Original Owner (1st Owner) Roll Call

[Anita]

Curiosity has the best of me.

Who out there bought their VX new and still has them? Have you ever considered selling in all these years?

I'll start. I ordered my VX in December of 99 and received it in May of 2000. Love at first site and NEVER considered selling her. She is one pampered child.

[nocturnalVX]

My tire and wheel combination is imho the best.

My VX has over 100,000 miles.

My VX is Ebony (the fastest VX), and my cladding is blackish-gray.

My VX is lifted!

My ABS light is on... and my check engine light (gotta get a scan gauge).

I know what Moab is (and have been there)!

My VX has a roof rack.

I have that front license plate delete insert thingy.

I off-road my VX.

My VX is NOT for sale! (Not the roof rack either.)










Oh yeah, and to reply to THIS thread... I bought mine new in July of 2001, and never thought of getting rid of it. I love my VehiCROSS!!! :yesy:

[ScottinMA]

Anita,

Nice thread...have wondered about this as well. I took my Trooper in for an oil change in 2001 and left with a new VX that was sitting in the show room. Always wanted one and when I saw it my oil change became rather expensive. I think I paid in the low 30s that day. Shortly after that I was watching the TV when Isuzu announced a 10K drop in price. Nearly had a heart attack. I now have 118,000 on the clock and, yes I had considered selling it a couple times. One guy got my name and telephone number when he saw it parked at the dock and offered me 18K in cash a couple years ago. And that was before he was aware that I had the Alpine Supercharger under the hood. I think I have the only VX on Cape Cod at this point and people continue to ask me about it and are amazed when I tell them it's 10 years old.

[WormGod]

Original owner of mine. Had 2 actually.

'00 Dragon Green bought new off showroom floor. Sadly, totaled 4 months later.

'01 Ebony bought 3 months after Dragon was totaled (and I was out of the hospital, heh). Had dealers scour the country for another NEW Green but none could be found so I settled on an Ebony found in SanDiego and they shipped it here. Still have it, running strong, 54k miles.

[deermagnet]

I'm an original owner. I bought my '99 new on 3/25/00, so I'm just a few days short of eleven years. 239,900 miles as my daily driver. No complaints. I've never considered selling.

I first saw a VX on a magazine cover in late '99. I checked it out periodically over the winter and decided it was go time on a weekend in late March. I called the local dealer on a Monday to see if they had any. They had one left, an Astral Silver, the color I wanted. I stopped by on Tuesday for a quick look and to make contact with a salesman. I called him on Thursday to say I was gonna be there Friday morn and to make time for me. After 3-4 hours I nodded my head and the rest is history.

I had $3K equity in my trade and I put down $6K in cash so I only had a $373 payment for five years with the 1.9% IMAC financing. After the fifteen minute ride home, in minutes I had the roof rack off and it's never been back on. The back seat came out three days later and it's never been used.

I'm still having 100% pure fun and 300,000 miles seems like a certainty at this point. It'll be my daily driver until it's not repairable.

Visit me at-
http://www.wtv-zone.com/markg/mags/mags2/99vx.gif (http://www.99vx.com/)

Mark Griffin (a VX lifer) :_steering

[RAZ]

I'm a orignal owner. Bought mine 4-21-01 and its been the best truck I have ever owned!

Steve
2000 FIREFOX 0009

[circmand]

2001 Proton bought mine 6/2002 for $24,000 in Brattleboro VT. (I know at least 4 owners no where that is as I saw a parade of 4 on main street 2 weeks afterr buying. Approaching 80,000 but have been in a lot of places with it. I need a map to list all the states it has neen in

[vt_maverick]

I'm a orignal owner. Bought mine 4-21-01 and its been the best truck I have ever owned!

Steve
2000 FIREFOX 0009

Not only are you the first owner, but according to my research you may also own the very first Foxfire off the line. :thumbup:

[newthings]

Hi Anita. Thanks for the thread.

