GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

If you had a budget of $8,000.00 to put into your Vibe. What would you do? This should be fun!

6-speed-swap, turbo, new paint. Then pay it off. Nice and simple.

Nice! I've never thought about the 6 speed idea. I don't know for sure though (IMO) if that would bolt up to a base model 1.8. If it does that is awesome! My idea "plan" is a turbo, exhaust, chip, cold air intake (customized for turbo), tinted windows, lowering springs, dive plaines on the front and rear, carbon fiber wrap the mirrors and roof rack etc, carbon fiber tribal decals, recaro seats, fix my front fascia and a few finishing touches to my stereo. The rest would go towards a family member (who's a master mechanic for toyota) installing everything.

It is very easy to upgrade to the 6spd and the only things you might want to change or refurbish(but you don't have to) is the clutch(especially if you have some miles on the thing then now is the best time to change it) The flywheel (should be resurfaced or replaced if you are changing the clutch) and removing the 5spd shift knob and replacing it with a 6spd knob(for cosmetics and reminding that you have a 6spd and not a 5spd)

But then again nothing from above is needed to do the install. Just unbolt one and bolt the new trans in

It's a little more complex than that. You see, I have the 4-spd auto-box. Full auto-manual conversion. It'll happen sooner or later, mark my words.

Finish paying it off LOL....

Paint + Turbo. then my Vibe would be complete

2.0l LNF engine & F35 5-speed out of a Cobalt SS. Power the pseudo GM car with a GM drivetrain

Real seats to hold me while doing auto cross...R comp tires...Or a built block so I can put down some real power, but if I did that I would need seats lol.

I'd put $4000 in the bank and put the other $4000 toward paying the Vibe off.

I am 100% happy with how my Vibe currently sits. The main reason I got it was because it was a great vehicle from the factory and I was wasting too much money doing mods on my former Sunfire. It was never my intention to spend tons of money on the Vibe and I am very satisfied with the small, necessary (IMO) things I have done to it.

Engine transplant from the front wheel drive Impala SS, and wheels/tires from the G8 GXP. Both are available quite reasonably on ebay. 5.3l V8, 303 hp, 323 lb/ft. Pulls 5.6 sec. to 60 in the heavy SS, so hopefully sub 5 sec. in the Vibe which is 650 lbs. lighter. I know this powerplant has a bit of an issue putting it's power down in a FWD format, so maybe rear-engine, RWD? jk

Forced induction on forged internals, with an LSD and a 6-speed swap. If there was money left over, a Phantom Black Pearl paint job.

My dream Vibe would have to be MINE once my bucket list of mods is complete. This will likely be 2-3 years from now at my current pace. I'm in no hurry as this vehicle is going to be my retirement car ........... 12 years from now Heck at only 4000 miles/year (just turned over 12k) it will just be broken in when 2024 gets here

Repaint it (...to white with a black roof), get the 2003-2004 front end bumper, switch the cladding to white monotone, the GT spoiler, and then see about getting that GM body kit in black. If I had anything left over (unlikely), Magnaflow exhaust.

Hmm....

Find some way to do a 1-ZZ and automatic to 2-ZZ and 6spd swap. The GT package is the ONLY thing I did not get on my Vibe that I wanted. If I had anything left, I'd get started on the list of itty bitties that I have in my garage, starting with the most expensive... BORLA exhaust, because it sounds so nice. Then the go fast kit.

JohnL wrote:Engine transplant from the front wheel drive Impala SS, and wheels/tires from the G8 GXP. Both are available quite reasonably on ebay. 5.3l V8, 303 hp, 323 lb/ft. Pulls 5.6 sec. to 60 in the heavy SS, so hopefully sub 5 sec. in the Vibe which is 650 lbs. lighter. I know this powerplant has a bit of an issue putting it's power down in a FWD format, so maybe rear-engine, RWD? jk

My v6 impala makes 305hp. And is a bit smaller than the v8. 6 seconds to 60 and a nice 6spd auto. Only displaces like 3.5l
Just giving you options. Lol

Obviously, not where I'd put $8k if I had it, but for the sake of dreaming in the parameters of the thread's proposal....

I'd get wheels and tires, properly offset to be flush as possible w/o interference (I am already lowered on H-Techs). Wheels might actually be 16's with black or gunmetal centers and chrome deep dish lip. If I can find the tires in the right size, would love to have old school raised white letters.

Projector headlights just because they look cool, probably with some kind of halo thing, white LEDs or both.

Swap out the base front bumper cover with a GT cover. Put in projector driving lights to replace the fogs.

Black out the roof panel - probably with carbon fiber look vinyl. May or may not also black out the hood and some of the rear hatch. Hood and or hatch might also sport some kind of cut out "2.4L" or "Pontiac" or symbol of some kind.

