93 Trooper RS for wife

[Marlin]

Make a bumper for it first......

LOL, Joe will make a custom bumper with a winch mount for any ZU for 600 bucks. Add shackle mounts for 40 bucks. He keeps trying to get me to leave the VX with him so he can make me a real one. Then he can use mine as a template and we could produce a sweet VX bumper. His work is top notch, as those that have heard of Darlington Offroad know.

[Marlin]

Spent the day with Joe Darlington, the junk yrad run was a bust, price of steel is up, so they crushed hundreds of cars The RS is now on the trailer in front of the house.
I dug through glove box, its only had about 1000 miles put on it since 2003!!! Starts right up, but it sounds like its skipping a bit, its probably injector. He put a new tank, plugs, wires, coil packs, timing belt, and so on. I am gonna sea foam it, if that doesn't work, he told me to bring it back up there and we can replace the injectors. No worries. Can't wait till tomorrow!! Ball joints, lift and CVs are first. Then to Pepboys for alignment and to mount the mud tires. I might have them flush the cooling system as well.
I will post up some before pics in the morning. I have never seen an Isuzu with no rust at 126K miles, but this thing is 100% rust free, and its not a paint over, still has all the original waxy stuff thats on the undercarriage!! Its 18 years old and still pristine!!! It may be one of a handful of Trooper RS's that are in this good of shape. Don't worry, I will take care of it, not destroy it like the VX. I am repainting all the skid plates in the morning.
He replaced the RS with an even more rare vehicle. He got ahold of a Daihatsu Rocky. Runs, in decent shape. Awesome little truck. I think it was a 92, one of like 274 made. His has the removable rear hard top and front removable sunroof. Its kind of like a sammy on steroids.
http://www.auto-types.com/images/dai...ocky_1_351.jpg

[Marlin]

Just finished the rear lift and shocks. Getting ready to start on the front, ball joints, cvs, shocks, ball joint flip...Tons of fun, already bleeding, damned Isuzu god and his required sacrifices. Its nice to not break bolts, everything so far, once I got it broke loose,came off by hand with no tools. Very nice

[Marlin]

I am exhausted, all that stuff took me about 10 hours with a 20 min break. I forgot to eat...pretty sure I have some heat stress going. Its sitting at Pepboys right now for the coolant flush, 3 step injector flush, 1 yr alignment, mount and balance 5 tires, install the CVs...I got it all apart, and I am just exhausted, only 1 hour labor to put em back in, I am willing to pay the 70 bucks for that. They are also cranking the torsion bars for me, my impact gun didnt have enough nuts behind it. No way I was cheater baring those bad boys that many turns. Pics coming tomorrow, time for a shower, read the kids a story, and we are going to bed.

[Marlin]

Heading to bed, here are the pics, all before modding, takin this morning, after shots tomorrow afternoon:

[samneil2000]

Cool ride. I love the headlight wipers... haha

[Marlin]

The blades are shot, gotta track down some replacements and find a sprayer nozzle.

[vt_maverick]

Make a bumper for it first...

+1 lol.

...Don't worry, I will take care of it, not destroy it like the VX.

Now you've done it, no defending yourself now that you've admitted what many have long since concluded.

He got ahold of a Daihatsu Rocky. Runs, in decent shape. Awesome little truck. I think it was a 92, one of like 274 made. His has the removable rear hard top and front removable sunroof. Its kind of like a sammy on steroids.

Wiki page for those curious... interesting reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu_Rocky

LOL, Joe will make a custom bumper with a winch mount for any ZU for 600 bucks.

I wonder if he could copy SPAZZ's if I let him borrow it. I'm meeting my friend that lives in your neighborhood at VT this weekend, maybe I could have him haul it back and drop it off with you, then you could carry it to Joe at Halowharrie (or however the h3ll you spell it). Food for thought.

Nice truck!!!

[Marlin]

+1 lol.

I wonder if he could copy SPAZZ's if I let him borrow it. I'm meeting my friend that lives in your neighborhood at VT this weekend, maybe I could have him haul it back and drop it off with you, then you could carry it to Joe at Halowharrie (or however the h3ll you spell it). Food for thought.

Nice truck!!!

Ummm, he can make anything, probably take the one you have and improve it. Wouldn't be too expensive, he is not far from you actually, he is in Goldsboro, NC. If you bring to Uwharrie, drop it off with him and pick it up later. No problemo. He really really wants to make a top notch bumper that looks like our cladding, but is actually functional. It would be all curves vice angles, but that would be closer to 1200. I am very tempted, but it hurts my pride

[vt_maverick]

Wow would really be interested to see what a "curvy" cladding replacement bumper might look like. Unfortunately I'm out for Uwharrie, already would have been a tight fit with all the travel I'm doing this fall, plus had to take the daughter to the ER last night (just sick, no trauma) so I have those huge bills to look forward to. But at least she'll be back to normal by the weekend...

[RamAirZ]

Something like this design?

[vt_maverick]

Pretty cool, did you find that somewhere or make it yourself?

[Marlin]

Cool ride. I love the headlight wipers... haha

Replacements at isuzuparts.com, 86 bucks for entire arm and sprayer assembly.

[Marlin]

I just got the little beast home. The guy in the shop said it reminded him of a scared cat Think of when it just begins to arch its back and leap into the air.
The lift came out nice, it was 13" from the bottom of the slider to the ground when I got it home, now it is a little over 16". The tires are two inches bigger than the street set, so 2" of lift from the OME919s and torsion bar crank. It may be a little high in the front, I will mess with it tomorrow. Runs like a champ, very rich, but to be expected since it hasn't been driven in several years. Fires up first try. Still have a lot of little stuff to do. More pics to follow.

[Marlin]

Just finished some tinkering. I forgot I had the VX factory airbox with a new K&N drop in filter!! Fits perfect. Also swapped out old bulbs with silverstars. New floormats. The washer fluid resevoir is leaking, but the headlight wipers work!!!! Sweet. Everything else sems to work. The drivers door dome light switch is broken. Fix that tomorrow.