just give the man his props. Almost all of the time, when you see something you don't have or didn't think of, you start to say it is fake. Goodness, let the man do his thing. None of you know if it is real or not, so unless you talk to him...stop hatin'. The car looks good, and if you could have done it first, you would have. AND, you would do it too if you could afford it...Yeah, stop hatin' fools! Just look whut ah' dun did ta muh Vibe:Here's 'nother angle ta prove it's not uh Photochop pic:quote:But I will say one thing, this forum is a little too one sided for me. So I will be returning. I don't belong in here...outOh no! Boo Hoo! Whatever will will do without you?

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:49 am

quote:Also, BigWill, calling BigDog a clown is flamming, you need to becareful on this. Hey silverawd - I agree with your post completely with the possible exception of the line above - I was probably out of line for comparing BigWill to Big_Dog - my only defense is that it was a Smirnoff aided post. Read "I haven't lost yet" in Racing forum if you need any proof of Big_Dog's clownness = Is it still flaming if someone calls a BANNED member a clown?I feel kind of bad that BigWill left - He was really the only one willing to defend the photoshop guy - maybe I'll IM him an apology if I can figure out how it works...***sprinkles fairy dust all around the room and then flaps away***

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 9:58 am

No way Nova-That's a photoshop job for sure, I know because there's no way somebody would put wheels that ugly on their vibe... ***While whistling, quickly lights a match as he innocently holds a propane cylinder in other hand***

NovaResource · Post by **NovaResource** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:02 am

Some o' ya peeps need ta stop hatin', an' just give me muh ma props. Almost all o' da tyme, when ya see somethin' ya don' gots or didn't th'o't o', ya start ta say it iz fake. Goodness, let me do muh ma thin'. None o' ya know if it iz real or not, so unless ya jive ta me...stop hatin'. It looks pimp-tight, an' if ya could gots done it first, ya would gots. AND, ya would do it too if ya could afford it...

NovaResource · Post by **NovaResource** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:09 am

quote:Actually Nova bought those same rims and put them on his Vibe. Lets see what will happen now, jeeze.Unlike some people who use to be on this board, I can tell a joke when I see one. Yoda was just teasing me.BTW, for those who couldn't tell, I AM JOKING! Nothing I posted above is serious. Don't get your panties in a bunch.

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:14 am

We should send an e-mail to the guy and ask him.Maybe he will answer!

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:16 am

Do You want to do it?Because You are a moderator!

Yoda · Post by **Yoda** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:17 am

quote:Actually Nova bought those same rims and put them on his Vibe. Really? I had no idea. I mean it wasn't like I was trying to "inadvertently" start a flame war or anything...***quikly puts out match and hides propane cylinder - - continues whistling***

MrRich · Post by **MrRich** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 10:25 am

I Am pretty sure this Vibe is Mike's.I am a member almost 250 days and I know all of the Vibe pictures on the registry.

millster · Post by **millster** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 12:17 pm

According to the folks at Matrixvibe.org, the address that Mike left is not working. Someone has already tried to contact him regarding the work on the car. Just thought I'd help save some time.

Flip-Side · Post by **Flip-Side** » Sun Feb 09, 2003 3:25 pm

quote:According to the folks at Matrixvibe.org, the address that Mike left is not working. Someone has already tried to contact him regarding the work on the car. I would like to hear LocDog's opinion. He removed his rack and said that he shouldn't have because of the damage it does. Oh, and just my opinion, but if you spend the time and cash shaving the rack and door handles, and then devising a solenoid opening system on the car for the doors, you will most likely have a tripped out ride. Not the fairly plain, uncustomized (yet photoshopped) one that we have been shown. People capable of such a mod are sure to have proof of the work done and other projects they have accomplished. Talk is cheap.

inkinAbyssGT · Post by **inkinAbyssGT** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 1:00 am

I too like LocDog, took off my roof rack to check the possibility of permanent removal. And it can be done with out the damage that LocDog stated in a previous post. Itâ€™s just a matter of knowing how to take the end covers off with out trashing the clips that hold them on. Once that they are off you have four number 50 I believe? torx bolts per side. Then the racks and their rubber gasket material lift off. Now the paint is complete under the racks so no problem there. Problem #1) you now have 8 rather large holes in your roof.#2) now the roof is not level with the plain that the rails use to run on.So in fact you would need bondo or some other filling agent to make up the difference in height. Which would also result in sanding and a new spray job. If you take a look at the proto-type GT-R you will notice that they use some low profile caps to take up this space, there nice and clean look and, I bet that they would be a simple bolt on application. Well that just my take on the whole removal.Dustin

satur9 · Post by **satur9** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 6:21 am

mabey big will was big dog and he got offended by the big dog comments and left. hence no more replies from the "both" of them. nobody hated on him why he "wont returning" or however he eloquently put it, mabey he would have gotten away with it if not for those meddling kids and their dog! however all gt's com with 17s those look like 16s and if you paid to repaint most of your car i personally would have painted the cladding as well.anyway my racks are staying the body kit spoilers wouldnt look right without them. all hail the great monotone!!!!

danrm · Post by **danrm** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 6:40 am

having a little fun

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DopeVibeGT · Post by **DopeVibeGT** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 7:38 am

All GT's dont come with 17" wheels. You cant get factory 17" wheels with the moons and tunes package.

NovaResource · Post by **NovaResource** » Mon Feb 10, 2003 9:38 am

quote:however all gt's com with 17sNot true. All GT's come with aluminum wheels however, they are the 16" ones. The 17" aluminum wheels are optional on base and GT Vibes as long as the moon and Tunes package is not ordered.See the following:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 1308#21308

millster · Post by **millster** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:56 am

By this point I wouldn't have doubted it, but thanks for the evidence. I'd say that pretty much ends the discussion alright!

millster · Post by **millster** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 4:05 am

Can do. Too bad the original post is lost forever.

NovaResource · Post by **NovaResource** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 4:14 am

quote:Some of you people need to stop hatin', and just give the man his props. Almost all of the time, when you see something you don't have or didn't think of, you start to say it is fake. Goodness, let the man do his thing. None of you know if it is real or not, so unless you talk to him...stop hatin'. The car looks good, and if you could have done it first, you would have. AND, you would do it too if you could afford it...Hey BigWill, what do you have to say now. Oh, yeah. You aren't around anymore. Boo Hoo, what a shame.Good job Salsa. Where did you find the original pic?

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:20 pm

Hey seems like ur talkin about me... The roof rack gets damaged when u completly remove the bar. There are little clips under the metal bar that holds down the plastic that break off.Anyway... back to the fake mods..Check out my B-itchin' mods

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LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:22 pm

Dis one too....

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DopeVibeGT · Post by **DopeVibeGT** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:41 am

Need to keep the grill and foglights.

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Sat Mar 15, 2003 5:04 pm

nah the grill looks better that way... and they should have made the hood flush with the middle segment

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 4:45 am

yea that would be even better.... u like the no door handle mod on the FX?

DopeVibeGT · Post by **DopeVibeGT** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:24 am

Without foglights and the center grill support, it loses the 'Pontiac' look, and is just too plain for my taste. I could live with or without the door handles, though.

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Sun Mar 16, 2003 8:33 am

The pontiac look sucks... i like the look of a big grill, the fog lamps are crap anyway... i dont even notice the difference when they are on!

LocDog · Post by **LocDog** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 7:31 am

quote:The pontiac look sucks... i like the look of a big grill, the fog lamps are crap anyway... i dont even notice the difference when they are on!Why in Hell did you buy a Vibe then!??????DISCOUNT !!!Its the best GM car i could find