03 Vibe GT

[trn0487]

Hello.

Bought the car back in December @ 169K from the second owner. Has been in San Diego since new (John Hine Pontiac / window sticker). Did a minor service to it, and drove it out-and-back to Dallas, for Christmas. Car didn't miss a beat. I non-stopped the drive back (18 hours) at 80mph, car ran perfect, almost 2800 miles in a week. Have been cleaning it up, and correcting some minor things. I just refreshed the suspension w/a mix of OEM, Tokico, KYB, some spring-kit from a company called 'Sprint' (eBay), and refinished a set of Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.0 (17X7.5 et35) and fresh PS31 215/45/17 tires. In no order the following has been sorted: plugs, coils, air and cabin filter, valve cover gasket, lift bolts, tensioner gasket, oil pan (new) w/gasket, timing cover gasket (fun!), OEM($)tensioner+accs belt, trans oil Redline/Pennsoil syncro cocktail, using Royal Purple in the motor w/OEM Toyota filter (been done twice now). Next up: contol arm and rear trailing arm bushings (Energy), a sway bar, a strut bar, and get the headlights refinished, they're bad. Been fun, first 'Toyota' (Nummi) product for me, working on it has been rather straight forward (use to BMW's).

the night I bought it.


in Texas at my brothers house.


suspension done


wheels fitted up


I love how this car hauls it's own parts.

[zbyers]

Nice looking ride. It's nice owning a vehicle that is insanely reliable. We have a few over 250k miles and we never hesitate to jump in and go.

Welcome to the best group on the internet. You also get brownie points for posting many pics!

[tpollauf]

Nice work so far. Car look fantastic! Love the black body side mold update ... it matched door handles & window trim. Did you have uninterrupted music along the 18 hour drive (satellite radio) ? That's the one thing I really like about XM in my 2009 is that when I drive to Florida & back (non stop like you did) I never have to bother with radio stations. Pleasant driving!

[trn0487]

< I brought my own music, no issues there. Feel lucky to have found this Vibe. Was searching high-and-low for an XRS, but many salvage, or insane 'toyota' tax involved. I got all the original books, keys, window sticker, every service record, + Pontiac OEM cross bars, the rear cargo mat, both 'nets' -new in the bag, the tie down straps (new), all the little mounting hardware, the cargo area cover, the cargo/pet rack divide thingy. I just scored some NOS OEM mats. One of my pet-peeves is a jacked up drivers seat, it's the first thing you see when you open the door, and you have to be in it while driving -it needs to be proper. I scored a mint unit, took it all apart, washed the covers, got a new lower foam, and rebuilt the thing. Feels great. Have a pair of Corolla XRS seats, might be installing them this Summer (just to see how they look/fit/feel). I blacked out most of the dash trim w/SEM trim black, did not like the OEM finish, now it looks better (imho). More pics . . .

[SSizler]

Looking good sir!
I like what you are doing!
Very impressive progress and results.
Keep up the good work and keep posting!

[tpollauf]

EXTREMELY clean underside for a 17 year old car Good thing you in a location that allows for the preservation of such vehicle. Out here in the midwest or northeast, that same vehicle would have lots of rust & corrosion from winter driving.

[trn0487]

this is a noisy little car. Bought some Silness 80mil sound deadener. Stripped the interior -this was so easy compared to an E46, cleaned it a bit, and layed in the mat. Rather simple. The door skins will be getting a sheet each too. Also sourced a Voltz rear hatch plinth, should really throw people off w/the 'Sportwagon' badge I stuck on there (off an 850R wagon). Got an airbag cover from a CelicaGT (1999) I'm going to install as well. Gave me a chance to really clean the carpet too -while it was out. anyway -pictures . . .

[joatmon]

Did you find anything interesting under the rear seat? One I bought used had a previous owner's checkbook under there (which is why its always good to look there when you pass along a car)

Yours looks really sharp. That car is lucky to have found you

[tpollauf]

Nice work I see you're practicing safe hygiene practices also. I'm sure you had a mask on to go with the sterile gloves That's got to be one of the cleanest Vibe on the road now! Keep it that way

[trn0487]

so I took apart both Corolla XRS seats -to the frames. I used the foam and covers -from the passenger seat -and built upon the drivers seat frame. They were in much better condition -and less (removed) 'hours' -if that makes any sense. I washed the covers, and used Rit dye to bring some life back into the fabric -a bit sun faded. I use the Corolla sliders -as the Matrix/Vibe sliders are way different -and won't bolt-up to the Corolla seat pan. The Corolla seat at its 'highest' setting -is about the same height as the Matrix/Vibe seat -at its 'lowest' setting. The Corolla seat set 'low' -is low -and I like it. The foam in the Corolla seat is much denser than the Matrix/Vibe -and is a much nicer experience -the original seat -imo -is way to 'soft'. No air-bag in the Corolla seat -so I have triggered the light in the cluster, I'll need to solve that. anyway -picture. More parts arriving soon . . .

