Hello all. Potential VX'er here.

Hello everyone. First time posting on the VX board, so here goes. I'm currently considering a VX as a second vehicle, and wanted to ask about the parts and service availability that all of you have encountered since making your purchases...considering that they aren't made any more.

I was a bit of a gear head in my younger days, so a lot of the more routine (and possibly not-so-routine) stuff I'd probably end up doing myself. I was also curious about the availability of factory service manuals, or something similar, like a Chilton. I saw the cd-roms on eBay recently, but are actual books available?

I'm a member of another message board for my car (1994 Ford Probe GT), and as a result know all of the inherent quirks associated with owning one. Do the VX's have many of those common problems that I should be aware of as I start my search? It's always nice to be able to ask the right questions when you do find one for sale so that you can get a better idea of what you might have to deal with down the line.

Look forward to hearing from all of you. Wish me luck on my search.

Patrick

Try using the search function at the top left. Since you seem familiar with cars having quirks, what you find shouldn't scare you off. One of the main problems is finding competent service as most dealership mechanics are about as knowledgeable as the general public when it comes to the low production VX. Try searching using "petition" as the subject.

You can download the CD from Tone's site here:

http://tonemonday.com/Storage/vx_manual.zip

Download, unzip and burn to disk. It pretty much has all the info from the Workshop book.

Additional Manuals and such can be ordered from:

http://www.helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp

-- John

I would look for one with less than 30,000 miles on it so you can do the 30,000 mile maintenance yourself. Unless you find one that has been maintained then go for it! There aren't any real serious problems that you wouldn't notice, just things with your MAS, power windows, peeling chrome rims (on the inside of the rims) If there is a bra on it take it off and check it out. Check out the thread that mentions the petition to Isuzu, titled "Common VX problems you want fixed" or something like that. That will give you the known problems. Excellent choice of vehicles I hope you get one and join us here! There is a ton of info if you use the search button, it's almost as good as a Chilton's.

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Originally posted by AlaskaVX
Excellent choice of vehicles I hope you get one and join us here! There is a ton of info if you use the search button, it's almost as good as a Chilton's.

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Better!;)

Thanks for the links (johnnyapollo) and the "petition" search recommendation. Although I'm sure any dealer would play dumb, that kind of info can also help when it comes to initial price negotiation.

We'll see how it goes from here. I found a couple of VX's on the net I'd be interested in, but they're not very close to make a visual inspection convenient. There is actually one for sale about 5 blocks from my house, but Proton Yellow is just not my style. It's a 2000 if anyone's interested. I've actually driven it and it seems to be in good condition. The only thing I noticed is that the rear wheels may be slightly out of alignment because the inner treads have worn down more than the outers. (Another common problem??) Let me know if anyone's interested and I'll get you more info and a phone number. The woman who owns it now has a Lincoln Navigator and doesn't want/need the extra payment.


Just curious, did anyone ever try just having the windshield gasket replaced to solve the leaky front end problem? I had a similar problem in a Mustang once after hitting a deer. I had the windshield removed, a new gasket installed, and the same windshield put back on, and the leak stopped. :fyi:

My inner rear tires wore uneven also.. I just need to keep the new ones rotated.. nothing you can adjust from what I hear. Someone told me they thought I might have a bent axle.. but I think I'd have more problems than that... and now that i hear a second, I'm sure it's probably something more common. besides who needs those crappy bridgestones anyway.. ;Do;

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Originally posted by driver3
My inner rear tires wore uneven also.. I just need to keep the new ones rotated.. nothing you can adjust from what I hear. Someone told me they thought I might have a bent axle.. but I think I'd have more problems than that... and now that i hear a second, I'm sure it's probably something more common. besides who needs those crappy bridgestones anyway.. ;Do;

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I haven't looked close enough at a VX to know how the rear shocks/struts mount to the hub assembly, but is there any chance that installing some crash bolts (or simply notching a strut mounting hole) would give enough additional camber adjustment to prevent the excessive inner tread wear?

No adjustment, it's a conventional 4 link/ coil spring, solid rear axle suspension.

