"Damn Good Car"

General discussions about the Pontiac Vibe & Toyota Matrix. New members, introduce yourself here!
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jmf2
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"Damn Good Car"

Post by jmf2 »

This is what a Montana State Trooper called our Vibe after my son rolled it 2 1/2 times doing 70mph! He walked away from the accident with one small cut,seatbelt burn, and a buise on his left shoulder blade! I'll be ordering a new one as soon as the insurance settles!

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Current car: 2011 Red Hyundai Elantra. Last Vibe: 2005 Fusion Vibe A/T, power group, moon and tunes, ABS, alloy wheels, window tinting, stone/bug shield. First Vibe: 2003 Salsa Two Tone, A/T, power group, totaled by my son in a rollover accident, 7-8-2004
AKLGT
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by AKLGT »

(removed)! glad he is ok and wasn't hurt! that's quite the accident...welcome to the forum, btw.
AKLGT1998 Subaru 2.5RS
ragingfish
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by ragingfish »

Dear mother of god!Thankfully everyone is ok!What happened???
YES!I still visit GenVibe periodically. I have not forgotten about my "original" family over here!

2009 PONTIAC G8
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jmf2
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (ragingfish)

Post by jmf2 »

He hit some mud/gravel/dirt on a narrow shoulder, and spun out before he flipped it. We're very thankful he was driving the vibe, his old honda civic would not have protected him at all.
Current car: 2011 Red Hyundai Elantra. Last Vibe: 2005 Fusion Vibe A/T, power group, moon and tunes, ABS, alloy wheels, window tinting, stone/bug shield. First Vibe: 2003 Salsa Two Tone, A/T, power group, totaled by my son in a rollover accident, 7-8-2004
ragingfish
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Post by ragingfish »

I feel much safer now than I ever did before!!!!!!That's a testament to Toyota design and NUMMI quality!
YES!I still visit GenVibe periodically. I have not forgotten about my "original" family over here!

2009 PONTIAC G8
3.6L V6 (256 HP @ 6300 rpm, 248 ft-lbs. @ 2100 rpm)
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joatmon
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by joatmon »

wow, that is the most trashed Vibe I have seen. reasssuring to know that it is a safe car, but mostly glad he is OK.
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Jahntassa
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Post by Jahntassa »

Both my fiancee and myself were like.. "That's...a Vibe?!"Yeah, Honda's do NOT roll very well. A co-worker rolled his Accord when one of his rims self-destructed...he was okay, because it landed in grass, but it actually looked worse than that!I hope your Son is alright.. I'm glad his injuries were fairly minor! I'm sure an accident like that is pretty frightening though...I hope he doesn't have any problems getting behind the wheel!It's definitely reassuring to know the car is safe in that respect..i'll take it a little more carefully going around those corners..Give your son my best!
2003 Vibe GT Lava"He inched his way up the corridor as if he would rather be yarding his way down it.""For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen." - Douglas Adams...we all miss you
Mavrik
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Re: (Jahntassa)

Post by Mavrik »

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »Both my fiancee and myself were like.. "That's...a Vibe?!"Give your son my best!That was my reaction to. wow... hope I never discover what your son did and glad he is ok.
2007 stage 2 Satin White Pearl Subaru STi 2008 stage 2 Subaru STi hatch See my car at: Mavrik's car page
Atomb
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Post by Atomb »

glad to hear there were no serious injuries.......i like the new 'golf ball' inspired bumps on the roof ....is that improving the 0-60 time at all?
I have signatures turned off so I'm not even sure what mine says in this space!
goodvibe
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Re: (Mavrik)

Post by goodvibe »

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »That was my reaction to. wow... hope I never discover what your son did and glad he is ok. Glad he's OK too but I doubt his parents will ever discover what their son actually did either. Maybe it will save him from having an even worse one in the future. Good luck with the ins.
Vibe GT, TRD springs, Progress bar, STB, Unichip, Borbet E 16x7.5, 225/50 Bridgestone RE750, beefed up grounds and battery bypass capacitors(had em laying around)
wicked1981
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by wicked1981 »

