Getting my new toy Tuesday.

[sroy123]

So…This Tuesday I am flying to Albany from Tennessee to get my 1999 Vehicross Ironman #1706. I am nervous as hell about getting it. I hope it is what I want (runs good, drives good not rusted in the areas I haven’t seen) and I hope the trip goes ok. There is nothing like flying into the arctic north (yes I can call it this because I lived in Buffalo almost my whole life), picking up a used vehicle that you never saw or test drove, and driving 800 plus miles (13 plus hours) with it to get it back home. And I plan on driving straight through. What could possibly go wrong? LOL
Why do I put myself through these things? Zero control to a control freak is the worst. And I get to think about it all weekend. LOL. Are any of you guys there along the way? I need to come up with contingent plans B-Z. My only saving grace might be that I am a decent mechanic and I am bringing my tools as checked baggage. I also have the factory manual on a zip drive and I am taking my daughters laptop. If you don't hear from me on Thursday you know things didn't go good....

Suggestions?

[Triathlete]

Check the oil level before you leave and at every gas fillup in case it has an oil hungry powerplant.

[evillecutter]

Check the oil level before you leave and at every gas fillup in case it has an oil hungry powerplant.

X2

[yellowgizmo99]

Hey Sue he has the black diamonds with the question marks in his message, let us know what route you are taking that way people can tell of you may be close.

[VX KAT]

Hey Sue he has the black diamonds with the question marks in his message,

oh yeah, I see the diamond, that's a first…..hmmmm :_thinking sroy are you using a Mac computer? - EMAIL or PM me so we don't clutter up your thread

[ABDragonVX]

Check the oil level before you leave and at every gas fillup in case it has an oil hungry powerplant.

x3

[sroy123]

Hi, I am using a normal PC. I did however write my post in Word and copy and past it to the board. I am a crappy speller. It replaced... with a diamond and ' with one to. Hope this helps. I also tried to PM you twice but they didn't go through. It just sat and spun. FYI

[VX KAT]

Hi, I am using a normal PC. I did however write my post in Word and copy and past it to the board. I am a crappy speller. It replaced... with a diamond and ' with one to. Hope this helps. I also tried to PM you twice but they didn't go through. It just sat and spun. FYI

I did get both PMs. :_thinking

[Y33TREKker]

Suggestions?
X 4 on keeping an eye on the oil level. (possible oil usage not discussed with previous owner?)

Sounds like you've already planned for the worst though, so just hope for the best. What's going to happen is going to happen, so no use getting yourself all worked up about what might happen.

Other than that, I'd just suggest not forgetting to breath. :p

[Cobrajet]

Looks like you will be taking I-81 through Virginia. I'm about an hour away from Winchester on that route. Not really "on the way", but closer than most. Have fun!

[VX KAT]

Check the oil level before you leave and at every gas fillup in case it has an oil hungry powerplant.

Think all the others said check the oil But don't forget to BRING 4 -6 QTS and a funnel WITH YOU.

Only time mine consumes any oil is on highway driving, after about 3+ hrs of 60mph+, but not all the time (:_thinking), but I carry 5 qts at all times.

You're ready! Go for it ! :thumbup: :thumbup:

[sroy123]

I asked about burning oil. I was told that there was no loss. I guess we will know more tuesday night. These really burn that much oil? I have a sentra that burns oil. I have never smelled the first sent. It just disappears. But the car runs good.

I really hate not looking at it first. But it was over 800 miles away. I usually buy everything broken then go form there. That way there are no suprises. My last 6 cars and trucks were that way. Get them cheap and throw a motor in them or something. But not the Vehicross. They are hard and harder to find broken.

There is a Vehicross in my area for sale but it is double the price I am paying for this one.

[sroy123]

BTW I am not sure if anyone really cares. But here is the youtube video he took of my Vehicross when he was trying to sell it to me. He seems like a pretty nice guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHNsgTImXgg&feature=youtu.be

I must have watched it 100 times. I know it frame by frame. I guess I will get to meet it tuesday.

[mborodi]

I bought my proton from a dealer (ugh) in my home state (MA) flew from Florida to MA on a friday night, the dealer picked me up in his car at the hotel, drove to his lot.. I walked around my zuzu and went inside & handed him a check.. 15 minutes later, I drove m vx through MA to visit some friends before I hit the road 1500 miles back to FL.. never test drove it.. I work for a dealer in FL, I did my homework on this vx.. carfax etc.. spoke to the dealer a few times.. I trusted him immediately. I wasn't wrong.. she's perfect. (well, ya know, 2 years later, windows..) Buying a vx isn't like buying any other used car.. most vx'rs love their toys more than their spouses.. lol. they're a cared-for-breed.. I've been in love since 99 when I saw one new on the lot.. whew, only took me a few years to get one! Congrats and welcome to your new obsession.

