The S-10 lasted 7 years - time to get a VX?

[kach22i]

Something went SNAP on the 1998 4x4 S-10 I bought seven years ago.

Old thread:
http://www.vehicross.info/showthread.php/15011-VehiCROSS-Vs-Jeep-Cherokee/page4?p=148799&highlight=#post148799

It died in it's tracks (rolled a bit actually), maybe something under the distributor cap, don't have time to mess with it now. My buddy looked at it said had it been the timing chain it would not sound like it wants to turn over, it would turn too quickly and race.

Anyway, I considered buying a VX prior to my current (now dead) truck - gotta wonder if a VX would have rusted out like the S-10 did and took about a grand out of my pocket every year of ownership (not terrible considering).

I could be in the market of a VX in the next several months, going to fix the brakes on my old Porsche first and have my summer ride back. I will worry about securing my winter ride in about four months, pr sooner depending on cash flow.

I was considering an old International Scout, but the whole rust thing is depressing. My last two trucks died from it.

A Land Rover Series from the 1960's made out of aluminum is pretty expensive and probably less dependable than a VX.

Share your thoughts on $5,000 to $7,000 replacement vehicles.

Pros and cons.

[WormGod]

Yeah, if you have any concerns about rust, a VX is NOT in your future. ;)

[kach22i]

I know they rust like any other steel body, but with all the plastic cladding at least you don't have to see it until fixing time.

Right?

[dietz99vcross]

Well I can tell you after 17 years of year round use in Michigan with salt and snow from November till March my vehicross is doing better than other vehicles I have owned or still own. The 2005 Chrysler town and country has way more rust. Yes the front bump is gone, but that was a piss poor design as many have had the same issue. I have stone/rock chips and a spot that always seems to get smacked where I always seem to shut the seat belt in the door and these areas started to rust (so I sanded/primed/repainted). But structurally I am realistically satisfied with how the vehicle has handled the crap I have thrown at it.

[ipd]

Rust isn't an issue if you take precautions. But that's really on the previous owners. Mine came from CA/AZ, and I had the underside rhino-lined before it saw its first UT winter. Might not stop everything...but way better than factory after 19 years and no touch-ups. I think I mentioned it before, but I had the frame rails on my other car filled with great-stuff when i did a drivetrain swap. VERY difficult for rust to form/expand when it's sealed virtually airtight with insulating foam.

I'm hoping to get the exterior of mine done like Jo's later this year. That will end the worries about paint.

[kach22i]

VERY difficult for rust to form/expand when it's sealed virtually airtight with insulating foam.

I agree, but discovered this on my own, and it took about five years to figure it out.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/506872-bodywork-s10-pick-up-epoxy.html
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/S10%204x4%20Pick%20Up/IMGP0071.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/S10%204x4%20Pick%20Up/IMGP0090.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/S10%204x4%20Pick%20Up/IMGP0093.jpg
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/S10%204x4%20Pick%20Up/IMGP0121.jpg

So seven years ago both sides of the S10 lower cab corners had rust. The worst side is show above and had expanding foam as a backer. The other side had much smaller rust holes and did not require the foam backing.

Five years after the fix the side with the foam backing still looked good, the other side was totally shot.

These last two years have been rough, now both sides are gone...............but it looked good for five.

When I initially did this work I was fearful that the foam would absorb and lock-in moisture. I expressed by concern on-line in a S-10 forum seeking some opinions of people with similar experiences and some snot nosed punk starting calling me names because of what I did. Turns out the thing I feared was in fact the better procedure.

I would think that filling your frame rails is a good idea, just hope you never have to weld anything to the frame.:winkb:

If one were to fill most of their interior body panels with foam, I bet it would help in a crash as well. Getting all the door hardware to work might be problematic though.:bgwo:

[ipd]

No, you wouldn't do the doors. But there is something to be said about filling the chassis rails. Also supposed to help cut down on road noise. I think that's why Ford experimented with it in their F-150's (A-pillars, among other things, iirc).

[kach22i]

I should declare that the "snap" sound on my S10 was the rotor coming off inside of the distributor cap.

Two little screws holding the rotor plate down came undone, I put some lock-tight on the screws and reset them. Truck is running fine now.

I saw a nice Land Rover Discovery II (pre-LR3 series) on a used car lot today, nice but it's no Vehicross. Still the extensive use of aluminum is an attraction, read that 2004 has the better/larger engine and would be the year to get. Even more reading makes it look equally problematic if not more troublesome than a VX.

Looking and dreaming is cheap, gotta come up with the 3.5k-7k required first.