Not Original VX Owner Roll Call

[Mark B]

After reading Anita's thread and posted stories from original VX owners, I thought It would be interesting to hear stories how non-original VX owners got there VX. Great Post Anita.
My story is that I have wanted a VX since I first saw one in Biloxi, MS at a casino. It was Proton Yellow and still have the sticker on the window. Think it was around $ 32,000.
In 2008, I was seriously looking for a VX to add to my Isuzu family. 1999 Amigo and 2001 Rodeo Sport. I found one on e-bay in South Florida. Dragon Green with 40,000 miles. Wanted $ 15,000. I drove from Tampa Bay area in Florida and on the way to South Florida had a list of VX's for sale to look at and compair. Must have test drove about 3 on the way to see the Dragon VX.
Well, It was love at first sight. The seller was the original owner. Had all the documents and service papers and a lot of original VX sale brochures. I really did not haggle with the price just because I wanted the VX and all the others I look at did not even come close to the quality of the Dragon.
Best vehicle I have ever owned. Only one I would like more is a 1972 Plymount Baracuda sublime green convertivble, HEMI.

[Bob Barker]

I saw one at the movie theaters last June, decided I wanted one really bad... Started looking and found a seller on this web site, sold my Mach 1, flew to Atlanta and he picked me up at the air port, then drove it to Panama City for vacation with the family. No papers, no service records, just a bill of sale and the title was transferred electronically. Not a lot of glamor in my truck, but it's still awesome! Got about 76k miles now and no issues. I think I'm the fourth owner of this one...

[vt_maverick]

I remember seeing the commercials for the VX way back in college (I was a junior in fall 99) and thinking that it was a pretty cool concept for a vehicle. Unfortunately I was 3/4 of the way towards about $72,000 in student loan debt, so a $30,000 truck was out of the question (I wouldn't have had a job to buy it until 2001 anyway). So I filed it away and completely forgot about it until 2004.

That year I passed a used car dealership in Fredericksburg VA that had a Foxfire VX for sale. It was a little rough - one of the headlight gaskets was coming off, the cargo area was dirty, etc. In the end I decided I didn't want to pay what they were asking, which now is hilarious because I think I paid only a little less than that when I eventually bought mine four years later. So again I filed it away for later.

In late 2007 I owned a 2003 Infiniti G35 coupe and a 1996 Chrysler Town and Country that I bought from my mother-in-law on the super-cheap. The van had finally given up the ghost (gas sprayed out the front grill the last time I ever started it) so I needed something new to transport the dog. I was determined to get an SUV this time around, so I narrowed my choices down to an Xterra, Wrangler Unlimited, and VX, all in their respective dark red colors. After about six months of searching I finally found a Foxfire VX to test drive in Alexandria VA. I drove up by myself and made the decision to buy it as soon as I finished the test drive. In retrospect it's probably good that I didn't take Sonya with me; she was resolutely in the 4-door camp, and I think was really hoping I would choose the Xterra (she was absolutely against the Jeep). Two weeks later we drove to Alexandria to pick it up and I had her look it over before I handed over the check. The first words out of her mouth were "This thing is REALLY small!" and that was not meant in a good way. But at the time it was okay because we were blissfully unaware that we would have a little one on the way only two months later. If that Foxfire hadn't come up for sale for another few months I likely would never have bought one. And I have often wondered whether I bought the same VX that I looked at years earlier.

I'm the fourth owner of my VX and it only had 24K on it the day I picked it up. The CarFax report showed that the first owner had it until around 2005 or 2006 (haven't look at the report in awhile) and only put 4K on it in all that time. The seller told me the story he was passed from the second owner: the first guy had a son who was a salesman at an Isuzu dealership in Pennsylvania. Apparently the son convinced the old man that it would be really rare someday so he bought it and promptly parked it in the garage for safekeeping. I don't know why he sold it, but the next two owners each put about 10K on her before selling. Like many former owners they were family men who simply could not keep justifying a car payment for a vehicle that was completely family unfriendly. Although I didn't get much in the way of service records for the first 24K miles, I did get ALL of the new owner paperwork, brochures, etc.

So that's it, like most non-original owners I had to really work to find what I wanted, but it's been worth every effort and every dollar.

[etlsport]

I had seen the commercials and thought they were really cool in high school. When it came time to buy my first car in 02 I was drooling over a proton in my area so I looked online and they were all 20-25k used. After that I kind of forgot about them.

In august 05 I had an 05 civic and rolled it doing 80 on 95 in DE. After a week not even being able to sit up on my own, I lost my interest in driving especially since I was in college in Philly, I had little use for a car.

then in february 06 I started looking for a car so I could work outside the city. I went to a few local dealerships looking at accords. I went to a honda dealer near my moms house, they had a VX sitting on the lot, I asked to test drive it.. 2 miles later I pulled back into the dealership and said what do you want for it? Ill write a check.

