Prospective VX owner looking for a little advice & direction

[eternal21]

this goes with any vehicross: unless you have lots of money and/or love to work on cars, turn around, run, and dont look back

I'm going to have to disagree w/that statement. I've owned my VX for over 50k miles and 3.5 yrs. In that time, there have only been 2 sources of consternation:
a) the overheating - finally determined it was a pulley, and it has been replaced, and truck has been converted to electric cooling
b) tranny leak - replacing w/a 5MT to remove that altogether.

Now, the fan and controller were $300 combined, and the 5MT setup cost me nothing (bought the complete wrecked trooper and sold off misc parts to cover my purchase price).

Outside of those 2 things, the truck has been rock solid, and I've spent less than $500 on req'd maintenance items during that time. This year, I plan on spending another $500ish (ball joints, new plugs, new PS rack, new axle boots), but to me, having a rare vehicle for 4yrs with required expenditures of $1k or less is a steal.

I feel that I should also point out that my VX spent its life in TX, so it isn't susceptible to rust like a lot of the northern VXs.

[evillecutter]

I'm going to have to disagree w/that statement. I've owned my VX for over 50k miles and 3.5 yrs. In that time, there have only been 2 sources of consternation:
a) the overheating - finally determined it was a pulley, and it has been replaced, and truck has been converted to electric cooling
b) tranny leak - replacing w/a 5MT to remove that altogether.

Now, the fan and controller were $300 combined, and the 5MT setup cost me nothing (bought the complete wrecked trooper and sold off misc parts to cover my purchase price).

Outside of those 2 things, the truck has been rock solid, and I've spent less than $500 on req'd maintenance items during that time. This year, I plan on spending another $500ish (ball joints, new plugs, new PS rack, new axle boots), but to me, having a rare vehicle for 4yrs with required expenditures of $1k or less is a steal.

I feel that I should also point out that my VX spent its life in TX, so it isn't susceptible to rust like a lot of the northern VXs.

so the 5 speed swap was free? great deal! (in other words you sidestepped a $2000 rebuild)

and like i said - if you love to work on cars, which you obviously do since you converted everything stock to different operating systems, then there is no problem

[eternal21]

so the 5 speed swap was free? great deal! (in other words you sidestepped a $2000 rebuild)

Yeah, when everything was said and done, it was free. When I picked up the wrecked Trooper, I figured I would be able to get what I needed and flip it to cover the investment, which has turned out to be true. I sold the wheels and tires and a fender, and I was even. Still have the engine/transfer case/shell/interior, so I'll actually come out ahead.

But even then, $2000 for a tranny rebuild/swap over 3.5 years is still ~$600/year on average. Beats a car payment *lol*

And the tranny wasn't the problem. The problem is that the gaskets for the reservoir pan kept leaking. I didn't want to have to deal with the leak, and pretty much everything I have ever owned is a manual tranny, so I figured I'd go ahead and do the conversion.

and like i said - if you love to work on cars, which you obviously do since you converted everything stock to different operating systems, then there is no problem

And I wouldn't say that I love to work on cars; I would say
a) that I have ideas about what I think my vehicles should look/function like, and I don't mind doing a little wrenching to make my revisions come to fruition and
b) I *hate* paying exorbitant prices for shop labor when, with a little elbow grease, I can do the work myself and learn a little in the process. I'd rather be self-reliant, so at least I can make sure there were no short cuts taken when the work was done.

Besides, a lift w/big tires really brings the truck to life! *lol* The interior is getting to be a little dated, so there is some refreshing that needs to be done there, which has prompted some of my current/future mods.

I really don't care much to work on cars that I don't own, but I will help those in need when I can.

OP, what year 650i? I have a MT '08 E90 M3. Any mods?

[evillecutter]

lol dont sell yourself short eternal if you can swap out an automatic trans for a manual at home by yourself i would say you are pretty handy with a wrench!

and you are absolutely correct - ANY vehicle that is 14 years old will need repairs and will vary depending on previous usage/ownership or lack thereof...but it would be nice to be able to tell a mechanic what you have and have them say "ok no problem bring it in" rather than say "ugh...is that a honda??? isuzu?! wow i thought they stopped making them...wow...ugh..." (on the plus side this eliminates all of the weaker or less skilled mechanics because its still a car with normal car parts and an internal combustion engine so no good professional mechanic would ever just say no or act like you're a freak for calling or asking - which has happened more than a few times for me)

i have done most of the repairs on my vx myself so far and i prefer it that way but for the things i cant do it would be nice to not be the lepers of the truck world... but i guess thats what makes the vx special lol

[eternal21]

lol dont sell yourself short eternal if you can swap out an automatic trans for a manual at home by yourself i would say you are pretty handy with a wrench!

