Quote Originally Posted by circmand View Post
Lets be more careful of our advice. It is an opinion that the VX works better without the ABS. Since ABS helps only when slammimg on the brakes only those that have experienced it. Also that MAY be why the light is on may be something else. When someone is paying several thgousand the best advice is have it checked out no to ignore it.
+1 - Also I know on other vehicles that I've owned that the brake light staying on can indicate low brake fluid. Only (and best) way to know is to get it checked out.

Quote Originally Posted by Osteomata
Having said that, the product you should look at for cladding restoration is Refinish Restorer. I treated my cladding twice and haven't touched it since. Fantastic, long lasting product. Expensive, but one can will last you a lifetime. Buy my VX and you can have the nearly full can I have left, hehe.
Just wanted to temper this statement a bit. Many members here have tried Refinish Restorer with varying degrees of success. Some members (VX KAT) have had bad chipping; others got it on the paint and it left a mark (can't remember who); and others (such as Osteomata) have had great success. So it's hard to say for sure what you're continuing success may be with this product, especially when you consider the dramatic climate change that would occur by bringing it up to the PNW. Florida is one of the best places to own a car from an environmental perspective, assuming it doesn't get flooded in a hurricane. It sure sounds like you expect to subject your VX to much harsher conditions.

There are many options out there that claim to "restore" the cladding but none really do. The available products can be divided into two categories: "dressings" that sit on the surface and provide a dark luster, and "overcoats" that are actually sprayed onto the surface of the cladding creating an entirely new outer texture/appearance. The former includes Mother's Back to Black, various Meguiar's and Turtle Wax products, Armordillo TS-1, TrimShine, etc., varying in price from $5-$40 per bottle/package, with endurance of anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. The latter most notably includes GatorBack and Line-X, which can run from $50-$600 or more depending on whether you do it yourself or pay someone else. All that to say that you will have to spend some level of money and effort to "restore" and maintain the cladding condition. This may obviously be much more expensive if the cladding is in below average condition.

My honest opinion is that you should walk away from the one near you. Is it really likely that the seller will drop $4K off their asking price? With all the known problems I certainly would not pay anything above $6K for it. A common theme we see amongst new buyers is that folks get really excited about the VX then rush into buying due to their perceived rarity. The truth is that while this may be the first one to appear near you, better examples appear every week elsewhere across the country. I say take a deep breath, let this one pass, then let us help you find something better. Members here routinely inspect VX's near them for random strangers from the forum, so you certainly won't be short of help in finding and evaluating new options. And I think in the end you may feel better about your decision.

P.S. You really should give Osteomata's VX some consideration, it is almost certainly a better choice than your local VX, and don't you think a trip to Miami this time of year might be nice?