Western Slope MEGA mini Meet

[MSHardeman]

Since VXorado (Jon) had the day off yesterday, and I am currently on permenant vacation we decided to meet up in Glenwood Springs for a little meet and greet and to do some light wheelin'. The meet and greet was great and the VX obsession seems to have fully taken hold of Jon. The "light" wheelin' ended up being a 20 mile/ eight hour run through the Colorado high country on the Transfer Trail from Glenwood to Dotsero. Even though it was a LONG day (ending well after dark) the scenery was fantastic and we both had a good time. For all of you Colorado VXers, this may be the perfect place for our next Colorado Colors meet. Here are some images from the day:

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_02.JPG
At the beginning of the trail. VXorado (Jon) just had to try out his new rims and tires.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_20.JPG
Probably a couple of hours, and a few thousand feet up the trail.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_21.JPG
View of the town where we started the trail.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_34.JPG
Well this just CAN'T be good.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_38.JPG
Stopped at Windy Point. It was a LONG way down.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Transfer_Trail_09_42.JPG
VXorado playing in the stream.

Jack I know you're going to ask why we didn't invite the Front Rangers, but it was really a last minute decision because we both had the day off. We'll make sure to plan the next one better so you guys can drive on over.

[ZEUS]

Cool! Glad to see you are enjoying your vacation time, Mark! Jon, those wheels look great on your ride; nice choice!

[Scott Harness]

I keep thinking I want to join you guys,but you're almost as far as Moab.:(

[VXorado]

Cool! Glad to see you are enjoying your vacation time, Mark! Jon, those wheels look great on your ride; nice choice!

Thanks, I just got them last friday. I couldn't resist the punisher skulls :happyface

Mark, I will try to put the "sheep herding" photos up soon :_steering. That was an adventure, can't wait to get out again...

[MSHardeman]

I washed Vicki today, and I really screwed her up. I ended up "falling" into a ditch at the side of the trail and was wedged in pretty good so Jon had to come back and strap me out. Vicki was resting on the side of the ditch (it was like three or four feet deep) on her passenger door. I couldn't get any traction and when we dragged her out of the ditch I ended up scraping up the cladding pretty good. Also, I ended up "displacing" the cladding right behind the passenger front wheel well.:( Looks like I'm going to need a BFH to beat it back into place.
I can't believe that I've been to Moab four years in a row with NO damage to Vicki and now I went and banged her up on a day trip in my local high country.
Anybody got some right side cladding that they want to get rid of?:confused:

[VX crazy]

Mark, you know I have passenger side cladding!

[MSHardeman]

Lisa, I kind of figured that you did, but didn't want to ask because I figured that you where saving it for yourself. If you're willing to let it go you'll have to let me know what you might want for it.....oh, and I'll probably have to wait until I get a job before we talk price.

[VX crazy]

Well, its here when you want it!

[ZEUS]

Lisa, I kind of figured that you did, but didn't want to ask because I figured that you where saving it for yourself. If you're willing to let it go you'll have to let me know what you might want for it.....oh, and I'll probably have to wait until I get a job before we talk price.
Nah, just start The Western Slope Escort Service! Make Vicki the company vehicle and all repairs and mods will be tax write offs and you'll have a job! :yesy:

[MSHardeman]

Justin, not a bad idea. I mean, what woman wouldn't want to be seen in a VX? I could put Western Slope Escort Services window decals on Vicki and really start raking in the dough. I'm just concerned about the "jobs" I would have to do....:eek:

[MSHardeman]

Here is the damn-age to Vicki.:waab: I don't have any picture of her in the hole because I was running around like a father whose daughter had fallen into a well, and I wasn't thinking of anything but getting her OUT.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_01.JPG
The overall view. She's scarred from one wheel well to the other.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_03.JPG
Closer. You can see that the cladding behind the front wheel well was shoved forward when I tried to back her out of the hole.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_04.JPG
Close up of the front, right behind the front wheel well.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_05.JPG
Close up of the back, right in front of the rear wheel well.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_07.JPG
I even ended up scarring the center caps of both wheels. (this is the rear)

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/Vicki_Damage_09_08.JPG
I put this one up of the undamaged side because I was really paying attention to the gaps around the car to see what I had screwed up on the passenger side, and it looks like I have a large gap between the front fender cladding and the door cladding on the drivers side. Is this the same on everyone's VX? It seems that if you had a light color (Astral, Proton, etc.) you would be able to see some of the body color in this gap.

[ZEUS]

OUCH! You know I sprayed bedliner on my cladding to cover some minor scuffs. You have any interest in rolling on some Herculiner on all yours? I have been considering Herculiner for mine. I found a complete kit at Ace for $80! Texture sample is on the package... A bit of sanding to get the scuffs down and to promote adhesion, then apply.

[pbkid]

mark... if you decide for sure you are going to buy new cladding...

lets heat gun it first.. i have gotten scratches out of mine with a heat gun, leaves a spot that is a hair bit darker, but i think it will fade to normal color in time..

ps- looks like a blast guys!!! hopefully we can meet up for some camping next weekend huh?

[VXorado]

I agree with Jack on this one, before giving up on the cladding we should try the heat gun and possibly fine sandpaper. Let me know if you want to give it a try soon and I will drive down your way to help out. Also, I have center caps from the 16" rims. I guess they will fit yours :confused: and if so you can have the best looking one. I'll trade for your scratched one.

Dont worry Mark,
we will get Vicki back to perfect in no time!

[Moncha]

I'm just concerned about the "jobs" I would have to do....


huh uh, huh uh, he said jobs, huh uh, uh huh http://www.htloz.net/forums/images/smilies/awesome/headbang.gif

Sorry she got banged....













up!