and you are absolutely correct - ANY vehicle that is 14 years old will need repairs and will vary depending on previous usage/ownership or lack thereof...but it would be nice to be able to tell a mechanic what you have and have them say "ok no problem bring it in" rather than say "ugh...is that a honda??? isuzu?! wow i thought they stopped making them...wow...ugh..." (on the plus side this eliminates all of the weaker or less skilled mechanics because its still a car with normal car parts and an internal combustion engine so no good professional mechanic would ever just say no or act like you're a freak for calling or asking - which has happened more than a few times for me)

i have done most of the repairs on my vx myself so far and i prefer it that way but for the things i cant do it would be nice to not be the lepers of the truck world... but i guess thats what makes the vx special lol

Believe me when I say I haven't done it myself. I've had a couple friends help me along the way, but I would say 85% of the work or so I've done. That last 15% or so, it really helps to have friends involved *lol*. Plus, this forum has been an invaluable resource, as have the people who have done this type of work before me.

If I ever had to call a mechanic, to gauge his/her skills, I'd tell 'em I have a Trooper . If they can work on a Trooper, they can work on a VX. They share the exact same drive train, so any good Trooper mechanic will be a good VX mechanic.

[tysamigo]

this goes with any vehicross: unless you have lots of money and/or love to work on cars, turn around, run, and dont look back...

Every time someone around town asks me.... "Hey, I saw one of your suv's for sale, you think I should get one?"

This is the PERFECT answer... I'm going to use it lol

[Roody650i]

OP, what year 650i? I have a MT '08 E90 M3. Any mods?

It's actually a Kawasaki Brute Force 650i ATV, not a Bimmer...but I did just sell an '89 e30 Coupe

Going to look at the VX in about an hour!

[Roody650i]

Just got back from driving the VX. Unfortunately was fairly disappointed by it. Not sure if it was the general driving characteristics or this one in specific, but I expected it to be much more hunkered down feeling; it felt as if it was fairly hollow overall, not all that great in terms of on-road manners. Very well could have just been this specific VX though. Here's a rundown of what I found, much of which were points to be inspected as directed by everyone on this thread and in the thread provided by VX KAT:

-The vehicle came from NY and as such has a fair amount of underbody rust. Nothing I'd call concerning, but it's by no means a Florida car.

-The dealer has no service records for the vehicle. He *just* got it in and nothing came with it except for an owner's manual. Thus, no way to tell if it's had the timing belt, tensioner, water pump, or serpentine belt replaced. Additionally this means I don't know if it's the original engine or transmission

-The tires have about 5-10% tread left and would have to be replaced immediately. There goes $500-1000 into the vehicle. I would barely feel safe driving it home as-is on the tires that it has now.

-The ABS light is on and the system does not function at all. I hit the brakes pretty hard on some snow/ice and didn't get any ABS feedback whatsoever from the brake pedal. Between the horrible tires and lack of ABS it was a pretty scary ride coming to a complete stop from 30 MPH on a snowy patch of road. The dealer did say he would fix the ABS system prior to sale, but whether this would this be a real fix or a "fix" has me concerned. If I have to fix it myself, there's more money into it already.

-The lack of ABS and tread on the tires helped show that the TOD system does in fact function properly, lights included. Didn't get to try out 4-Low other than crawling for about 20' but it seemed to function as it should. Tried hard acceleration on snow/ice as was recommended and the TOD worked well giving the VX grip.

-The CV boots seemed to be in decent condition

-Didn't get a chance to open the hood to check the oil (already couldn't feel my fingers at this point of inspection); thus also couldn't see the condition of the battery

-There is some rust on the license plate areas, both front and rear

-Couldn't get to the bumper beam, thus couldn't tell if it was rusty

-The engine idled and ran up/down the RPM range fine; transmission held first gear a little long after startup when it was still cold, but after a few minutes it didn't hesitate any or slip at all

-Couldn't tell if there were any fluids dripping because it was parked on a recently plowed and sanded wet parking lot

-NVH was a little worse than expected, no strange noises but the steering wheel did vibrate slightly and the ride was not as compliant as expected

-Couldn't tell if the shocks were OEM or not

-The rear differential cover was somewhat rusty

-The exhaust looks as if an aftermarket tip was installed; definitely didn't sound like an aftermarket full exhaust, as the engine was much louder than the pipe itself

-There's a trailer hitch that is rusty as hell and would need to be removed

-U-Joints aren't looking too great

-The power windows *barely* worked; could be result of bad battery, but they needed manual help to go back up

-Interior is in good shape -- seats are ok but not great, door handles/levers are good, CD player is original, steering wheel is in ok shape (not great)

-Paint & cladding are decent - looks as if it got a love tap on the left rear (see pic), otherwise fine

-Part of the right front inner fender-well is hanging down and has to be re-attached

-Price is $5200


All in all I was fairly disappointed. Clearly this example needs some work and I'm not sure if I'm willing to do as much as it will really need. Figured if it needed some things here and there I would scoop it up and spend a little time working on it but there's a lot that this thing needs to get to good working shape before it can be road-trip worthy.

