GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Hi all,

Picked up my 5-speed Stealth Vibe in August. It's got the Preferred Package, Premium Monotone, U65, Slate Cyber cloth, and ABS. I have yet to get less than 30 mpg on a tank of gas, and with the front pass. seat folded down, I can fit 8-foot lumber inside with the hatch (and hatch glass!) closed. I LOVE this thing.



First mod I'll probably do is the extra 12V socket in the center console. Then maybe a head unit with an AUX jack...

Anyways, glad to be here.

Ben

Hi. Welcome. Awesome Vibe, the best year IMO. I hope it serves you well for years to come

Thanks, Nasmfell! I've been working on/taking care of Toyotas since I learned to drive, so I'm hoping to get 10 or 15 years out of it. So far so good.

Welcome, steel!

That Vibe looks darn good!

Welcome to GenVibe Ben! You got one of the last Vibe's before the retooling AND a short model year run to boot! Nice color and you won't regret getting it. Keep us updated on any/all mods & progress that you do to it. Again .................. Welcome

Welcome! Nice looking Vibe, but it needs some nice wheels on it! With that color, the steel wheels actually look pretty good. Congrats on the purchase and good luck with the mods.

Wow, thanks for the words of welcome, you guys! trb, maybe a spare set of steelies for snow tires, haha... then again, Pontiac made some of the best-looking alloys on the planet IMHO...

tpollauf wrote:Welcome to GenVibe Ben! You got one of the last Vibe's before the retooling AND a short model year run to boot! Nice color and you won't regret getting it. Keep us updated on any/all mods & progress that you do to it. Again .................. Welcome

Thanks, glad to be here! When I'm car shopping, I try to get the last year of a model run. I figure whatever kinks there had been are pretty much worked out by then. I do love the color-- with a fresh wax, it looks like a brand new car. I'm gonna start small with the mods, but I'll be sure to post what I do.

vibrologist wrote:Welcome, steel!

That Vibe looks darn good!

Thanks, vibrologist! A Vibe's hard if not impossible to beat for good looks, practicality, reliability, and fuel efficiency in one package, as far as I can tell.

steel16s wrote:Wow, thanks for the words of welcome, you guys! trb, maybe a spare set of steelies for snow tires, haha... then again, Pontiac made some of the best-looking alloys on the planet IMHO...

I agree, except for maybe Ford on the Mustangs. They have some really nice looking factory wheels available.

My son's 06 came with the steel wheels and hubcaps, and once he needed new tires, I found him the 17" Vibe wheels on ebay. Bought 3 for about $175 from one seller and the 4th one was about $75 shipped. I got lucky with my 03 GT since it already had the 17" wheels. Luckily we can run them year round down here!

steel16s wrote:

vibrologist wrote:Welcome, steel!

That Vibe looks darn good!

Thanks, vibrologist! A Vibe's hard if not impossible to beat for good looks, practicality, reliability, and fuel efficiency in one package, as far as I can tell.

Well, that sums it up. Here is my expanded version: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/pontiac/vibe/2005/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By the way I like the steelies with your Vibe. It says "We mean business" in a similar way as my friend used to say: "Let's have another beer, after all we aren't here just to have fun!"

Just keep them waxed and rust free.

trb wrote: I agree, except for maybe Ford on the Mustangs. They have some really nice looking factory wheels available.

My son's 06 came with the steel wheels and hubcaps, and once he needed new tires, I found him the 17" Vibe wheels on ebay. Bought 3 for about $175 from one seller and the 4th one was about $75 shipped. I got lucky with my 03 GT since it already had the 17" wheels. Luckily we can run them year round down here!

You aren't lying. I like the turbines, and I actually really like the phone dials.

Those 17s are really REALLY sweet. Jealous of your weather, too-- gonna need the snowblower up here today...

vibrologist wrote:
Well, that sums it up. Here is my expanded version: http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/pontiac/vibe/2005/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

By the way I like the steelies with your Vibe. It says "We mean business" in a similar way as my friend used to say: "Let's have another beer, after all we aren't here just to have fun!"

Just keep them waxed and rust free.

That's a sharp-looking '05, and I like what you've done with it. I'll definitely be doing your sound insulation mod-- as it is now, it's the best sound system I've ever had in a car I owned. But if there's more to be had...

"I mean business" is EXACTLY what I was going for with the bare black steelies. I hadn't realized I could wax them... next time, I will!

Thanks for the kudos!
The sound proofing and the adjustments to the driver's seat are key for me. I would like to make the suspension more comfy, but there does not seem to be a practical solution. The rear struts have only about 5" of travel, the Ford Contour has about 9" for comparison.

steel16s wrote:You aren't lying. I like the turbines, and I actually really like the phone dials.

Those 17s are really REALLY sweet. Jealous of your weather, too-- gonna need the snowblower up here today...

Thanks. I like putting the top line wheels on a base model to jazz it up. I had the 10 hole wheels on my 87 5.0 LX for about 15 years, until I swapped to a 5 lug Cobra brake system. I got the 17" split 5 spoke GT wheels from a 96-97 Mustang, and a couple of years later got a set of Bullitt wheels from a 2002 GT. I wish the newer model wheels would easily fit my Mustang, as I really like some of the 19" ones that are available.
This is how it sits now:


I really like these wheels, wouldn't mind the car either:

steel16s wrote:Thanks, Nasmfell! I've been working on/taking care of Toyotas since I learned to drive, so I'm hoping to get 10 or 15 years out of it. So far so good.

You're very welcome. You made a very smart choice added bonus that you have been taking care of Toyota's since you learned to drive

trb wrote:

Dang. Those Bullitt mags look killer on your Fox!

Welcome to GenVibe Ben! That's a gorgeous Stealth Vibe you've got there ! Stealth is one of my favorite 1st gen colors. Thanks for posting pictures right away ! I look forward to seeing what you do with your "new" Vibe in the future.

vibenvy wrote:Welcome to GenVibe Ben! That's a gorgeous Stealth Vibe you've got there ! Stealth is one of my favorite 1st gen colors. Thanks for posting pictures right away ! I look forward to seeing what you do with your "new" Vibe in the future.

Thanks, vibenvy. I couldn't wait to post a picture-- this thing rocks so freakin' hard. I'll be posting everything I do, no matter how mundane. First stop is that extra 12V socket, because you can't have too many GPSes on at once.

steel16s wrote:Thanks, vibenvy. I couldn't wait to post a picture-- this thing rocks so freakin' hard. I'll be posting everything I do, no matter how mundane. First stop is that extra 12V socket, because you can't have too many GPSes on at once.

I love your enthusiasm Ben!

vibenvy wrote: I love your enthusiasm Ben!

Haha, thanks! It'd be tough not to be enthusiastic about this little hatchback. And you guys are the nicest bunch of folks I've ever met on the Internet; I really do appreciate the warm welcome!