New to the Vehicross world, a few questions.

[grandall1983]

Well I just purchased my first Vehicross, 1999 Black with red and black interior, and so far I really enjoy it. It has complete vehical history and looks great. Only problems so far and from what I have read nothing I can do to fix all have to do with space. 6'2'' and all upper body my head stays on the roof, and I tried once to get in and out of the back and will never try that agian. So to start off with anything I need to know about the vehicross? What are some relatively inexpensive things I can do to improve the Vehicross? Examples: Intake, shocks, and anything else you can think of. Also what is the best thing to take care of the plastic, and what to do with the hood panel if it is beginning to show signs of fade? Other than that hello to you all and I hope to hear some good info.

[nfpgasmask]

Congrats and welcome.

If you have a VX with good records and it is already running good, you are ahead of the game.

Check your oil level EVERY TIME you get gas, serious as a heart attack. Some Isuzu 3.5s have an oil burning issue and some VXes die because of it. Otherwise, do all the regular maintenance on time, hang around on this forum and you are good to go. You might start off by doing a search for "cladding" and you will find loads of threads about taking care of the plastic cladding. I'm a die hard user of Trim Shine. Check my site (link below) for pics and all the mods I have done.

My hood insert started cracking, is loaded with rock chips and is faded as well. For me, the only worthwhile solution was to buy a new one while I still can, and that is what I did. You can also just paint it.

Good luck!

Bart

[VehiGAZ]

Howdy grandall! Welcome to the board!

Answers to all of those questions are at the other end of the "search" button.

There is NO END of mods you can do discussed here. Browse away... One of the first ones to consider is the rear door opener, which makes cargo-access life a bit easier.

The best product for the plastic (IMHO) is Refinish Restorer. Search for it and you will find out where to get it and what other people's results have been (excellent).

Good luck!

[tom4bren]

As far as getting in & out of the back seat. Tone sells some brackets that shift the front passenger seat forward a few inches. They work well. Unfortunately there isn't anything that can be done for the drivers seat to give you more room. I know that LittleBeast just reclines his seat to get the headroom he needs.

Other mods - just start reading. There's nothing that HAS to be upgraded. It's all a matter of taste. Usually one of the first things to upgrade tho are some fixes on the window regulators. There's some threads on that topic that were active earlier today so you won't have to search too far.

BTW - if you have the stock sound system, don't use the CD player. Chances are pretty high that you won't get your CDs back out.

Welcome to the addiction.

[snowtrooper1966]

Welcome!
I am 6'1" and as mentioned, just tilt the seat back a bit.
I have had my Dragon for a year now, and have loved every minute of it.
This is the best place to find all the info you need, and a great group of folks. I belong to a few other forums/message baords for other interests, and this is the best by far.
Like Bart said, check your oil regularly.
You may want to look at addressing the window tabs. Mine lag a bit, but I just guide it up with my hand. Haven't had a major problem, and I don't want to crack the doors open untill I do.
I have had no issued with my stock CD player, yet...
I live in a dusty area in the summer, so I have used Trim Shine for the cladding, as it is not oily/greasy and does not attract dust.
I have not lifted, as I think it may throw off the excellent on-road handling characteristics of the VX, one of it's strong points.
I have done some off roading, and the VX is great right out of the box, although I do have larger aftermarket tires.
There is much wisdom here, and you will have a blast.
Enjoy the ride!
Best,

[PittVXr]

Welcome Grandall,

You've found the right place for VX info. This site has been a treasure chest of good info for me. A quick and easy mod that I would recommend is changing the head lights and the bulbs in the little round lights in the bumper. It is very easy to do and makes your truck look even better.

Congratulations on owning the coolest vehicle in your neighborhood.

[pbkid]

welcome to the board and the fam...

the only thing i haven't seen anyone mention is that you should change your PCV vavle every time you get an oil change...its really easy to do (takes about 1 minute) and its a cheap...only like $2 at checker/kragen/shucks....

other than that like everyone else said, there are no required mods, but only what you think is necessary...there are people here who never wheel and they will never lift their VX...there are people who wheel all the time and all the want is a solid axle swap...there are music buffs who build sound systems...and there are people who buy superchargers and make their VX fly...and of course there are people who keep em stock (not many)....

surprised no one else said anything but becoming a site supporter is also a great thing to do but not required...it will open up much more room for messages in your inbox, it will give you more access on the site, you can customize your signature and picture.......and it helps keep the wealth of information here...(and its only a minimum of $20 a year)

oh, and we are getting ready to meet up in moab in may...its a great way to network with other VXers, see mods and have a great time....