Rearended (yeah another)

[VX KAT]

heck for another $120 bucks you get a whole purple VX attached to the cladding

....but a problem engine apparently....

[Bob Barker]

Yeah, I'm anxious to see if they tried to repair the cladding or actually replaced it like they said they did. Will find out mid next week. This ruins my weekend plans though, I was going to load the truck and head down to a Warrior dash 2 days early to go camping and cycling around some before the race. And how is something on backorder for 3 months? I haven't heard anyone here asking about a gas tank shield one single time! It's retarded! Why would it be on back order? I thought that was a place parts went when there is a super high demand for them and the supplier can't keep up?

[PK]

Yeah, I'm anxious to see if they tried to repair the cladding or actually replaced it like they said they did. Will find out mid next week. This ruins my weekend plans though, I was going to load the truck and head down to a Warrior dash 2 days early to go camping and cycling around some before the race. And how is something on backorder for 3 months? I haven't heard anyone here asking about a gas tank shield one single time! It's retarded! Why would it be on back order? I thought that was a place parts went when there is a super high demand for them and the supplier can't keep up?

Or a part that nobody ever orders, so they don't have one in stock and have to have it made to order.

PK

[tom4bren]

... and the fuel tank shield is on backorder UNTIL FREAKING APRIL! I laughed at the guy when he said that and he told me I could take the truck back until the piece comes in and that it would be fully functional with the crack in it. So I laughed some more...

I don't believe I'll be off roading anytime soon where the tank cover will be necessary, but I'm kind of at a loss for words on any part backordered for 3 months. No way in heck it could be that high of a demand piece!

What PK said.

If it's a part that nobody ever orders, why would they keep it in stock. There are probably some still here in the States but there's no way for them to easily track availability of parts with all of the different Isuzu authorized repair shops.

Maybe send Marlin a PM. They may still have that VX at the boneyard that he's been canabalizing.

& yes, it's perfectly OK to drive around with the damaged shield until the new comes in. It is completely hidden behind the rear cladding.

Anybody have experience getting NEW cladding pieces recently, or know what Merlin says about availability? I thought it was pretty difficult to find these/track them down, and that contributed to so many VXs being considered "totaled" by ins. companies???

Yup, last spring the shop working on mine located the front bumper cover and left front fender cladding locally (after talking to Merlin).

Look at post #73 in this thread:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...t=offset+saved

[Luna X]

... and I don't see anything wrong with repairing any claddings.

A well-travelled body-paint tech can make it look good as new.....

[circmand]

Repair people called today with an update. The Curt hitch isn't going to be in until next Wednesday, and the fuel tank shield is on backorder UNTIL FREAKING APRIL! I laughed at the guy when he said that and he told me I could take the truck back until the piece comes in and that it would be fully functional with the crack in it. So I laughed some more...

I don't believe I'll be off roading anytime soon where the tank cover will be necessary, but I'm kind of at a loss for words on any part backordered for 3 months. No way in heck it could be that high of a demand piece!

Try ordering an OEM catalytic converter I hear the delay is much longer. As for tank cover with low demand parts they wait til they get enough orders to justify a run and then make a buch. So if you order after they run out you have to wait for them to evenmake them.

[VX KAT]

Any news yet on whether they were really able to find new cladding?

[Bob Barker]

I hadn't heard from the since last Thursday, until I called them today before work. Supposed to be getting it back tomorrow morning, after they install the correct hitch since the first one they recieved wouldn't line up correctly with the holes on the frame. Makes me wonder just how straight they could have gotten it if the same manufacturer's hitch won't fit any longer.

But to answer you, I did not ask about the cladding in today's conversation. Hopefully I will have an answer tomorrow.

[Triathlete]

Why not have your tank skid straightened out and the crack welded?

[Bob Barker]

I didn't suggest to them any way of repair, they decided to order a new one...

Got a call today that the tow hitch still hasn't arrived. Repair man said he contacted the shipping party and they confirmed it was on a truck and set to arrive first thing tomorrow morning. We'll see. I'm sick of this damn rental car. The flipping rear tire blew out on me today in it!

[Bob Barker]

Just picked up. Seems like everything is the way it should be. The cladding is brand spankin new! Makes the rest look kinda trashy! I hadn't seen "new" cladding on one of these ever before, I bet they looked some kind of awesome on the lots 10 years ago. They even fixed the alignment problem that was there before the wreck!

I tried to talk my wife into letting me order some new tires and wheels to make my VX feel better about being crashed into... she wouldn't go for it.

[vt_maverick]

Good to hear Bob! Maybe you could talk the wife into Gatorback, Fusion-Black, or Line-X to make the cladding match?

[VX KAT]

Wow, that's terrific! Just for reference, maybe you could post here exactly where the shop sourced the new cladding (isuzuparts.com, etc....) since Merlin told Mile High it would take several weeks to come from overseas.

[Bob Barker]

I asked the service man, and he said he wasn't sure. Maybe from St. Charles, but if Merlin said it could take several weeks that can't be right. When I asked he said he thinks it was from "Isuzu".... that could mean a lot of different places!

I am still aching to get the whole truck covered in Rino Linning, like that sexy beast from Scottland (I think that's where it is). But that's substantially more than a pair of new shoes for the truck.