GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Let me first say I have had my 2003 VIBE GT for a month now and absolutley love it!!! I have had em all (1995 Mustang Cobra and a 1998 Corvette) and this car for overall drivability and practicality and economy is by far the best! With the advice from the Forum, I put on Flowmaster 60 series exhaust($130), Short Ram Air intake(bought on Ebay $60), and DENSO IK20 Iridium spark plugs($50) the differnece is amazing both in sound quality which is still mellow until you hit the lift and then look out as is the performance gain. The first time I hit lift going home I thought something was wrong the car it growled and shot out so fast LOL. Thanks for the info on the forum these adds helped a lot and are pretty cost effective as well, I highly recommend all 3. Only comment I will make is the Air intake on Ebay came with terrible directions and I guy had to make a bracket from scratch to get it to go on right...go with AEM or a CAI for a little more money. Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help in any way. I will post and gas mileage gains in a few so check back. I was getting 26 city and 30 highway.

welcome to genvibe great little mods aren't they.

I have a hard time messing with my month old car, especially with a new warranty. WIll the spark plugs alone make a difference? I have a 2004 base vibe, auto (my personal preference would've been the GT route, but my daughter will be driving soon, and I figured auto is the way to go for her...)Also, what about those Z1 performance modules, and the like--are they worth it?--Splash

welcome to the forum! well, i for one have not changed out the spark plugs on my GT, because i read on here they already use some iridium plugs. on the base, however, i don't believe they use the same plugs. i've been told that they will help, however depending on what you want to accomplish, you may want to check into just a short ram for your base. it helps increase hp and low end torque. i have a full cold air intake on my gt, and it's a huge difference in performance! if you read on here, there are many simple mods you can do that will not void your warranty. just make sure you keep all your stock parts just in case.

Splashd,see I don't agree. I want my kid/kids to be able to drive stick because that's the way to go. Most kids can't drive stick and I feel that that's a sad way to go. Desi3 pedals are the best!!!

Quote, originally posted by dsegundo »Splashd,see I don't agree. I want my kid/kids to be able to drive stick because that's the way to go. Most kids can't drive stick and I feel that that's a sad way to go. Desi3 pedals are the best!!!i learned on stick, took my test in stick, and love to drive stick! with the exception of trucks, manual trans is the way to go! more control, more power, better mpg!

OK I agree with you pretty much but:A. I'm a wimp and my wife trumped me, and...B. It's moot because I'm the proud owner of an 04 Vibe (Neptune, M&T, ABS).I love the car, just looking for low overhead ways ot improve performance--spark plugs, modules...I'm a little paranoid on the hydrolock potential for a short ram--is there any way to avoid any real risk?--Splash

well, if you drive where water would go all the way up to the short ram under the hood, you don't deserve to mod...i have the cai, it is down by the bumper, i have hit puddles that went soaring 10ft in the air, no probs yet...

OK--I'm ignorant. I live in Nashville where it's rainy, and don't want to trash my car to gain a few HP. If the odds of hydrolock are down to the lightning strike level, that's probably OK, but if they're up around the odds of getting hit by a cop's radar gun, I'll opt out.--Splash

nah, you're not ignorant i haven't read anything about anyone having hydrolock issues. even if a trivial amount of water gets to the filter, the oil on it should repel it. get an intake, you'll be very glad you did!

any suggestions on source for intakes? Brands?--or is this a religion?

most people here at this point will tell you to use the search feature, but i am a nice guy.i have an injen cold air intake. there is also intakes made by: AEM, TRD, and probably more.your religion comment has me stumped

Sorry--I menat is my question about the brand going to spark a brand loyalty argument akin to a relighious dedication to a particular brand...

BTW--when shopping, I see CAI for Vibe GT, not for std vibe--are they interchangeable for either one?

Quote, originally posted by splashd »BTW--when shopping, I see CAI for Vibe GT, not for std vibe--are they interchangeable for either one?no. the GT model has an extra vacuum valve or hose (don't know the technical term). AEM, Injen, TRD, all good manufacturers make models for both base and GT models. the AWD and base will use the same intake while the GT is different. I have a TRD CAI and the only real problem with it is it sets the CEL (check engine light) off sometimes. If you ignore it, it's not a problem. I took mine out and replaced the stock airbox to make sure there was nothing wrong with it. no probs. now i'm thinking about converting to a short ram so it's easier to get to things (like the headlight).

Quote, originally posted by trdvibe »I have a TRD CAI and the only real problem with it is it sets the CEL (check engine light) off sometimes. And I have to clarify by saying I have the TRD intake on my base Vibe, and I haven't thrown a CEL yet (10k+ miles)...Pete

I like the AEM intakes, as far as the NextLevel/Z1 performance modules you see on Ebay, they're a waste of money that don't add performance. Glad you like the Vibe, it's a great car ^^Things you can do to the Vibe for extra umph:CAI, Cat-back system, aftermarket muffler, ground wires, spark plugs.Expensive things you can do to it:Intercooler, ram-air system, turbo/supercharger, nosI know there's countless more, but it's a few things you can do to get you started

Quote, originally posted by NY Pete »And I have to clarify by saying I have the TRD intake on my base Vibe, and I haven't thrown a CEL yet (10k+ miles)...Peteyes, i believe the CEL issue is the GT only. but since installing the Unichip, it has taken care of it! no more CEL!