What are everyone's thoughts on this? Even if I buy it for $4000 it's going to immediately cost a couple grand more from the get-go; that makes it hard to justify unfortunately. It needs tires, a battery, the ABS system fixed, u-joints, shocks, and possibly more that I couldn't identify today. Add sales tax and registration and it's already a $6000+ vehicle. Thoughts?

Here's pictures of the VX - sorry they're not great, couldn't feel the fingers I was using and didn't feel like lying down on the wet pavement

[eternal21]

Not feeling the rust.

[Mile High VX]

Not feeling the rust.

x2...would be too much for me.

[tysamigo]

x3...personally I would consider this one a "part out" vehicle. I think its to much unless you got it for a couple thousand...especially not having ANY service records ...and you still dont know what problems hide under the hood...

I would continue your search for one that will make you smile when you see it, and not 2nd guess yourself

[Cobrajet]

personally I would consider this one a "part out" vehicle.

I respectfully disagree. The only "part out" candidate should be one with a wrecked body, bent frame, or fire damage. Unless the frame is rusted through, it can be cleaned up and made right. Whether it's cost effective for this owner may be questionable, but don't call it a lost cause quite yet.

I'm an old muscle car guy, and I've seen much worse project cars. This one doesn't sound that bad. Mostly unknowns and assumptions. It needs a good inspection and a little TLC, that's all. Go for it!!

[tysamigo]

You have valid points. "Part Out" was probably over the line, I'd like to retract it lol... nontheless I personally wouldn't be interested in such a "fixer upper"...especially without any service records

[TheGanzman]

Uh - go back and read my post, then go and do likewise...

[VX KAT]

With over 100k and all the rust.....honestly, I think $4,000 would still be a little too high for me. Anything under that would be a fair deal. ANd I don't think it's a total lost cause at all.
The tranny and engine both appeared to be operating normally from what you could tell....that's worth a lot right there!


ABS: NOT a big issue at all: $68.99 fix, guaranteed for life!
So you don't have to think mucho $$$$$ for ABS repair/replacement. *Yes, a new Isuzu ABS unit lists for around $3,000 and a salvage yard usually wants a couple hundred, but you don't have to go there!*
Start at post #51:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...d+robin&page=2

THEN READ ALL OF THIS ONE:
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ight=dodge+abs



RUST: That rust does also scare me, and I guarantee you're going to find a whole lot of rusty stuff under the hood and even more on the undercarriage too.
I have a gazillion detailed pics of every part of the undercarriage on my rust free VX, just give me a shout if you want them so you have something to compare to, and assess severity.

But, there's many owners in the Snow Belt that deal with the rust. Here's just a few threads.
Jolly Roger VX'er has several detailed pics in his gallery about rust and how he replaced it with new metal.
http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...500&ppuser=505

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...highlight=RUST

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18762



TIRES:
Just a quick reminder that all 4 tires SHOULD be the same size, model and wear level (circumference), otherwise the TOD has been known to make some horrible noises. Some people it hasn't happened to, but it has to many others. So tires should be kept all reasonably the same.
I carried my full size spare on the roof in a basket, but I made sure to rotate into service so all 5 remained really close in circumference.



NVH - Many people are surprised by this when they first test drive.
The VX is by no means a smooth riding truck and really CAN NOT be made to be so. Even if you do the following mods, it will STILL be a very rough, vibrating ride on anything that's not perfectly smooth. BUT, most of us VX nutes don't really mind it.

BTW, you can easily tell if they're OEMs or not by whether they have a reservoir on them, and they're KYB brand. (At the time, only production car to ever have reservoirs shocks as OEM)

• The short wheelbase is one reason.
• The OEM shocks are INCREDIBLY stiff (intentionally). Many of us have replaced the shocks with Rancho RS9000XL- which are adjustable, but even the stiffest setting (9) is not as stiff as the OEMs.
• Another thing that contributes to it is that the frame with the rear bump stops sit only about 1/2" above the rear axle and consequently, slams into the axle on virtually every bump. Many of us cut the rear bump stops in half, thus gaining about 4" inches of clearance before they hit the acle. It "improved" and greatly lessened the slamming effect from the rear.
  There is some differences of opinion on whether this sould be done, but it's in these threads also.
  
  http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...818#post274818
  
  
  http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ump+stops+half
  
  
  http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...8&postcount=10

INTERIOR
Steering wheel is in amazingly GOOD condition for age/miles, and the seat bolsters are also in excellent condition for age/miles!

AND let's not forget it also has the OEM roof rack! There's $300 - $350 value right there!