[mborodi]

BTW I am not sure if anyone really cares. But here is the youtube video he took of my Vehicross when he was trying to sell it to me. He seems like a pretty nice guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHNsgTImXgg&feature=youtu.be

I must have watched it 100 times. I know it frame by frame. I guess I will get to meet it tuesday.

Back to Black.. you're going to need it..

[Y33TREKker]

Did the seller mention ever being a member of this site? I saw a few members who'd listed Albany, NY (or at least towns near Albany) as their location in the members list including abel408, Bieredalsace (even listed owning a '99 Ironman at one point), and flavio quattrocchi & FLAVIOVX (most likely the same member).

There were a few other members from the Albany area, but they either had Protons or Ebonys.

[Jolly Roger VX'er]

BTW I am not sure if anyone really cares. But here is the youtube video he took of my Vehicross when he was trying to sell it to me. He seems like a pretty nice guy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHNsgTImXgg&feature=youtu.be

I must have watched it 100 times. I know it frame by frame. I guess I will get to meet it tuesday.

BUSTED!!!! YouTube counter only says 27 views...lol. Good luck with both your trip & purchase.

[Dmitrikr]

BUSTED!!!! YouTube counter only says 27 views...lol. Good luck with both your trip & purchase.

he saved the file on his PC ))

[sroy123]

Now that was funny. I truely laughed out loud..... when you play them frame by frame it seems like more views. LOL


the truck was from Vermont. It comes with a Vermont title. It has the owner's name on it. I am sure I could look him up. But to be honest...At this point in the game I don't want to incase he has bad news for me. Follow? Just what I need...Another thing to worry about.

[sroy123]

BTW...

the wait is KILLING me. I packed all my tools and clothes tonight. I am ready. this reminds me of when I was a kid. I packed 1 week before we went to Disney. LOL

[Riff Raff]

Did the seller mention ever being a member of this site?


Nope, I just checked the VIN #1706 (the most accurate method) on the VX.Info database and it has never been a member here.

Aside from what others have suggested, I recommend performing the "ABS light function test". The ABS idiot light (in red letters) is located near the top of the instrument display, just above the speedometer. To test, first turn the key to ACC and pause (without starting) and the ABS light should illuminate for a few seconds and then disappear. This validates that the "bulb" is installed and working properly. If the ABS light does not illuminate it could indicate a burnt-out bulb or worse-- that the bulb has been intentionally removed on purpose. If the ABS light is "on" continously and does not disappear during ACC key test, then there is a problem with the ABS system and sometimes can be an expensive repair. With a constant "on" ABS light; your brakes will still work, but you won't have the assistance/advantage of the ABS system.

:bgwb:

[VX KAT]

If the ABS light is "on" continously and does not disappear during ACC key test, then there is a problem with the ABS system and sometimes can be an expensive repair.

For reference, a very affordable option is now available for the ABS. Several of us have recently had a dead ABS module fixed by Automotive Scientific Inc in Tennessee. They charge between $49 - $79 to repair any ABS unit and offer a lifetime warranty on the repair. They "sell" their repair service ebay.
There's several threads that discuss it, here's one.
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=23339&page=2&highlight=abs+repair


http://www.ebay.com/itm/110784352777?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

[Leon R]

I just went through a long distance VX purchase, only I bought the up the south (it was a NC car) and sadly, I am now exposing it to northeast salt :(.

So I know all about the wait and antisapation! Only, I ended-up shipping it. I couldn't be happier with my purchase!

[JMNY]

Drove it back to NJ. Was scared, nervous, unsure and more but wanted one badly. Bought it from a member here. Was previously a San Diego/Vegas VX But in NH for 5 years.
I was nervous about the oil as well after reading about some issues from VX owners but not one problem. The previous owner assured me of no oil issues. She used Mobil 1 as well. I drove her home and smiled the entire way. Still smiling. Love my VX.

There is nothing like it. I am so happy with it and i am sure u will be as well. I am sure you will be fine and feel great when you get home. Good luck!