New straight thru Magnaflow with a new SS tip to get a throatier, louder exhaust.

K & N intake to pump up the volume a bit more.

Probably an upgraded stereo to finish off my hearing for good.

Katzkin leather interior with contrasting piping or stitching, probably in red, matching door panels, center console cover and shift boot.

Old school Hurst shifter with a chrome shaft and big old white cue ball knob.

Dash/door kits to match up front and rear doors and the IP. Probably stick with silver/aluminum look and contrast that with gloss piano black on the door rocker switches, the top of the glove box, etc.

If "pay it off" doesn't count because it's boring, I would...

- Get the touchscreen headunit that I want.
- Replace the front end that got damaged in an accident
- Soundproof the (removed) outta this thing
- Buy the 18" GT Wheels and new tires, and a set of winter tires for the current 17" wheels
- Get it repainted (maybe even a sweet custom paint job of some sort, still red-based)
- Maybe a new exhaust or whatever
- Front and rear sway bars
- Get a custom G8-Style Ram-Air hood (sexy!!)
- ...Turbo? Maybe? Or something? Fastness? Hahaha

In order of importance.

I dunno... "pay it off" still sounds more appealing due to my overbearing pragmatism, except for that $300 headunit

new wheels/tires 18"
SOFTER suspension
HID retrofit
in-dash GPS unit
soundproof roof/doors/floor/trunk
cold air intake

With 8k for my AWD...

-I'd throw in the 2zz-ge engine, I just love that thing and have no idea why the AWD didn't come with that too!
-Stroker kit to make it 2L with a higher compression.
-I think I'm broke now! LOL (I'd have to scramble for some sort of transmission cooler though, poor AWD tranny at 8000rpm)

MWR Complete Built Engine - Toyota 1ZZ-FE
- Camshafts Performance cams installed and shimmed (purchased separately)
- Compression Ratio 08.8:1
- Connecting Rods MWR Billet Rods
- Core Charge Customer to pay core charge #CoreCharge
- Crankshaft Knife Edged, Lightened, Balanced Crankshaft
- Cylinder Bores Darton sleeved block +3.0mm Big Bore 2.0L
- Oil Pan Moroso Oil Pan
- Port Work Head Ported #PortHead
- Valve Springs MWR Performance Valve Springs and Ti Retainers
- †Liftgate Charge Residential Delivery #Freight
- Crower Cam Set - Toyota 1ZZ-FE - Stage 2 Forced Induction

$8,579.00


Throw my Supercharger on it and away we go!

BlueCrush wrote:MWR Complete Built Engine - Toyota 1ZZ-FE
- Camshafts Performance cams installed and shimmed (purchased separately)
- Compression Ratio 08.8:1
- Connecting Rods MWR Billet Rods
- Core Charge Customer to pay core charge #CoreCharge
- Crankshaft Knife Edged, Lightened, Balanced Crankshaft
- Cylinder Bores Darton sleeved block +3.0mm Big Bore 2.0L
- Oil Pan Moroso Oil Pan
- Port Work Head Ported #PortHead
- Valve Springs MWR Performance Valve Springs and Ti Retainers
- †Liftgate Charge Residential Delivery #Freight
- Crower Cam Set - Toyota 1ZZ-FE - Stage 2 Forced Induction

$8,579.00


Throw my Supercharger on it and away we go!

HAHA, man with a plan! Love that list.

nice, brian!

i'd supercharge, then spend the rest of the money hunting down this smooooth gxp body kit with rear spoiler,




and maybe add the equally elusive slp ram air hood, which a few of our members actually have.

Great ideas here!

I'd upgrade the sound system and get new wheels...and the supercharger sounds like a great idea (does that work well with an automatic?)

I'd also love to get the spoiler I've always wanted and perhaps repaint the car into a new color and/or special scheme.

I'd engineer a second 1.8/5speed to drive the rear wheels and have a nice 4wd car

Wow. Everyone has some great ideas! I'm loving this. It's amazing where a lot of you are focusing on is pretty much the same location.... engine mods!

journeyforce wrote:It is very easy to upgrade to the 6spd and the only things you might want to change or refurbish(but you don't have to) is the clutch(especially if you have some miles on the thing then now is the best time to change it) The flywheel (should be resurfaced or replaced if you are changing the clutch) and removing the 5spd shift knob and replacing it with a 6spd knob(for cosmetics and reminding that you have a 6spd and not a 5spd)

But then again nothing from above is needed to do the install. Just unbolt one and bolt the new trans in

Seriously!? That's it? Ok... I have a new list now.

Wingnut wrote:If you had a budget of $8,000.00 to put into your Vibe. What would you do? This should be fun!

To have a softer, smoother, quiet ride, max MPG and a touch display radio with rear backup camera. That's all I need.