I am an original owner of a 2001 Kaiser Silver.
I bought it the day before the first SoCal meet and felt too much of an outsider to go. I did go to the second meet where we parked on the steps of the Isuzu headquarters, since they would not open up for us.
I traded in a Toyota Previa AWD. Nice van with a supercharged 4 banger. I never got to see the engine, but I’m sure it was there.
Mine is a daily driver on the wet Oregon coast with about 83,000 miles. It still burns almost a quart of oil at 2800 miles; always has. Very little off road, but the off pavement conditions are often impassable for everyone but the Jeeps and me.
S/C still spinning and I have no plans to drive anything else.
Cheers to all and the drive continues.
Roy

[Riff Raff]

Not only are you the first owner, but according to my research you may also own the very first Foxfire off the line. :thumbup:

VT--- Please do your research and tell me who has the LAST Proton off the assembly line in the 2001 model (the last Proton ever produced by VIN)???

[RAZ]

Not only are you the first owner, but according to my research you may also own the very first Foxfire off the line. :thumbup:

Wow thats pretty cool to know!
Thanks

[VX crazy]

I bought my original RIP VX in 6/2002 first owner with that great warranty......would have NEVER thought of selling, even totalled she rests in my parents garage.......for now ;)

The current VX however, does NOT have my heart the way the original did, but I still can not think of getting rid of it!

[dietz99vcross]

I am the original owner of my Ebony, made the deposit in October of 98, waited until tax day of 99 for it to arrive. Cant see me getting rid of it, but these gas prices are making me think it needs a partner in the driveway that is a little more stringent on the use of petrol.

Thanks - Mike

[vt_maverick]

VT--- Please do your research and tell me who has the LAST Proton off the assembly line in the 2001 model (the last Proton ever produced by VIN)???


Wow thats pretty cool to know!
Thanks

Now don't get too excited just yet, remember I said that you may be the first owner. Basically I have a spreadsheet where I store the VIN for every Foxfire or Dragon that I can find either through ads or member registry here or on VX Lounge. I have 79 of the 210 VINs compiled for Foxfire so far which doesn't sound like a lot, but when you consider about 40-50 of those are 2000 models (out of 90 produced in that year) and the sequential digits at the end of the VIN run up through nearly 1000, it's pretty likely that with a number as low as 0009 you'd either be the first or second.

I'm only tracking Foxfire and Dragon because their low production number makes it somewhat feasible, as opposed to Astral, Ebony, or even Proton which were produced in much larger numbers. So Riff I'm sorry to say that I can't answer your question about the last Proton.

Now if we had access to Mark's VIN CD we might be able to answer that question, but apparently it's encrypted - though maybe if we gave Knigh7s an evening with it he'd have it ready for us by morning. :)

[fuzzy]

Original owner of my 2001 Proton. Purchased in April 2002 (0% interest for 5 years!) from a Tampa Isuzu dealer. Have tried to keep her mostly stock and in "is that new?" condition (which given Colorado blizzards, living on a dirt road, multiple cross-U.S. trips, and a full year sitting idle while overseas has been a challenge). Just went over 56000 miles.

[Moncha]

Wow, 24 replies, 10 deletions and hurt feelings.. All off of wanting to know who is the first and only owner of a VX....:_huh:

[nocturnalVX]

:drama:
Really people? I thought the idea was excellent. Let's see how many of us here at VX.info are original owners... Now, original owners are not "better" than other VXers just like VXers are not "better" than other ISUZU owners. There is no need to be mean toward other members. Putting a smiley after ripping someone a new one does not undo the hurtful words. "10 deletions and hurt feelings.." Just stop. Lighten up. Have fun, and don't be rude. :yesy:

BTW... Cece bought 2 VXes for less than I paid for mine new. So we know that original owners may not be as smart as our fellow members. :_brickwal

[MDMason]

Ebony, Bought New November 2000. Tone added Supercharger. Added Magnaflow exhaust. Tone accused me of abusing it by not driving it. Current mileage 28,953. I guess he had a point! Thought of selling it, Yes (since I don't drive it) but for the price they are bringing I couldn't even replace it with a Smart Car. So here it sit's in my collection. It does get dusted weekly!

[vt_maverick]

Can I ask what "Custom HD Edition" means? Is that slang for supercharged with sport exhaust?

[MDMason]

In 1998 HD was solitciting ideas for a HD branding on a truck. Knowing the VX was being released we mocked up a picture of the VX with HD badging and summitted it. HD of course rejected it stating they decided to endorse a American manufacturer (Ford). When I was able to buy one we went ahead and modified the VX according to the previous specs and customized a Electra Glide to match. Placed it on Ebay a couple of years ago and recieved all kind of smart *** remarks from the self proclaimed experts on this forum. You asked!

