GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

My Vibe arrived at the dealership just before Thanksgiving and I went and took a look at it yesterday. My dealer put the chrome exhaust tip that I ordered on it to let me see what it is going to look like when it is installed. I just have one word for it: AWESOME! I will post some pics of it when I get the car in about a week and a half so others can see it. Anyone else have the chrome exhaust tip? And just in case you have not seen it, here is a link to the Vibe website with the information about it: http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/vibe/ ... vibeacaaet

quote:My Vibe arrived at the dealership just before Thanksgiving and I went and took a look at it yesterday. My dealer put the chrome exhaust tip that I ordered on it to let me see what it is going to look like when it is installed. I just have one word for it: AWESOME! I will post some pics of it when I get the car in about a week and a half so others can see it. Anyone else have the chrome exhaust tip? And just in case you have not seen it, here is a link to the Vibe website with the information about it: http://www.pontiac.com/pontiacjsp/vibe/ ... vibeacaaet Had to go out and take a look at mine in the freezing weather of PA to confirm. Seems I have the chrome tip. I thought it was standard equipment since I bought the Vibe used. Surprise...Surprise

quote:Seems I have the chrome tip. I thought it was standard equipment since I bought the Vibe used.The tip that comes standard on the Vibe is about 3 inches in diameter and it kind of looks like polished chrome. The tip I ordered is not a standard part. Check out the link in my original post that shows the larger, I would say around 4 1/2 inch, polished chrome tip. If you can, email me a pic of your exhaust tip. I will post a pic as soon as I get one. I might be going over to the dealership tommorow to take one. It might be sunny tommorow, although it will still be cold!

I have it, it came with the TRD exhaust! Actually it's more of a polished stainless steel but still looks good and sounds even better.

You're right ChuckP, it is polished stainless steel, not chromed metal. I just thought it would be easier to call it chrome because that's what the website calls it and that's what it looks like. Have any pics of it?

Here are a couple of pics for you to see a comparison.First here is a stock exhaust tip: Stock TipNow here is a pic of my Vibe's polished stainless exhaust tip: My VibeI know my Vibe is dirty, but I really haven't taken delivery of the car yet. Just a matter of a few days and I will have it. The dealer said that they will only clean the car once before I pick it up. Anyways, let me know what you think![Modified by 8th Planet Vibe GT, 1:43 AM 12/7/2002]

I don't like the way they look, and my Vibe (bought it off the lot) had it installed, so I removed it. If anybody is looking to purchase one, you can buy mine.

I'd be interested in buying yours - how much you want for it?

I'm trying to get the price on one now. I can get it at dealer cost. If you still have yours and are willing to sell it cheaper, I'd buy yours. Don't know how long it will take the dealer to get one.

I don't have one but I would like get one. I will check with my dealer at my oil change appointement.

I should have the dealer cost price by tomorrow as well as time frame to get one.

I stopped by one of my local Pontiac dealers and saw about 3 Vibe's with the chrome exhaust tip installed. They had the option listed as a Dealer-Installed Option priced at $65.00 on the sticker.There is a big difference in the look as I have finally seen one in person. You don't even have to bend down to see the tip compared to the pipe without the tip.

Does anyone know if adding the stainless steel exhaust tip changes the sound from the factory tip? I'm probably going to get one this spring based on looks alone, but it would be even better if it sounds better...

I have an extra stainless steel exhaust tip too. They did a dealer trade to get my Vibe, and it came with the tip on the sticker as a "dealer installed option". The car came with the tip installed, and another one still in the box in the back seat! So, if anyone wants it, its yours for $40. I'll pay the shipping in the continental US.

It doesn't change the sound of the factory muffler but it looks real nice. I got mine the same way. A car came in on the lots that had one already on it and one in the box so they gave me that one for free since I work here. Only gift I've gotten at work

I bought my Vibe off the lot. The exhaust tip was already on the car as a dealer installed option.