[trn0487]

Put about 6000miles on it now. Have done the oil (RoyalPurple) & factory Toyota filter. Installed a K&N panel filter and modded the intake snorkel (cut it off) and fabbed an intake tube. Installed the MWR shifter base bushings as well as their brass(?) cable end bushings @the trans (money well spent). New TRD rear sway (you can still get these new from Toyota 150$). Four new Brembo rotors, Hawk front pads, Akebono pads in the rear. Got another XRS Corolla front seat -installed (yes-I know I loose the fold down option). Celica GT air bag cover, and texture painted the cluster bezel -i hate how the 'rings' reflect every light source. Had to do a new fuel pump (&filter and pressure reg. while there). Car just wouldn't start one morning(?). If you have not changed your fuel filter -do it. 'Lifetime' filter my a55, was like coffee coming out of it. Otherwise -car runs great -no leaks, no burning oil, still humming along.

[KingKrab65]

Super nice work on everything. A labor of luv for sure.

Just one question though, why change the airbag cover on the steering wheel?

[KingKrab65]

Oh and how much difference did the addition of the rear sway bar make?

[trn0487]

swapped the air bag cover to continue w/the JDM Voltz theme, and the rear sway-bar -meh, can't really tell.

[dale321]

Put about 6000miles on it now. Have done the oil (RoyalPurple) & factory Toyota filter. Installed a K&N panel filter and modded the intake snorkel (cut it off) and fabbed an intake tube.
*********
Nice pics ! i'm getting close to having put 10k on my '08 but it is under 50k ..
I have replaced what i believe to be the original rotors )front).. there was a bit of a shimmy on heavy breaking ..
found the driver rotor to be rust welded to the hub which required several hard hits of heavy hammer (actually used the back end (flat) of a large ax) hit on opposiing sides of the rotor nearly a dozen times ... lots of meat left on the rotors, which i can have surfaced at my convenience .. only about 3mm left on thinnest parts of pads ..
Upgrade was slotted/drilled rotors and ceramic pads .. i got these about $75, like a week later they were around $100 .. they have been sitting a few months and finally put them on last week. i think they run cooler but i never took a rotor temp before so i cant make comparison.

I noticed the cold air intake snorkel OEM has some funny biz going on with heat sheild, a small 'accumulator' /hemhold resoirvor and a little restriction (looks like fire hoze nozzle) right after the air resoirvor .. I just took mine off tonight .. so, what's left is just stock air box, a k&n style reuseable filter , also removed the carbon panty sheild above .. (not sure how long that carbone diaper is good for anyway) .. before i was getting about up to 325 cfm .. i got over 400 cfm just on acceleration to 30mph (should get higher at highway speeds). Hear a bit more 'drone' on heavy accel. which sounds like more air is getting through ... am monitoring mpg to see how that may have changed .. This was measured using the torque-pro app.

I was hearing valve noise so i knew the oil needed changing soon ..
Changed the oil - had less than 5k on the oil -- mobil 1 5w30 synth .. there had been some ultra cheap jiffy lube filter for prior change .. my replacement was a fram tough guard which has an anti-drainback valve ..

I hope to replace the stock stereo double DIn with a droid style flat panel touchscreen with gps, backup cam and 2g ram/32g rom .. and maybe at least a decent 'chinese brand' that has some support .. got the plug wire kit connector which i have yet to pull stock stereo and check for compatibility ...

[trn0487]

just back from another 3000 mile round trip, out-and-back to N. Dallas for Christmas. Car ran perfect. Before I left, I sent the injectors to RC Injectors up in LA. They cleaned them and fitted new filters and o-rings. Money well spent. Much improved gas mileage and driveability. Had some extra Lucas trans fluid, drained and filled the transmission prior to the trip, worked fine. Only issue I had was the drivers side front fender liner -rubbing a bit, but solved it with some zip-ties. The Corolla XRS seat(s) -not comfortable for long haul.

[trn0487]

NOV 24 update:

almost 190K on it. still running great. Not much use in the last year, too many cars. Did a spring swap, the 'lowering' springs were crap. Did some junkyard engineering - found out that TRD springs -off a 2005/6 Scion TC - are plug-n-play. Car sits a bit taller -but completely changed the ride quality. Had to do new front calipers -as one froze-up. Did SS brake lines while-I-was-there. Yakima basket installed, and a much needed bike rack too. Momo Competition wheel -because who-needs-airbags. new Lexus IS300 pedal covers -pop right on (racecar!). I found all four(4) OEM front grill inserts NOS - on the ebay -installed. Searched for a TRD tower bar -settled for a DC bar. also found four NOS mud-flaps. Car will probably be sold -in the Spring. that's all.











neighbors kid + golf cart =



been spending time on this -needed a clutch, all sorted now (I love older Jap cars)