[sroy123]

Well, I made it through the weekend. Just have to make it thru Monday then 9-1/2 hours flying Tuesday. Then the scary part starts.We shall see....I'll post Wed in the evening. Maybe....:o:(:grino:

[VX KAT]

I also never saw mine in person before buying. I had it shipped on DAS Auto shippers for $1,000 which was cheaper than any airfare + gasoline + hotels for the 2,300 miles. (Virginia to Arizona)

[vt_maverick]

I live right off I-81 near Roanoke, VA and could help you out (or just meet you for a quick bite) anytime on Wednesday. That afternoon I'm driving north on I-81 for a business trip, so we might actually pass each other. I'll PM you my #'s in case you need anything.

[Riff Raff]

I won mine on eBay via a "sniper shot" during the final 3 seconds of the auction. Like others, I too had it shipped via Dependable Auto Shippers (D.A.S.) for around $800. Since it was a long distance on-line purchase, I additionally used www.Escrow.com (to CYA) which allowed me a 3-day inspection period (to have a certified mechanic check it out) once it arrived in my hands to either "accept it" or "reject it" via Escrow.com. I fell immediately in love with my Proton; it doesn't burn a single drop of oil (I lose more oil checking/wiping the dipstick), and the PO had a electric moon-roof professionally installed in it as well (winner winner; chicken dinner).

:bgwb:

[sroy123]

Thanks for the support. I love the site. You guys are pretty neat.
/
Seeming how this is my first out of state buy I didn't know what to do. But next time (if there is one) I will be a whole lot smarter. I like the idea of Escrow.com. That would have been perfect for this. And I would have gladly paid to have it shipped if it was around $800. Heck, I have $300 in a flight and probably another $300 in gas to get it home. But I assumed it would have been higher. I never checked. My bad...


VX KAT, I copied and pasted this entire message from the exact same word document as before. See if below produces your black diamonds….
Three dots in a row … and hyphen don’t can’t won’t how about a comma, and a period. Semi-colon; colon: the at symbol@. Let’s see what that produced…

[sroy123]

VX KAT

And for good measure... let's see what happens if I directly type something outlike the following:
semi; can't Won't and three dots... and the and symbol &

[Y33TREKker]

...Heck, I have $300 in a flight and probably another $300 in gas to get it home. But I assumed it would have been higher. I never checked. My bad...
Before you beat yourself up too much, consider the following...


One-way airline ticket ~ $300
Having your vehicle shipped via third party ~ $800
First time road trip in a rare and unique vehicle that's guaranteed to induce multiple :wave:'s, :thumbup:'s, :_thinking's and :freek:'s...Priceless

[Leon R]

That escrow service great for the buyer, but I am not sure if it so great for the seller. Sounds like it would be too easy to be held hostage by an extra picky (or dishonest) buyer...

I took a chance with PO of my VX and just PayPal'ed him the money! But I did some research and seeing how he was a member of this forum for 6+ years, gave me some extra reassurance ;).

As for shipping costs, because of all the snow birds constantly shipping cars between the Northeast and Florida, shipping rates on east cost are fairly cheap! It cost me $410, to ship from western NC to Boston (door to door).

But there is something about an advanture, if you have the time! :)

[sroy123]

Thanks for all the kind words. I really like the folks here. Hopefully I can contribute some info after I had the truck for a bit. I am good at fixing stuff.

At this time Tuesday I should have cleared the NY line and well in PA. We will see about my bright idea. The guys at work know how worried I am about this so they have been giving me a little hell about it for a week now. LOL. They already have dibs on the stuff in my office incase I get hit over the head and end up in the gutter. What's funny is I am usually the one giving it and not receiving it. I don't like it very much on this side. But Thrusday will be a different story. I hope...

[Riff Raff]

That escrow service great for the buyer, but I am not sure if it so great for the seller. Sounds like it would be too easy to be held hostage by an extra picky (or dishonest) buyer...


Actually, Escrow.com "forces" the Seller to be honest/upfront with the item he's trying to sell and not purposely try to unload a POS or lemon onto an unsuspecting buyer; and with no chance of a refund for the Buyer. Basically it prevents-- "take the money and run by the Seller". When buying a vehicle or high dollar item on-line without Escrow.com, it simply puts all the cards in the hands of the Seller and gives the Buyer absolutely no recourse for a refund if he/she feels later that thay've been bam-boozled by the Seller. Bottom line, if the Seller is worthy and confident of the quality of the selling item, and has been totally truthful to the Buyer about its selling condition, then the Seller has nothing to worry about and the item will be "accepted" by the Buyer.

I have personally used Escrow.com for two(2) expensive on-line long distance purchases (my Proton & a Pioneer Elite SC-09TX audio/video amplifier). Both purchases went smooth as silk for both Seller (he knew it was a quality item) and me the Buyer (I knew I wasn't gonna' get screwed because I could always "reject it" if I wasn't satisfied).