[Scott Larson]

I first saw a VX in June of '09, I parked next to it in an Ace parking lot and wondered what the heck it was. It was a Proton and was rebadged as a Bombardier so I really did think it was some new vehicle from that same company that makes SkiDoo's! It did have the VehiCross badge still and that's how I finally tracked it down on Google. I was so taken by it that I decided I had to find one for sale and see if it was even affordable. Well, about two weeks later, a Proton showed-up for sale on AOL Autos at a dealer 120 miles away. So, I emailed 'em an offer and I'll be damned if he didn't accept. A quick phone call to verify the details and the conditions and the next day a friend and I drove down to have a look. It was exactly as he described and ran perfect. It had come up from OK City so rust was not an issue and even though the miles were high, the price was right. Needless to say, I drove it home. It sure got alot of looks along the way, it still does! So, in less then a month, I went from never having even heard of a VehiCross to owning one, and in the color that screamed to me that fateful day, "LOOK AT ME"!!

[Gussie2000]

Back in 2004 i used to work @ this mall located in valley stream,long island.NY called green acres.

During my time working there i saw this guy couple of times driving a 2000 proton VX.
I was completely fascinated by its looks.
The 3rd time i saw the guy i approached him,he saw me coming and smiled,i guess he knew why,so he were kind enough to allow me a test drive right there,after 5 minutes i became obsesive about this rare but unique vehicule.

Since then i started my quest for one Vehicross,my preference were inclined to the ironman,the ebony and the astral silver,saw few ebony and ironman,but non close by my location so i went for this astral silver offered at riverhead's toyota in long island.

The Vx came from pocasset,MA,but the original owner (i'm the 2nd) passed away.The son let it go to auction after 5 years in a storage room and ended up here in NY, with only 38,000 miles on the odo in completely stock conditions,no mods were done 'till i bought it.


Today my VX made the 71,000 miles and running strong as ever

[mindaugas]

The first time I saw one was in 2000 I think, it was an Ironman next to me getting gas. I remember thinking, wow, this is the first car I have ever seen that looks good. I was never a fan of the way Ferari, Lambo, Porshes look, not counting their performance. The Vehicross had absolutely everything I wanted. Off road capability, tiny, tow door, and a decent sized motor. But $30k was out of the question so I promised myself that in a few years when they came down in price I would get one. It took me 11 years, but everything finally came together. I bought my 2000 Foxfire in January 2011 and every time I drive it I fall a little more in love.

113k miles right now. I am the 3rd owner. The first was a lease, the second owner had it from 2001 until 2010 and then I bought it. Few scrapes and misc stuff, but nothing that cannot be fixed. I plan on keeping it forever, despite it being neither baby or dog friendly.

[tom4bren]

I guess I'm like most of the others who have posted. I had to wait till used prices came down to match my affordability.

Then I saw this Proton lifted with 33's and the spare mounted on the rear door & I was hooked. The owner mentioned the forum so I had to check it out. After reading how Y'all were trashing him & the rig, I knew I'd just found a new home for me & my perverse humor.

Paid more for it than I should've & had it shipped from MO to VA. It sat in my driveway for 2 weeks waiting on clear title. The rest is history.

[RickOKC]

I first remember seeing a VX in Mission to Mars. Thanks to HDTV, I finally noticed there was a badge in the grill while watching the movie for the 185th time a few years ago and zoomed in. "Isuzu? I must know more…" I looked it up on the internet (along with "why was Gary Sinise wearing eyeliner in Mission to Mars?") and was disappointed to learn the VX-O2 roadster was never more than a concept. Still, I stored away the knowledge that the production VX was extremely cool anyway.

Last year I became more and more frustrated while trying to get things done around the house with only a Mustang in my possession. Sometimes I need to transport something bigger than a toaster and I was tired of borrowing vehicles. The decision to add a cheap used truck quickly mutated into wanting it to include four wheel drive and be small enough to fit in the garage without being in the way all the time. That left a very short list of pickups like a Ranger regular cab 4x4 which, get this - turned out to be harder to locate than a VX. Finally, I decided to expand my search to include SUVs since they would also be big enough to meet my needs.

That's when I remembered the VX and I started researching it again (thanks, everybody!) After a few months of frustration trying to drag information and photos out of sellers and a loooong wasted trip to visit a VX in poor condition, I made contact with Pdmarty in Dallas after he posted his VX for sale here. I took a half day off from work and drove to Tx ASAP hoping it wouldn't get sniped by local Dallas shopper like the last one I found there. I was very happy when I turned the corner into his neighborhood and saw it gleaming in the distance. I was really excited when it looked just as good close up! Pdmarty had bought it from a friend (the original owner) but he only kept it a few months. It was going to be his son's vehicle but things didn't work out so he sold it. I bought it at 120k miles and have put on another 4 or 5k since July.

And, yes, it has fully served all of my needs when it comes to hauling cargo. It seems so HUGE compared to my car! It has also exceeded my expectations for fun and capability in snow as well.

[djvx]

I first remember seeing a VX in Mission to Mars. Thanks to HDTV, I finally noticed there was a badge in the grill while watching the movie for the 185th time a few years ago and zoomed in. "Isuzu? I must know more…" I looked it up on the internet (along with "why was Gary Sinise wearing eyeliner in Mission to Mars?") and was disappointed to learn the VX-O2 roadster was never more than a concept. Still, I stored away the knowledge that the production VX was extremely cool anyway.

