Looking for advice - Getting more out of my Vibe

[Ankomst]

I have a completely stock, 2003 front-wheel-drive Vibe. Nothing has been changed so far, and that's what I'm looking to do. I don't need to turn my car into some ultimate racing machine, but I do want to get some more power out of it, hopefully without damaging the fuel economy too badly... And without dropping a whole new engine into the car. Don't have the money for that. I don't have a whole lot of money in general, actually.. This car is also my daily driver.I want any suggestions you can offer. What can I do to get a bit more power out of what I currently have? It'd be appreciated. Not sure if this is the right place, but everywhere else seemed really specific, and I'm looking more at the entirety of the car.

[MrHatchWagon]

One thing you could consider, not so much for the power but to make the drive more enjoyable, would be replacing the shifter bushings (If manual transmission, of course) and possibly installing a short-throw shifter. Other than that, look at the little things. Short Ram Intake is one of the more popular mods, along with a custom cat-back exhaust, though that'd cost you a few hundred. Have you tuned up all the little things, i.e. spark plugs & wires, cleaned MAF sensor, replacing the spare with a can of goo and a compressor for weight savings if you can swing it. Headers might be a viable option for you as well. Doesn't mean you have to get everything all at once, either, do what you can a little bit at a time and you'll see results! But the best thing is to keep your ride tuned up and running like clockwork, that's the first place the performance should come from --Oh, and there's also a rear sway bar available, and maybe some lowering to help the handling feel? Have you considered lightweight wheels? I hear unsprung weight removed from the suspension and wheels make a bigger difference in weight than the little things.You could probably run nitrous too, but that's a bit more expensive, and a bit more of a gamble on a 10-year-old car. I don't know the specifics.Don't get me wrong, all of these things won't make it a sports car, it's still an economical, practical hatchback. But, all things considered, they're mods that will make your drive more enjoyable and involving. And that's what it's all about, right?

[Ankomst]

I haven't yet done a tune-up, but that's the first thing on the list my boyfriend and I started. I was talking to him about it the other night while he was at home, and that was the first thing he suggested. So, we're going to take advantage of the weather while it's nice, and take care of business... Chicago weather is unpredictable. We could have snow next week (I kid you not). And it's an automatic. I wanted a manual, but was advised against it, because of potentially having to replace the clutch.. Which we'd do ourselves, and I wasn't looking forward to. Not a small job, as I understand. My Dad has done dozens over the years if not more, and said he wasn't willing to do it. So, automatic it was.I do definitely need to do something about handling, because for some ungodly reason, in winter I have a terrible time controlling the back end of my car. FWD, but still fishtails. Part of it is me needing new tires (desperately), but even with winter tires, it's rough. I wanted to replace the rear sway bar - a friend that referred me to these forums did just that, and said it made a huge difference. I just never got the opportunity, being in and out of the hospital almost non-stop. :xI appreciate the advice. I'm hesitant about putting nitrous into Red, but it's something I might consider someday. A few hundred dollars is within my budget.. Anything over a grand in total, not so much. I have more, but it's for college (-sigh-), so it'll have to stay where it is. If I get my kidney before the end of summer, I start school in autumn.. So I'll need every cent.If you think of more, don't hold back. I love my car. Miss my Oldsmobile, but won't give up Red for anything. I was going to drop all of this money into an '85 Oldsmobile that I ultimately wound up selling, so dropping it into my daily driver is preferable.. And if my car stays in the kind of condition my Dad's Firebird is in, I don't mind putting money into it.

[KITT222]

Yipes. Hope you get your organ, and won't need to be the Hospital thing anymore... scary. As for your Vibe, handling mods really help make it, while a new intake can give you much happiness, even just in the sound. For handling, a new rear strut bar will be very helpful. Progress makes a good RSB:http://www.ebay.com/itm/PROGRE...p=mtrThat's my first suggestion. Any other tips can come from here:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=24144Happy modding!

[Ankomst]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've totaled up the cost of parts mentioned so far, and it's just under $1000, excluding wheels. So, it's looking good. I'll check back periodically to see if anyone else offers any ideas.

[Ankomst]

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