[vt_maverick]

Just found the old thread and I can see what you mean. Got pics? Of the old eBay link is no longer valid.

Sorry all, curiosity getting the better of me!

[MDMason]

Don't have any current ones but will be taking some soon. Going to list the VX and bike together.

[johnnyapollo]

Bought my 2001 in, well 2001. I was the first registered owner -it was sold as a "Brass Hat" meaning one of the staff (in this case the Service Manager) drove my VX as a demo for a total of 4000 miles. I paid $27K for it off the lot (it was discounted as a demo). It currently has 147,000 on the Odo and is the best truck I've ever owned.

-- John

[Cobrajet]

Bought my Proton new in Nov 2001 after looking at a 1999 Ironman. I REALLY wanted a Proton!! Two months later I lost my cushy job, and was living off savings for 5 months. My S2000 was sacrificed, and my Cobra was next on the chopping block. The VX was new and paid for and NOT for sale!! I can't say that I have ever seriously considered selling it. I consider it a modern classic, and plan to keep it "til death do us part"! If I had a bigger garage, and anybody made something worth driving, I would retire the VX. For now, it's my only DD with 130K on the Odo. I love my VX!

[Zu4two]

Bought my '99 astral new off the showroom floor in August '99. Drove it every day for 10 years, 180,000 miles and then parked it when I got my new toy (BMW 135). Recently it's been quietly calling me back and I've been spending time and money cleaning it up and driving it rather regularly.

It's pretty likely I'll have the truck until I can't buy gas for it anymore. It still amazes me every time I take it offroad just how agile it is.

[BBVX]

similar story to JohnnyApollo... mine had just under 3000 miles.

picked it up 2 or 3 days before Xmas 2001. paid $32k (stuff is pricey in Boston)

85000 mi, no problems (except ABS light)

lifted, tires, winch, roof rack, optima, backup cam, sliders, wheeled, mudded,..... so I guess not so stock anymore

[tworavens]

Bought mine in Jan 2002. I wanted a Proton but it had sold just the day before so got the Dragon instead. Best vehicle I've ever owned! Except the power windows :(

[Moncha]

Scott, I moved your other post to the correct section...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?threadid=20032

[chas711usa]

In March 2001 I saw the Isuzu ad in the paper for 0% financing and I thought, "Hey.. free money!" walked onto the lot and said gimmiee!, signed for 32k, and drove out in my Ironman. All original, 70k miles (my 12 mile daily commute keeps it down). I drive it more like a sports car then a truck, have had all four wheels off the ground (Look no hands!) off road, and take it exploring any time I can get away. With it I know I can go anywhere there's something that looks like a road. Sell it? no.. not worth it. I figure ~12k from an enthusiastic buyer. I'll park it when I'm done with it. Tease the grand kids with it :)

Though lately I'm dreaming of a convertible with a hard top that stows in the trunk..

[Beavertractors]

Bought mine new Jan 02. Got the 10,000 off;) No complaints except the window thing..78,000 miles..Still being asked if its new:bwgy: Not for sale

[crager34]

I'm the second owner of two of them. Does that get me in the club?? lol

[Charon_Sin]

Still have my 2001 Foxfire VX

[vx1999]

I'm the original purchaser of a '99 Astral Silver VIN 0848 in the spring of 1999. I traded a 1997 red C5 Corvette straight up for it. At the time, this was the most radical vehicle to be found anywhere and it was love at first sight. I gave it to my son on his 16th birthday and he's had it ever since. It and he have incredible stories about life together, covering about 45 US states and 8 cross country trips with residences in South Florida, Ithaca, NY; NYC; Princeton, NJ; Escondido, and Los Angeles. I recently refurbished it for him so it'll go another 15 years. In doing so, I fell in love with all over again and bought another, VIN 1498 nearly identical to it, color, mileage, everything. I couldn't find anything as cool in '99 and still can't today.

[Anita]

Any original owners still out there? How are your rigs?


A

[WormGod]

Still here. Still humming. Less than 70k miles and garage kept. :)

[dietz99vcross]

yup, 17 years next week. 192000 miles of salty Michigan roads.