Damn thats some damage. Glad hes ok. Welcome aboard.
2006 Pontiac G6 GTP3.9L V-6 240hp and 241 lb-ft or torque18" Aluminum, five-spoke, flangeless200 Watt, 8 speaker Monsoon sysChrome dual exhaust tipsLiquid Silver MetallicBorla Custom ExhaustDr. Speed Cold Air Intake
drunkenmaxx
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (wicked1981)

Post by drunkenmaxx »

holy smokes! i bet you had to get him some new underwear after that!
chew aura pizza cheat main"the world in my hands, there's noone left to hear you scream, noone's there for you"
Charlievibe
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by Charlievibe »

After seeing your Vibe and hearing the injuries your son walked away with, I have agree with the state trooper!!!!! This is a story that Pontiac would probably enjoy hearing. Glad your son is okay.
Just because you see Charlie doesn't mean I am a he....sometimes Charlie can be a she!!!!
Slimer
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (Charlievibe)

Post by Slimer »

Gawd! What a wreck. I noticed, though, that the passenger cell was mostly undamaged....the engine area and front end was demolished, but the passenger area seemed to be relatively intact. That's impressive...Volvos do the same thing. Your son will probably need some help getting back behind the wheel. Post-stress counseling- especially a technique called EMDR- really helped me after I got in a horrendous accident with my old Jeep. He might need some assistance getting back in the groove, and getting the confidence back. I know i did. Let me know if you want more info.
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millster
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by millster »

Definitely glad your son did OK. Certainly makes me feel better about driving the Vibe. Whereabout in Montana was the accident?
-Millster-
2006 Toyota Matrix XR
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Mr. Poopypants
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by Mr. Poopypants »

HOLY CRAP. Amazing!! Good to hear that your son walked away. Good luck on the new Vibe.
A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
ragingfish
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by ragingfish »

Send the picture and a quick story review into pontiac magazine.They'd love to know how the car fared in a real-life situation...
YES!I still visit GenVibe periodically. I have not forgotten about my "original" family over here!

2009 PONTIAC G8
3.6L V6 (256 HP @ 6300 rpm, 248 ft-lbs. @ 2100 rpm)
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ZubenElGenubi
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by ZubenElGenubi »

Adding another "wow" to the list. I'm really impressed at how well the cage held form. Looks like the right wheel caved under first, causing the roll to the passenger side. Glad to hear your son walked away from that.
Vibe
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (ragingfish)

Post by Vibe »

I agree---Send that story to Pontiac Magizine ..
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ColonelPanic
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by ColonelPanic »

I am very happy to hear about the outcome of the accident. Being able to walk away, especailly considering what happened, very impressive.For a small car, the Vibe is very safe - The folks obviously didn't cut corners when designing this thing. The car definitely took a beating, but that was exactly what it was supposed to do. The car can be replaced. I remember seeing a Matrix rolled a long time ago, and it held up very well too. And, I think if you choose to replace this Vibe with another, that is a very good decision.Take care, and we all here are very happy that your son is OK. I hate to meet you this way, but welcome aboard nonetheless, and I hope you and your son stick around here!
03 Vibe base. Born 10/14/2002 06:07 AM
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SatelliteJonny
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by SatelliteJonny »

Wow, thought I was the only one to ever roll around with their Vibe! I'm happy to report that we were four in the car and we walked away scratch free. The frame didn't even budge in our case and we did some crazy (removed) double roll, once over the nose and once over the side. The only casualties were four doors, two mirrors, one hood, two headlights, a fender... (it was a snowstorm in Virginia and we had just past two 18-wheelers on their sides )
DjDoubleLP
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (ColonelPanic)

Post by DjDoubleLP »

I can attest to the safety of our cars. I hit a deer doing 120km/h....did $12,000 Cndn damage to the car....walked away....not a scratch on me.
Got me a new car!!A 2007 Chevrolet Cobalt SS S/C!!Black w/ black leather interior
jmf2
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (millster)

Post by jmf2 »

