Honestly the mechanicals of the VX aren't hard to find parts for. Pretty much everything on them is Trooper. OEM shocks are different but you can use aftermarket shocks. The hard to find stuff is mainly body parts, interior trim, etc etc. Also the CV joints (which I assume you meant when you wrote u-joint) can be had from other Isuzu's as well, I haven't checked myself but have been told a 95+ Trooper CV shaft will fit perfectly and also Marlin said 98+ Rodeo/Passport ones work too. If you get in an accident with one it may be hard to find stuff for it (unless your Tom lol) but other than that I think just to keep it running in tip-top shape, you'll be fine. That's just my opinion though