Just curious, VX resale info quest...

[Gussie2000]

increasing in value. Anything that make a vehicle more rare makes it more valuable. Limited production, heavy modification, and heavy use all make the pure VX rarer and therefore more expensive. If there were millions anyone who wanted one could get one and the value would be lower. The factors making the value of the vehicle low right now are IMHO;

This doesn't apply for all vehicules,usually vehicules to being considered classic should remain in stock conds at all time,not modified.

1. Not that well known. when I saw my 1st VX in 2002 which I bought new off the lot I had no idea what it was. If people do not know it exists they can not desire one.

I can't debate you on this one,probably yes probably no,buti must agree is a good point though.

2. The production of the VX stopped in 2001, it is now only 2009 that is 8 years. It takes 25 years to be considered a classic and 30 to be a collectible (or the other way around) right now the VX is a used car that sold for $30,000+

Yes,the VX's MSRP was 30K + & that played a huge role in the fast retail depretation value of the VX because isuzu had high expectations about sales,but they never though that usually a couple who is on the market for a SUV with kids will hardly close to never will drive off the lot with one


3. Economy being poor for cars and more importantly for SUVs. A point Gussie2000 made and I whole heartedly agree.

If I wrecked my VX today I would be looking for another one tomorrow.

And i assure you many will do the same,actually.

Imagine what a low mileage, good original condition, one owner VX will be worth in 20 years.

I think few collectors may purchase a VX thinking the same,i just hope this comes thru;time will prove that.

[Maverick]

some awesome insight...

id love to be able to keep the vx, but the reality is that it just doesnt make sense due space, and financials, compounded by the fact that Its just not used enough to justify hanging onto it. I used it to commute for along time, but bought a $500 civic when gas prices went up, and reduced my driving expenses by almost 60% a month. when you drive over 500 miles a week, thats a huge savings.. it just seems to make more sense to buy a cheap old camper van for the race car towing and weekend getaways and pay rv insurance, which is also much cheaper than the vx coverage.
also im not looking to get top dollar for my vx, its an awesome truck but i know the high mileage, however gentle and well maintained, is not exactly a good selling point. Judging from the posts above, if i could walk away with around 6.5k that would probably be the best i could do. id still shed a few tears, but as things are now, it would be overall a good thing i think...
I think im going to give a good going through, take a close look at it and check to see if theres anything else it might need, then take it from there.

I may replace the radio as well..stick in something a little more modern, and just include the original set up with it when i list it up for sale.. i know radios are big interest points ...

[Chopper]

If you are going to sell it, don't do another thing to it. Nothing! Top off the fluids, and list it (clean it up) take your pix. You are already at the point of zero return...nothing you add is gonna really pay back.

[Osteomata]

I have to agree with chopper on this, even on the sound system. Either the buyer won't care that its out of date, in which case you save money and time by not putting in a replacment. Or the buyer will really care about sound system, but will want to make the choice of replacement himself, not have you put in a cheap system.

If you want to do something worthwhile, then wash & wax, throuroughly clean the interior, and even the engine compartment.

You are not in a "spend money to make money" situation. The only exceptions would be if you have unresolved warning lights without an absolutely known/verifiable cause and solution cost.

- Os

If you are going to sell it, don't do another thing to it. Nothing! Top off the fluids, and list it (clean it up) take your pix. You are already at the point of zero return...nothing you add is gonna really pay back.

[vt_maverick]

After reading over the forum for the past year I realize I probably paid the highest price of any recent purchase on here for my VX. I paid right at $14K for mine in April of last year, but there were a number of factors that played into my willingness to pay that price.

1. I absoutely wanted a 2000 Foxfire (rarest color in rarest year - only 90 made in 2000) - nothing else would do.

2. Over a six month timespan there were less than 6 2000 Foxfires for sale in the entire country, most of which were in salt states in the NorthEast or Midwest (no offense to guys that live there but I really wanted to avoid the inevitable rust).

3. I found my Foxfire about 200 miles from my house in Virginia, and it was the only one I had seen in my entire six month search window that was less than 1500 miles away. (I don't believe in buying cars over the internet or phone sight unseen, so that made my search significantly more difficult.)

4. It was absolutely, totally 100% stock with no evidence of mods of any kind. The only exception was that the original owner had Isuzu install an OEM backup sensor in the rear cladding, which I don't think really counts as an aftermarket mod. None of the glass had ever been tinted or damaged, and all of the original stickers were still on the windows (Isuzu OK, etc.)

5. The mileage was just a hair over 24K even though it was 8 years old when I bought it. You could probably eat off the engine cover.

6. No record or evidence of any accidents, damage, or paint/body work of any kind. The paint was in showroom condition with two very minor dents (looked like maybe the PO's kids accidentally bounced a basketball off the hood). There was some rust on the muffler and hubs, but nothing serious or irreplaceable. And the rims and headlights looked just like they rolled off the showroom floor.

7. The seats showed virtually no wrinkles and the carpet, mats, and plastic were immaculate.

8. Came with OEM roof rack.

9. Although it's had three owners before me, the seller supplied me with ownership and MX records down to the original window sticker and purchase paperwork. The first owner owned the VX for 5 years before selling it, and in that time only racked up 3-4K miles. The other two owners had only owned it for about a year, with both eventually deciding it was just too impractical for their needs (sounds familiar huh?).

So like others have said it's possible to get a good price for the VX, but you have to find the right (probably OCD) buyer who understands just how rare the vehicle is and places a high value on your color/condition.

[tom4bren]

I paid $15K for mine but that included at least $5K for the 'offset from Hell'

[vt_maverick]

I paid $15K for mine but that included at least $5K for the 'offset from Hell'

And after seeing it in person I can vouch that it was a good investment for a wickedly different look (even for a VX).