It was 13 miles east of Glasgow on hwy 2. He was heading west at 1030am on a straight stretch of the highway.
Current car: 2011 Red Hyundai Elantra. Last Vibe: 2005 Fusion Vibe A/T, power group, moon and tunes, ABS, alloy wheels, window tinting, stone/bug shield. First Vibe: 2003 Salsa Two Tone, A/T, power group, totaled by my son in a rollover accident, 7-8-2004
Mavrik
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by Mavrik »

Did he leave any finger indents in the steeringwheel? I know I would have and probably a stain on the seat...
2007 stage 2 Satin White Pearl Subaru STi 2008 stage 2 Subaru STi hatch See my car at: Mavrik's car page
Stang2Vibe
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by Stang2Vibe »

Good Lord that's a wreck! Put me on the "holy crap and I'm glad he's ok" list. I also agree with the Pontiac Magazine suggestion. A picture is worth a thousand words and I'd bet that your story would probably inspire some others to choose this car for it's safety qualities over inferior Honda products. Hope you have better luck with the new Vibe.
Former owner of a 2003 Vibe GT---Great car that gave me 8 years and 83,000 miles of trouble-free service.Current owner of a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited AWD.
debi5475
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (Stang2Vibe)

Post by debi5475 »

Must show that picture to my husband. I am also an EMT. I am impressed.
Debi 2005 Moonstone AWD, Monotone, Leather, Moon and Tunes, Power Pkg, XM radio, side-curtain airbags, aftermarket starter and remote, two teenagers, window vent visors, 35% tint, 20% in back, Eclipse 2 SUV tent, Drawtite hitch, Bug shield, Honk If You Love Clay Aiken Decal.
Jahntassa
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Post by Jahntassa »

I have it hanging in my CC Roadshop. Only one of 6 people in the shop could correctly identify it, and that was from the front grill. All agreed that for that crash, the cabin held up exceptionally well.
2003 Vibe GT Lava"He inched his way up the corridor as if he would rather be yarding his way down it.""For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen." - Douglas Adams...we all miss you
redlava
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Re: (Jahntassa)

Post by redlava »

Holy &%@# that is one seriously messed up Vibe. I am glad that your son is fine. It is good to see the car put under real world stresses and to know that it will respond in a safe manor, but it is never good to see when a life is put in the middle. It is nice to see that the safety was not inflated to make the car look good.
kostby
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Post by kostby »

Wow. Very sobering pics. There's a whole lot of loose parts there I still can't identify. His guardian angel was definitely riding shotgun that day! Glad he's OK.
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My 2003 Vibe Base Auto 2-tone Salsa "SalsaWagon" was built in May 2002. I acquired it in Feb 2004/Traded it in on a 2016 Honda HR-V in Feb 2018.
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joatmon
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by joatmon »

7/16/2004Quote, originally posted by jmf2 »This is what a Montana State Trooper called our Vibe after my son rolled it 2 1/2 times doing 70mph! He walked away from the accident with one small cut,seatbelt burn, and a buise on his left shoulder blade! I'll be ordering a new one as soon as the insurance settles!-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-1/3/2006in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=20786 , romerohiker posted a pic of his first Vibe, and since it was in a forsale thread that will get pruned at some point I wanted to keep it around, and this seems like a good thread for it.Quote, originally posted by romerohiker » If anyone had any doubts about the quality/safety of these cars, you made a wise choice. I was hit by a delivery truck, driven (?) by a drunk who passed out at the wheel. Was sitting at a traffic light and the police report says that he was doing 45 MPH (only because that was the posted speed limit) when he inserted his front bumper into my rear hatch, my front end was pushed into a Ford F350 and that F350 into an SUV ahead of him. Parts of his front end ended up in my backseat and the only thing left in tact, on my Vibe, was the passengers' compartment. Yes indeed, I bought another Vibe. Here's a picture taken Christmas day 2004.