My tires have a lot of wear on the inside too, does everyone get this? As soon as you buy a VX you might just want a proton. I know I didn't want a proton at first but now I kind of want my 2nd VX to be proton... hehehe

When I put on Scorpion AT's, the dealer said if I did not rotate every 3000 mi I could expect uneven wear. I did rotate and I have had even wear. Stock diameter 29.5" 245/70-16
Roy

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Originally posted by AlaskaVX
....As soon as you buy a VX you might just want a proton. I know I didn't want a proton at first but now I kind of want my 2nd VX to be proton... hehehe

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It looks like it'd be quite a haul for you to get here, but I think you could get a good deal on the one here in town. :D

And that might very well be the case if I do get one, but for now, I think getting used to getting stared at driving around in one that doesn't grab your attention from 3 miles away would take enough time to get used to. At this point, I'm thinking the Kaiser Silver is more to my liking.

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Originally posted by newthings
When I put on Scorpion AT's, the dealer said if I did not rotate every 3000 mi I could expect uneven wear. I did rotate and I have had even wear. Stock diameter 29.5" 245/70-16
Roy

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I've had 18's on my car for awhile now, and have discovered about the same thing. It's also lowered, which is why the crash bolt suggestion occured to me; I had to gain some extra adjustment capabilities somewhere to help get back within the factory alignment/camber recommendations. If there are no adjustment capabilities for the Vehicross though, then regular rotations would be the best plan for maximizing tread life.

Long hall? Nah, I actually drove the one I have from Missouri, it's more like a road trip vacation! But I'm in no position to be buying another one... yet. The VX that I have takes all my money how it is.. hehehe still need a lift.

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Originally posted by AlaskaVX
Long hall? Nah, I actually drove the one I have from Missouri, it's more like a road trip vacation! But I'm in no position to be buying another one... yet. The VX that I have takes all my money how it is.. hehehe still need a lift.

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Tell me about it. I don't even know for sure if I'll end up getting one, but I've already looked around for aftermarket stuff that I could put on it later. Where's the "empty wallet" icon when you need it? :laughg:

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And that might very well be the case if I do get one, but for now, I think getting used to getting stared at driving around in one that doesn't grab your attention from 3 miles away would take enough time to get used to. At this point, I'm thinking the Kaiser Silver is more to my liking. [/B]

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Unless you are very shy believe me - Proton Yellow is the way to be.
At first I was afraid of this color, but now - whole two weeks from the purchase - I would not love different than that as much. Just think of it this way: there is no way I can loose my car on any size parking lot. No matter how crowded ;)

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Originally posted by yal^
Unless you are very shy believe me - Proton Yellow is the way to be.
At first I was afraid of this color, but now - whole two weeks from the purchase - I would not love different than that as much. Just think of it this way: there is no way I can loose my car on any size parking lot. No matter how crowded ;)

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Well, I was considering taking it for another (longer) test ride to get a better overall impression of the vehicle, and to see if it suffers from any of the common ailments, so I guess you never know. Since I already know the owner from back in school, I have a good idea that it hasn't been abused, and the price is definitely in the right range, so that's another plus...........I'd better stop now while I can.

If you saw my car and my bike, you'd know how stuck on silver I am, which is why the Kaiser color is what I'd consider my first choice......but again, I guess a person just never knows what the future may bring......

I like the white the best... of course whatever color you get will be your favorit.. after that it's firefox... anyway it's your choice, and if you're getting silver.. I recommend the red/black seats... they're the best in my opinion

Here's a question about an aftermarket accessory that I think would be an excellent addition to a VX if I got one. (Those of you with two or more VX's might be interested too.)

We've all seen those license plate frames with the slogans that say, "My other car is a........". Well people are always asking what my car is when they see it, who makes it, what year it is, etc. So that, along with the questions I'm sure all of you are already familiar with made me think that a license plate frame that said, "Nobody knows what my other vehicle is either" would be kind of cool.

I'm still getting ahead of myself though.

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Originally posted by driver3
I like the white the best... of course whatever color you get will be your favorit.. after that it's firefox... anyway it's your choice, and if you're getting silver.. I recommend the red/black seats... they're the best in my opinion

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You're exactly right about that. Everyone's favorite color is usually their own.

Just so I'm clear on color choices though, I've seen that there are two different silvers available on VX's. The Astral silver looked to be a lot lighter than the Kaiser silver, which looked more like a charcoal grey. Am I seeing them right? Some of the pictures I've seen looked like they were taken on overcast days, so at this point I'm not entirely sure if one is in fact darker than the other.

You're correct,
The 1999's came in the Astral Silver
the 2000+'s came in Kaiser.

I'm partial to the Proton ;)