rear bumper guard

[boudini]

Hi-has anyone ever put on a bumper guard on their vibe to protect the car from getting scratched by cargo?Any pics?

[boudini]

oops - I should have looked at the several other pieces on the same topic- sorry

[Caretaker]

yeah well, if you can figure out how to efficiently use this site's search engine, you let us know; nobody else can.I ordered my bumper guard from GM since they were giving me employee pricing on everything. The GM one does not cover enough of the bumper so I can't recommend it. I know there are ample retail sites on the web that can sell you one. I think the bumper guard helps the car's looks; but if it doesn't cover the rounded edge of the bumper, then you end up with a nice black plateaued bumper guard that does nothing to keep knicks off the rounded edge when you pull your luggage out of your car.

[DeClerq]

I found one on Ebay for the Matrix (it fits the Vibe) that covers the edge of the bumper. Though that was for my '04, not sure if there are any that cover the edge for the '09's.Here's one on ebay for the '09 Matrix that looks like it might cover the edge - but I don't know if it will fit the '09 Vibe (previous model did fit). http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...t_732

[bikeman1]

Quote, originally posted by Caretaker »I think the bumper guard helps the car's looks; but if it doesn't cover the rounded edge of the bumper, then you end up with a nice black plateaued bumper guard that does nothing to keep knicks off the rounded edge when you pull your luggage out of your car.Not to disagree with you CT on the OEM version but the Bushwacker one for the Matrix (not for the Vibe) does cover the rounded edge nicely and is a quality accessory, heavier duty than the OEM -- downright beefy. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=38013 It is not guaranteed to fit the Vibe by the manufacturer -- though it does install securely, the inner lip (against the door well) is not perfectly aligned with the Vibe contours. Still I would rate it a 95% fit, and it in fact looks/works great, if you can tolerate the minor fitment issue. The outer-lip fitment is perfecthttp://www.fixthisride.com/sho...08235also available from Ebay vendors -- look up earlier linksI will go down to the garage (snow day) and snap you a photo of the fit on my 2009.By the way Boudini, you probably want to put a post like this in the Exterior forum not here (and search there too....this topic has been done before). Welcome to Genvibe! Lets see some pix of your ride

[Caretaker]

thank you very much for doing that Bikeman1. Now I wonder if I can pull off the junky GM one and install the one you have? How difficult would it be to rip off the old one?

[star_deceiver]

Get out the heat gun or hair dryer. Peel and pull slowly while applying heat... (just don't melt the bumper...)

[boudini]

thanks - I appreciate the advice and guidanceI also realized I should have "looked before I leapt" at adding this.BTW I have one picture as my "avatar". Will add more when I remember to bring my camera. Will have to take pix with the bumper guards and cargo guard (now that I just scratched up my front bumper today).

[bikeman1]

Quote, originally posted by Caretaker »thank you very much for doing that Bikeman1. Now I wonder if I can pull off the junky GM one and install the one you have? How difficult would it be to rip off the old one?Deceiver is right, I am sure you can get it off. The 3M tape holds like the dickens but should peel with a lot of heat -- trick is to be careful not to scratch up the bumper. work the edges. try a thick piece of cardboard to protect it and a broad flat tool like a wonder bar, hooked edge up. Kind of a pain but you even should be able to save the old one. It is better than nothing on the 2007 and earlier that did not have it as stock (my wife's 2007 did not and we have one). I think that's what it was designed for.The Bushwhacker one was designed foa a number Toyota models. Its not perfect fit but I bet its just what you are looking for Boudini, I make the mistake of not going back and searching all the time. The thing about this site is that it gets used by so many Vibe owners -- and many of them are really sharp -- that if its a problem or a challenge out there, someone has picked up on at some time. Usually soon after it became a problem. A lot of 2009 mod or problem issues surfaced in 2008 and 2009. It does make you feel a little sheepish when you start a new thread and then go back and find a small encyclopedia on the issue 9 months old (or 5 years old!). So for all its imperfections, the search engine is the game. I just let it search all forums for a select keyword and sift through -- there's usually a lot of good stuff if you can pick the right search key. My only gripe is the 4-letter word limit (makes it tough to find "fog light"....)BM1

[bikeman1]

another thing you'll find B is you won't find a friendlier forum anywhere. We screen out all the bipolars . I keep looking for a Genvibe.com rally somewhere. It would be great to meet the faces behind all the strange avatars.... (and heck mine is nowhere near strange enough.....i gotta stop procrastinating and do something about that.....)or procrastinating about photos! I still haven't put up the bumper strip photo my snows my new wheels! Heck. I'll start with the avatar

[boudini]

Hi-thanks for all your input. I ended buying a 2009 Matrix one - was $36 w/ 8 shipping.liked that it had the rounded lip for the edge and covered pretty well.sorry for poor quality of photo - someone in the household broke the camera (great to be told on the night of the 24th, eh?)that big auction website (I dont know the rules about posting names) has some available as well.

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