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damronjr
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (joatmon)

Post by damronjr »

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »in http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=20786 , romerohiker posted a pic of his first Vibe, and since it was in a forsale thread that will get pruned at some point I wanted to keep it around, and this seems like a good thread for it.Looks like an Aveo now! Glad I haven't gotten in a serious wreck in my Vibe, but I will feel safer on the road with these idiot California drivers after seeing stuff like this!
Jason Damron, San Diego, CA, Supercharged 2004 Vibe base - Gone to the wind My Vibe pics on Cardomain2009 Chevrolet HHR SS!
Baltovibe
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (damronjr)

Post by Baltovibe »

These Vibes must really take it in the chin, or in this case, rear-end. They must stop really quick to have so many cars run into them from behind. There are 2 Vibe wrecks on eBay that have rear-end damage.http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...38251h ... rs...28466
That which may be known of God is evident within man, for God has shown it to them, so that they are without excuse.(Romans 1:19-20)&nbspWhat do you want most in life?
jwalcik
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by jwalcik »

that's absolutely amazing. glad to hear your son was okay.hopefully they can just buff that out.
2005 vibe gt
Merzbow
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by Merzbow »

Jesus...I'm glad you are getting a new one!I bet your son was glad ot be int he Vibe now if he didn't appreciate it before (removed).
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/541918-1999 Infiniti Q45t-2003 base Vibe (Rest in peace my love)-2002 Ducati Monster 620 Dark
TRDman
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by TRDman »

The angels were with him that day. That's real carnage, but it's real reassuring to see that the cell held up like that. Hope he can recover.
4X4CHICHI
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (TRDman)

Post by 4X4CHICHI »

Man,what carnage!!! I'm glad he is okay.good luck on new perchase
2004 FUSION ORANGE VIBE GT200 Watt CD & XM radio, Tinted windows17" Black Casino'sSilverstars Head and Fog, Injen C.A.I.http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/453424
4azdmunky
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Re: "Damn Good Car" (jmf2)

Post by 4azdmunky »

WOW glad he turned out ok!The car crumples nicely though, sign of a good quality built car. Looks like most of the kinetic energy transfered around the passenger compartment. The car did well, glad your son is OK.
IMakeVibes
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Post by IMakeVibes »

We make the Vibes all nice and pretty and this is how they're treated???j/pGlad everyone was ok in both of those and you both decided to get another Vibe. Hopefully that doesn't happen again.
djnewm
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Re: (IMakeVibes)

Post by djnewm »

HERE'S MINEWrecked Vibe on page 2http://www.cardomain.com/ride/684787
2003 Base Neptune , Monotone, Moon & Tunes , Debadged , Sony MP3 Head unit, Sony 6 1/2 Components (fronts), Sony 6 1/2 (rears), bypassed M&T amp, 50% tint front, 20% rear, Cosmo CAI, Megan Racing strut tower brace bar, 140k miles, top bra section, crossbars removed, genvibe decalshttp://www.cardomain.com/ride/684787
JoeKat
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Re: (djnewm)

Post by JoeKat »

Wow!!! Glad everyone is ok. Things can change in an instant.
jmf2
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Re: (djnewm)

Post by jmf2 »

Wow djnewm, your vibe looks alot like mine did, amazing those liitle quarter panel windows don't break, and your rear window on the drivers side didn't break. on my vibe the passenger side rear window survived, along with the little ones. i see having the sunroof didn't affect the safety cage. i had wondered about that since my new vibe came with one.how many times did it roll? my son did 3 rolls after spinning it backwards at 70mph. are you planning a getting another vibe?
Current car: 2011 Red Hyundai Elantra. Last Vibe: 2005 Fusion Vibe A/T, power group, moon and tunes, ABS, alloy wheels, window tinting, stone/bug shield. First Vibe: 2003 Salsa Two Tone, A/T, power group, totaled by my son in a rollover accident, 7-8-2004
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joatmon
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Re: (djnewm)

Post by joatmon »

Quote, originally posted by djnewm »HERE'S MINEWrecked Vibe on page 2http://www.cardomain.com/ride/684787Was great chatting with you on Tuesday, thanks for posting the pics.You must have been satisfied with the Vibe to have bought a second one a couple weeks after the accident with the first one. That was back in 02. Seems like the second one must be doing well, to be over 100K miles on it.

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