I'd bevery interested in picking up either one of the extra tips you guys have. e-mail me. please!

I'd really be interested in getting my hands on one of those chrome exhaust tips as well.Please email me if anyone of you have one available. Thanxx

Mine is sold .... I got two direct inquiries to my e-mail account, so to be fair I went with first come, fist served. Heck, maybe I should take the other one off the car, then I'd have $80 to put towards an exhaust system!

I got my tip today (thanks Lorin). Will put it on tonight and post before and after shots on my CarDomain.com site.

Ah, so you're the one that beat me to the tip...GGRRRR! Just kidding! Congrats!

I guess it pays to check the site once an hour. I installed it last night. Got pics on my CarDomain page. The link is in my sig.

So what is the Part # for the Tip? I've looked everywhere and can't find it. If you have it please post. Thanks

quote:So what is the Part # for the Tip? I've looked everywhere and can't find it. If you have it please post. ThanksPBFlash posted the part number for the exhaust tip here: http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 8#18138The part number is: 12497926

What is the quality of this tip? The one that comes standard looks like crap after this winter and I doubt it will ever shine again. Does anyone else have problems with their factory tip rusting already? Will this protect the old tip? If anyone has one to sell, please email me ASAP.

The quality seemed pretty good to me. My stock tip looked horrible before we even got our first snow. The new tip covered it up and it's stainless steel so it should stay nice and shiny for awhile.

Spring for an exhaust if you have a few extra bucks, the looks and sound pay for itself in every way!!!!!

Is the stock exhaust stainless? I may be on the virge here of justifying a performance exhaust....

The entire stock Vibe system is "Stainless", but note the quote marks. The British more accurately call it "corrosion resisting steel", because there are dozens of alloys and many are anything BUT stainless. The grades commonly used by OEMs are as cheap as possible, having just enough alloying elements to meet their rust-through targets, generally a 409 or 425 grade. Especially in rust belt climates, these look like crap after a few months, just about like uncoated mild steel, but get no worse for many years thereafter. (In fact, such grades are sometimes aluminum coated for appearance, as this is still cheaper than stepping up to the better alloys.) Stainless steel aftermarket headers and tips are usually 316 or 325 alloy, and stay pristine forever. The stock 3" tip is only about an 8" long weld-on to the shorty tail pipe, and it surely would have cost about 50 cents to make this from a 3-series alloy that would look good for decades! Tip: Try the magnet test. If it sticks strongly it's mild steel. If there's a slight attraction it's likely one of the lower grades, and if there's zero attraction, it's one of the better "stay shiny" alloys. (or Titanium, if you're checking out a Z06 Corvette system!)

"Alloy" does mean one or more metals and/or other substances blended together in a molten state, but there is no implication of any particular elements being specified. For example, 302 stainless has 18% chromium and 8% nickel and little else and 321 has small amounts of columbium and titanium added to reduce corrosion sensitivity due to welding, but 400 series have no nickel. (This subject, like many, has many onion-like layers to it when you look closely.)

No, honest! There does not have to be Nickel in any alloy, including stainless/corrosion resisting steel. Look it up!Examples: 6061 "aluminum alloy" has Magnesium and Silicon (Note the latter is not a metal) as major alloying elements. 7075 aluminum has Zinc, 4130 "Chrome-Moly" alloy steel has (surprise!) Chromium and Molybdenum; no Nickel in any of them.My Webster's defines alloy as: "a substance composed of two or more metals or of a metal and a nonmetal intimitely united, usually by being fused together and disolving in each other when molten."

By the way, I thinking about springing for the TRD exhaust while its on sale (Carson Toyota, details on matrixvibe.net). If I get it, I'll have my stainless exhaust tip for sale!

quote:By the way, I thinking about springing for the TRD exhaust while its on sale (Carson Toyota, details on matrixvibe.net). If I get it, I'll have my stainless exhaust tip for sale! Lorin.........I'd be more than happy to buy that off of you. Please let me know.