So I thought I'd take a sec to type up some observations for you guys based on my experience that you might want to consider when you drive and mod your own VX.

  1. Tie *** down. And I don't just mean big stuff - we have one of the over-the-headrest DVD players, and I found it lying on the driver's side backseat when it was mounted on the passenger side front headrest. It's a miracle it didn't hit Mahalia.
  2. Cargo boxes facing INTO the cabin need lock mechanisms or their contents will fly out in an accident. I found a canister of bungee straps on the backseat as well, and they were actually inside of the rear door cargo box before the accident. That means the box door flew open, the canister launched out, probably hit the headliner, and then landed on the back seat. Makes me SO glad I didn't have our infant on that side.
  3. At least as far as front impacts go, the VX is a tough little beast. The whole front of my VX is obliterated but my daughter and I walked away with barely a scratch. The front windshield didn't even so much as crack, nor did any of the other windows. The airbags deployed exactly as they should and did their job well. And the front bumper bar that we mock as being scrawny and rust prone prevented his car from touching my front tire and wheel. I can't speak for a side impact (thank God) but I have to believe this is a pretty safe vehicle, especially to be a 2-door.
  4. Carry flares with you at all times. I usually do, but as I said I had the Tone cargo box out temporarily while we were using the VX as the family hauler, so they were sitting in my garage. That meant that when we crashed there was no way of alerting traffic coming our way, and it very nearly resulted in two vehicles hitting us as they sped their way down the road.
  5. You can have a VX addiction and still keep things in perspective. At the time it happened, and even now as I write this, I find it hard to be angry at the other driver, at God, or anyone or anything between. People make mistakes, and cars (even ours) are just objects that entertain us. I'm heartbroken that my VX is probably totaled, but it doesn't make me angry or furious - just sad and disappointed. I really had hoped to pass it down to Mahalia someday, but right now I'm just glad that she'll be around to pass something to.


Ask more questions if you think of anything you're curious about. But please do not ask me if I want to sell anything. I'm not that okay just yet.