In today's world, there are always some people trying to screw you over somehow when buying on-line or over long distance (the Seller feels safe and thinks "come and get me" because of the distance involved) and Escrow.com prevents that from happening.

Lastly, I will add this-- if the Seller of my eBay Proton (& the other seller of my SC-09TX amplifier) would have ever declined using Escrow.com, then I absolutely would not have gone through with the purchase as I would have felt the Seller had something to hide and was trying to swindle me. In my younger days; I've been screwed over in the past by shaddy Seller's, and I refuse to allow that to ever happen again. Escrow.com prevents this from happening and I've been so satisfied with it that I highly recommend it to the fellow members here on VX.info without reservation.

On another topic-- Shipping a vehicle (via D.A.S.) instead of driving a vehicle home can save a ton of extra money and headaches overall like airline tickets, food, hotels, wasted vacation time, lost hours at work, and prevents the headaches of a possible mechanical break-down along the way home while driving an unknown vehicle and its unknown reliability. Sure there is something to be said about "the adventure", but in a possible time-bomb that may cause more stress with the possible unknown may not be worth the risk being stranded on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere on a cold snowy night. 'Nuff said.

:bgwb:

[Leon R]

Again, sounds like a great way to BUY somethng, but this arrangement sucks for the SELLER! Some buyers, while honest, are IMPOSSIBLE to please! I suppose, if I was selling something at a premium, I might have to go through something like this, but if I am selling something at a bargain, and had several buyers, I would go with one that didn't require an escrow.

It comes down to personal level of comfort with another party. I do my research and then pay with Paypal (which gives you a small amount of protection). Usually, people with a significant online presence do not rip other people off.

[vt_maverick]

Scott did you make it home safe? You should have been home a few hours ago, I can't believe you didn't hop right on the site to give us all an update! Lol... ;)

[Cobrajet]

Scott did you make it home safe? You should have been home a few hours ago, I can't believe you didn't hop right on the site to give us all an update! Lol... ;)

If he was driving I-81 it may take a couple days to recover. :)

[vt_maverick]

I tried to discourage him... it's downright dangerous out there at night with all those trucks.

[LittleBeast]

Haha, I watched a couple of minutes of that video..... I have never heard someone some "you know" more in 2 minutes in my life..... Congrats on getting an Ironman, white would be my 2nd choice.

[sroy123]

Well, I got it back home. What a LONG trip. So here is my write up on #1706...



To be honest it isn’t what I want for my personal vehicle. There is a good amount of rust on the frame and underneath. I expected some but not this much. There is some surface rust that has eaten thru the paint in several spots like the hood behind the driver’s side door and above the windshield. Small but there. The guy swore up and down the air conditioner worked. It did not. Plus the blower motor is out. ABS light is on (again he swore there were no warning lights). All in all it is a good looking truck that has a few spots that need attention but the rust under the truck will make life hard to Mod or repair. This guy purposely deceived me and I had no recourse so I took it. It's like arguing with the wall. What are you going to do when you fly to a strange place to get a car and he already has a sizable deposit? Thank god it ran and drove good. So I have two options. Keep it or sell it. I believe I will sell it and see if I can get my money back and look down south further. But I am going to be totally honest and upfront when I sell it. I am going to think about it for the next several days. I need to register it first. But I did learn a lot about this. So…that’s that.

Sorry to sound like Eor from Winnie the Pooh. I am usually more upbeat than this. I just had one of those feelings prior to getting it. And I was afraid of it being right.

[sroy123]

Removed because i double posted.

[dietz99vcross]

Sorry to here about the inconsistencies between the description and the truth. Having said that:

1.The ABS repair is something I just finished and have to say the $50 spent to rebuild it was well worth it in my opinion (I realize others will say save the $50 and just ditch the ABS) but the difference between no ABS and all season tires and the new snow tires and the rebuilt ABS system up here in the snows of Michigan are absolutely the best investment I have made in my VX. If you are interested just search for " Durango ABS" as that has all the info I used for the rebuild (Thanks again to Jamas).

2.The blower issue is something I had early in my VX's life. I had the dealership replace it twice under warranty, both times it lasted less than a year. I then had it replaced after the warranty expired with a non-isuzu brand and it has worked for close to ten years now. Coincidence? perhaps, but again not a huge investment.

3.Not sure about the a/c unless it is just the blower issue you were describing.