[pbkid]

I agree with Jack on this one, before giving up on the cladding we should try the heat gun and possibly fine sandpaper. Let me know if you want to give it a try soon and I will drive down your way to help out. Also, I have center caps from the 16" rims. I guess they will fit yours :confused: and if so you can have the best looking one. I'll trade for your scratched one.

Dont worry Mark,
we will get Vicki back to perfect in no time!
pretty sure the center caps arent interchangable...

mark, let us know and we will help you get vicki back into shape

[nfpgasmask]

I feel ya, Mark. I've been to a couple body/paint shops now to get some quotes on cleaning my VX up. During my last trip out, my paint got THRASHED...BAD. Looks like I am going to need to spend some serious bux to get her where I want her. And then she will be my garage queen!!!

Here's a pic, maybe this will make you feel a little better:
http://www.nofuture.com/lj/2009/07-15-09/05.jpg

:waag:

Bart

[MSHardeman]

Bart,
I had a lot of "pinstripes" from this trip too, but I guess most of them where just in the dust on top of the paint. I'm guessing that yours are actually IN the paint?
I've had a lot of luck with Zaino's products and before the last ZuZoo I spent 19 hours on the exterior of the VX, alone, and she ended up looking like an oil slick. No swirl marks, no pinstripes...nothing. Just SMOOOOOOTH clean paint.
Here's the process:
1. Wash the VX with dish soap. This will get rid of any left over wax.
2. Clay bar all of the paint. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-18&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=20
3. Wash again to remove the residue from the claybar, but this time use Zaino's car wash; no heavy chemicals. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-7&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=14
4. Apply anit-swirl treatment. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-PC&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=21
5. 1st wax coat with polish for swirl marks http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-5&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=8 with Zaino's cure accelerator added. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=ZFX&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=11
6. Apply two coats of gloss enhancer. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-6&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=13
7. 2nd coat of wax for clear coats. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-2&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=6
8. Finish up with spray seal. http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Z-8&Category_Code=Zaino&Product_Count=12

After all of that the results where AMAZING. It's super time consuming, and a little expensive, but it may buy you another year or two before having to get the VX repainted.

[nfpgasmask]

Yeah Mark, I gave the VX a good washing and nothing came out. It needs to be buffed out. And with all the dents, chips and dings, it's time to get it done pro. After which, people will loose a finger if I catch them even THINKING about touching my VX.

:) Bart

[VXorado]

pretty sure the center caps arent interchangable...

mark, let us know and we will help you get vicki back into shape


Thats too bad about the center caps. Maybe he could just take the plastic "isuzu" logo off one of mine

I'm pretty sure the pictures of Vicki won't convince anyone that this is the place to go for the Colorado Colors meet but it is a very cool area and you probably won't mess up your VX.

[Riff Raff]

MSHardeman--- Ouch!!! I am so sorry to see Vicki's battle scars from your off-road outing.

Although you didn't take any pictures of your "stuck in the ditch" situation, I am curious about a possible recovery tactic that might have possibly protected Vicki's rocker panel from various scuffs/scratches:

In your professional opinion, do you think if you had one or two of the "Exhaust Air Jack" bags that you could have wedged the deflated air jack bags inbetween the ditch and the VX bottom rocker panel to gently lift and cushion the bottom like a giant soft pillow during the extraction process??? I'm thinking that while the VX was being pulled from the ditch by the recovery vehicle, the semi-inflated (mushy inflation level) Exhaust Air Jack would have acted like a giant soft pillow and if placed just behind the right-front tire would have rolled along the bottom right-side rocker panel against the ditch like a big marshmellow until the VX was on secure footing. This recovery extraction method could have protected the entire right side from possible scrapes/scratches. I don't really know; since you didn't take pictures, but it's just a thought.:confused:

[Ldub]

Sorry to see Vicki get all scuffed up Mark...:(

You know what I'd do...:naughty:

That's right...wear em' proud...:smilewink

[MSHardeman]

MSHardeman--- Ouch!!! I am so sorry to see Vicki's battle scars from your off-road outing.

Although you didn't take any pictures of your "stuck in the ditch" situation, I am curious about a possible recovery tactic that might have possibly protected Vicki's rocker panel from various scuffs/scratches:

In your professional opinion, do you think if you had one or two of the "Exhaust Air Jack" bags that you could have wedged the deflated air jack bags inbetween the ditch and the VX bottom rocker panel to gently lift and cushion the bottom like a giant soft pillow during the extraction process??? I'm thinking that while the VX was being pulled from the ditch by the recovery vehicle, the semi-inflated (mushy inflation level) Exhaust Air Jack would have acted like a giant soft pillow and if placed just behind the right-front tire would have rolled along the bottom right-side rocker panel against the ditch like a big marshmellow until the VX was on secure footing. This recovery extraction method could have protected the entire right side from possible scrapes/scratches. I don't really know; since you didn't take pictures, but it's just a thought.:confused:

RiffRaff thanks for the condolences. In my "professional" (and I use that term loosely) opinion the air jack's might have helped. Since I don't have pictures I'll try to describe what went on: The ditch was about three to four feet deep and probably a couple of feet across with square sides. When Vicki fell in the entire passenger side was resting on the opposite side of the ditch. Standing in front of her she was sitting at about a 45 degree angle (side to side) with the passenger side below the level of the road (like she had just sunken into the road).
I don't think that there was any room to put, even, a deflated bag between the VX and the side of the ditch and that would have just pushed her toward the near side of the ditch, but I guess that they would have protected her as we pulled her out. If we had put the bags under the VX then the passenger side would have been suspended by the bags. I don't know how tough those bags are, but I don't think that they would have been able to roll because they would have been wedged in the ditch. I suppose, if the bags are tough enough, we could have dragged her out across the bags, but we might have punctured them as the VX was scraped across them.