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

After 9 years of over-protective, throw-my-body-over-it, treat it special care with a few mods done along the way; and, after paying original owner ludicrous price....she's now paying ME back as my daily beater!

I've gotten over whether VX's will ever be worth anything....I'm gonna run her 'til she dies (or starts costing too much to keep on the road) and move on to a new/used Raptor

[vt_maverick]

I certainly agree with others in this thread that there's no sales ROI for any mods or repairs you perform at this point. But I also wouldn't try to return your VX completely to stock, since some mods do add value. Good examples are Tone's hitch, door popper, seat extender, and bolt-on step bars. The seat extender and step bars are a free take-it-or-leave-it decision for the buyer, since they can easily remove them (and probably sell them) and return the vehicle to stock. And although the hitch and door popper require you to cut the cladding/plastic, they look OEM enough that I doubt most buyers would even notice or care.

On the other hand, mods such as lifts, superchargers, or any more extreme mods, especially to the exterior, can really hurt your resale value, as they are typically good tip-offs to the buyer that the vehicle may have been driven harder than average. Personally I can't wait to look into a lift or supercharger (really doubting I can talk the wife into that one though), but that's because I have no intention of selling it. That said it is possible to find buyers who are really interested in an off-road package, but you're depending upon a much smaller pool of buyers.

Just more food for thought...

[Gussie2000]

After reading over the forum for the past year I realize I probably paid the highest price of any recent purchase on here for my VX. I paid right at $14K for mine in April of last year, but there were a number of factors that played into my willingness to pay that price.

1. I absoutely wanted a 2000 Foxfire (rarest color in rarest year - only 90 made in 2000) - nothing else would do.

2. Over a six month timespan there were less than 6 2000 Foxfires for sale in the entire country, most of which were in salt states in the NorthEast or Midwest (no offense to guys that live there but I really wanted to avoid the inevitable rust).

3. I found my Foxfire about 200 miles from my house in Virginia, and it was the only one I had seen in my entire six month search window that was less than 1500 miles away. (I don't believe in buying cars over the internet or phone sight unseen, so that made my search significantly more difficult.)

4. It was absolutely, totally 100% stock with no evidence of mods of any kind. The only exception was that the original owner had Isuzu install an OEM backup sensor in the rear cladding, which I don't think really counts as an aftermarket mod. None of the glass had ever been tinted or damaged, and all of the original stickers were still on the windows (Isuzu OK, etc.)

5. The mileage was just a hair over 24K even though it was 8 years old when I bought it. You could probably eat off the engine cover.

6. No record or evidence of any accidents, damage, or paint/body work of any kind. The paint was in showroom condition with two very minor dents (looked like maybe the PO's kids accidentally bounced a basketball off the hood). There was some rust on the muffler and hubs, but nothing serious or irreplaceable. And the rims and headlights looked just like they rolled off the showroom floor.

7. The seats showed virtually no wrinkles and the carpet, mats, and plastic were immaculate.

8. Came with OEM roof rack.

9. Although it's had three owners before me, the seller supplied me with ownership and MX records down to the original window sticker and purchase paperwork. The first owner owned the VX for 5 years before selling it, and in that time only racked up 3-4K miles. The other two owners had only owned it for about a year, with both eventually deciding it was just too impractical for their needs (sounds familiar huh?).

So like others have said it's possible to get a good price for the VX, but you have to find the right (probably OCD) buyer who understands just how rare the vehicle is and places a high value on your color/condition.

Your input reafirms what i'm talking about is correct,the more the VX is in stock conds the better,no way any car with mods increase its value,it just don't happen & the reason for that is the fact that a potential new onwer wants its own mods done on it or probably none & not all taste & flavors are the same,this is the case with OSTEOMATA who bought his proton from NY with few mods & now he's wroking on it to bring it back to stock as much as he can.

The undercarriage rust is unevitable.My Vx is originally from massachussets & the under is rusty,however i bought it because the VX was in storage for almost 5 years 'till was auctioned.Now i flush it to prevent faster rust & had a very low mileage (38478) plus it was well serviced during the PO ownership

The mileage is also a big factor,plus the fact that isuzu is gone makes every thing worse,without important parts already out-of-stock & few to none dealers still offering isuzu parts nationwide.

This is why i said if this VX gets into a wreck will be 1rst & the last,yet still a VX'er for the rest of my life,period.

[tom4bren]

"the more the VX is in stock conds the better,no way any car with mods increase its value"

We'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Cheaply done mods can kill resale value. Desireable mods can definitely increase the value. It's all in the advertising.

For instance, a supercharger - some want it & some don't. Advertise it such that it's something that the buyer can't live without. If they are worthy of owning such an awsome vehicle - they'll bite.

Another example, lift - if it's done right so the rig looks like it was made that way & you've worked out all of the bugs so the buyer is confident that they aren't buying a lemon - they'll bite.

Obviously modified vehicles are indeed a nitch market but are 'sell-able'. Don't do any more mods but don't undo anything you've already done.

Tom

[djvx]

I payed $10,500 for an 01 ebony with 54k on it. mint condition- summer '08 Chicago. from St. Charles Toyota (formerly Isuzu). One owner.

[JoFotoz]

I paid $13500....


...for a 99 Ebony with 10k miles...in 2004.


Low mileage gets $$$'s.


I have ALL original stuff....stock is 4-6 hours away....should I want to....miles still under 20k...

...but not after Moab this year!


I believe...rare value will kick in....eventually...'nother 5 years or so.

Cladding will get VERY EXPENSIVE...as will front and rear body panels.


JMHO...fwiw!


jo