4. The biggest issue for you is obviously the rust. Hey my VX has spent all 14 years of its life in Michigan so I have come to except that the underbody is going to have a lovely orange red hue to it, but structurally I feel it is solid. As for the exterior body panels, I have a couple of exposed rust spots (the front of the hood from a hard stone impact and behind the drivers door when I slammed the door shut on the seatbelt and chipped through the paint. Yeah they bother me, but not enough for me to switch vehicles.

Before you make a rash decision to sell it off, look at some of the options you have and you may decide to stick with #1706.

[Leon R]

I am really sorry to hear your experience :(. As someone who lives in Boston area and cares about cars, I am very familiar with what you are describing, that sounds like a typical northeast car :(.

Things like AC and ABS can be fixed, however the same can not be said about rust. Any repairs will be superficial, so I wouldn't bother with them.

I have also learned that different people have very different idea on what constitutes "rust". To some, if the car doesn't have a rusted through holes, it isn't rusty... Others (like me), look for ANY signs of rust and extrapolate it to being "just the tip of an iceberg". So this is your personal preference.

[ssignature]

I hate hear of your problems with the VX, but when I went shopping, I purposely avoided any vehicle that came from the northern part of the country. There are a few nice looking ones online from Michigan, Ohio, etc., but I wouldn't consider them. Before I shopped, I talked with Jerry Lemond, who's something of an Isuzu God and I've known for years. He said to absolutely avoid the VXs from up north unless you know their history. Mine came from Florida and Carfax said it had always been there. Like you, though, when I got home and started digging in, I found mine had been hit in the front and the tubular steel bumper was pushed in, but from the outside, you'd never know. Carfax didn't list the accident, so it must have been off-road or without an accident report. Presently there are some nice looking VXs in California, Texas, and Pascagoula, MS (Craigslist). Good luck!

[bartmanS4]

That sucks man. I hope this doesn't sour you on VX's all together. I got mine for pretty cheap but if I go through and do the math as to how much I've put into it so far... Ah, I just don't go there. At least my seller was open and honest. Knowing what I know now though I would have negotiated even lower. Oh well, knowing what I know now going back through life would make everything a much different experience. You can probably get replacement cross-members cheap and easy to replace the rusted ones. That doesn't do much for the frame but it's a start and may make it easier to sell if you decide to.
Good Luck!
Scott

[sroy123]

I am not as friggin tired as I was yesterday or this morning. I am going to take a good long look at it after work today. And see if I want to fool with this one or not. I might even spend the weekend looking it over before deciding. The thing that kicks my a** is I knew better. It's just that I couldn't look at it in person and he basically had my money already and I needed a ride home etc... Like I said I really didn't put much of a fight up because at that point I was ready to get on the road and see what was down the road waiting for the next problem. Plus I didn't get to truly see it in the daylight until 7am that morning.
Did you see the pictures of when they raised the HL Hunley sub from the ocean floor? Well, that looked better than the underside of my truck. Ok, not that bad but still. The rust has rust.
As far as the paint goes I might be able to get the hood and top resprayed to solve about 85 percent of the other problems. The thing about rust is it just keeps on coming.
I am going to bring it into work in the morning and let a few co-workers look at it and see what they think too.

[sroy123]

Hey and BTW. Rt 81 is crazy at night like VT Maverick says. The semis own the road and it pretty lawless. LOL. Kinda like Mad Max. Hey, Maybe I could turn my VX into a prop from Mad Max. Put a 50 cal on it and chop the top. air powered spear gun....

[vt_maverick]

Sorry to hear about this Scott. Take a look at this thread, it will at least give you an idea of the possible for correcting the rust issue.

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=18749

[VX KAT]

Sorry to hear all this.
Here's another thread about repairing undercarriage and body rust. I recall Jolly Roger VX'er and SamNeil2000 both did some repairing.

Here's a thread SamNeil posted about it and one of his pics.
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/showthread.php?t=20566&highlight=rust

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/IMG00173-20110530-1151.jpg

[sroy123]

Me and Hunley :o (I beleive that will be it's new name) spent a little time together tonight. I did the black plastic with the silicone stuff. It looks pretty. I also wiped "it" down. Ya know, it really isn't that bady body wise. It's just the undercarrage that has me bummed. I will spend this weekend "looking" at it all and try to come up with a plan. I looked at buffy's 10 page resto. that guy did a great job. that is a ton of work. Mine is at least 3 times as rusty. But let me look at it more and see what's what.

thanks guys.

[sroy123]

I have a few options I am looking into right now. With a little luck I will be able to fight for some of the repairs. I'll know more in a few days. New York has laws protecting stupid people (me) from themselves.

Scott