GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

I've noticed that the monotone paint does not look as smooth as the rest of the car. It almost looks like Pontiac took the stock black plastic trim and painted over it.Can anyone confirm or take notice?

Mine looks like also. I figured from the first time i saw a momotone, that was how it was done, painted the plastic trim. I did not expect the trim to be metal....

quote:Can anyone confirm or take notice?Yeah, it's been noticed, but nothing that sticks out like a sore thumb. Check out this older thread:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1446

I noticed the same when I was looking around the dealer's lot the other day. Never seeing a monotone up close, I suspected use of a smoother material. Sure enough when I looked at one, it has similar texture to that of the two-tone models.

what the hell? mines smooth as a babies bottom. somebody is getting ripped on those vibes.

yeah mine isn't bad either But I already knew the Cladding was painted over. The Body Shop Manager told me that when I had my old one. The same goes for the 2003 Aztek's

I've noticed that the painted cladding area seems to chip much more quickly than the rest of the body. I understand that because of physical proximity it's more likely to get chipped in the first place, but it really is a sharp difference between the two areas.I really, really, really hate rocks.

I'm not going to buy a Vibe /w Monotone because it seems to chip too easy. The one on the lot has chips on areas that are not because of stones. I think it's because they just painted over the normal cladding. Waiting to find a Vibe /w ABS w/o monotone.

Keely.........I have to agree I believed that from the first time I saw a Vibe that painted plastic has a higher risk of chipping, actually before the Vibe i was checking out a 2001-2002 Ford Escape, the first ones had all cladlike our vibes, then I saw some painted upclose and new that there was going to be a problem, so when I saw the vibe immediately I went for the 2 tone specifically because of not having to worry about paint chips.....Thats my opinion!

The VIBE chips way too easily everywhere on the car, not just the cladding. It has everything to do with thin paint, as stated in another thread about stone chips. We should be looking at a recall or something like that.

quote:I have to agree I believed that from the first time I saw a Vibe that painted plastic has a higher risk of chipping... so when I saw the vibe immediately I went for the 2 tone specifically because of not having to worry about paint chips..... Ah, let's face it, if having a low maintenance exterior was high on my list of priorities, I would have purchased a Shadow and said to heck with the sexy black. If I had a nickle for every time someone has admonished me with stuff like "black really shows the dirt", I'd have enough to redo that wonderful Abyss on a yearly basis for the life of the car.I prefer to put the blame squarely on the existence rocks rather than my impractial choice of body colour.

ROFL - Yeah.. Down with Rocks!!!...and pebbles and dirt. Maybe dust too. Don't forget Pollen. Stupid Trees...

I live in the north where they gravel the roads in the winter cuz its to cold for salt ,I have noticed that the trim is getting a little pock marked and is turning slightly grey, I have the mudflaps it does seem to help but the marks aren't hard to miss up- close .I hope the insurane company will cover the damage as it would with a windsheild hit by a rock.