Last year I became more and more frustrated while trying to get things done around the house with only a Mustang in my possession. Sometimes I need to transport something bigger than a toaster and I was tired of borrowing vehicles. The decision to add a cheap used truck quickly mutated into wanting it to include four wheel drive and be small enough to fit in the garage without being in the way all the time. That left a very short list of pickups like a Ranger regular cab 4x4 which, get this - turned out to be harder to locate than a VX. Finally, I decided to expand my search to include SUVs since they would also be big enough to meet my needs.

That's when I remembered the VX and I started researching it again (thanks, everybody!) After a few months of frustration trying to drag information and photos out of sellers and a loooong wasted trip to visit a VX in poor condition, I made contact with Pdmarty in Dallas after he posted his VX for sale here. I took a half day off from work and drove to Tx ASAP hoping it wouldn't get sniped by local Dallas shopper like the last one I found there. I was very happy when I turned the corner into his neighborhood and saw it gleaming in the distance. I was really excited when it looked just as good close up! Pdmarty had bought it from a friend (the original owner) but he only kept it a few months. It was going to be his son's vehicle but things didn't work out so he sold it. I bought it at 120k miles and have put on another 4 or 5k since July.

And, yes, it has fully served all of my needs when it comes to hauling cargo. It seems so HUGE compared to my car! It has also exceeded my expectations for fun and capability in snow as well.

Rick, your story is just like mine so I guess It doesn't need repeating

[rsteinmetz70112]

Love is good, whether you're the first or not.

[BeeVenom]

WELL STATED rsteinmetz70112!
There's nothing to compare to (or compete with!) a VX!
scott

[housertl]

The first time I ever laid eyes on a VX was about 2 weeks ago, in the parking lot of a Shoppers in Alexandria, VA. Since that time, I have sold my Subaru Impreza OBS, and placed a deposit on an Astral #0510, up in Cleveland. I am currently waiting on the quote to have her shipped down here, so I can call her my very own. I will be the second owner, the first bought her brand new and owned her for just under 12 years. I can't wait!

[Y33TREKker]

VX's had never really registered with me when they first hit the market, and a sport utility had never really been the type of vehicle I'd considered owning, but during a bike ride around town, I spotted one for sale about five blocks from my house.

It was a Proton, and the seller (original owner) was actually someone I knew from high school. I stopped to check it out during the bike ride, and after talking about it for awhile, she (the seller) actually gave me the keys and let me test it out over the following weekend. I remember driving to a blues festival that weekend and couldn't help but notice virtually everyone I'd be driving by just stopping and staring.

Now I'm personally one for keeping more of a low profile about most things, so I decided that a Proton probably wouldn't help much in that regard, and that an Ebony was more to my liking for the overall look black added to the vehicle.

Well it didn't take long to find this site as I started learning more about the VX, and it turned out that a member here had an '01 Ebony for sale (also an original owner), and the rest is history. I flew out to Baltimore from IL and drove it back with only one OH $#!+ moment (as follows).

I'd read early on about the possible oil usage issue, so before starting the drive back I made sure to check the level and top it off. What I DIDN'T do though is remember to put the damned oil filler cap back on AFTER topping the level off, and ended up driving for a couple of hours on the interstate with the cap just resting on top of the intake manifold. I was stopping for something anyway, and when I came to a stop at the end of the interstate off-ramp, saw smoke coming from under the hood. (Yeah...that's what I said too).

Well oil had been blowing up out of the filler hole, and some had made it onto the exhaust manifold, so as bad as the smoking had been, it could have been MUCH worse. I found a car wash, cleaned the engine bay as best I could, grabbed a bite to eat, then checked the oil level to see just how much had been lost and topped it back off. Luckily, only about half a quart had been lost, and I've had no oil related issues since.

Not the most stress free way to start my VX ownership experience, but comparatively speaking, it's been a pretty smooth ride ever since.

[djvx]

VX's had never really registered with me when they first hit the market, and a sport utility had never really been the type of vehicle I'd considered owning, but during a bike ride around town, I spotted one for sale about five blocks from my house.

It was a Proton, and the seller (original owner) was actually someone I knew from high school. I stopped to check it out during the bike ride, and after talking about it for awhile, she (the seller) actually gave me the keys and let me test it out over the following weekend. I remember driving to a blues festival that weekend and couldn't help but notice virtually everyone I'd be driving by just stopping and staring.

Now I'm personally one for keeping more of a low profile about most things, so I decided that a Proton probably wouldn't help much in that regard, and that an Ebony was more to my liking for the overall look black added to the vehicle.

Well it didn't take long to find this site as I started learning more about the VX, and it turned out that a member here had an '01 Ebony for sale (also an original owner), and the rest is history. I flew out to Baltimore from IL and drove it back with only one OH $#!+ moment (as follows).

I'd read early on about the possible oil usage issue, so before starting the drive back I made sure to check the level and top it off. What I DIDN'T do though is remember to put the damned oil filler cap back on AFTER topping the level off, and ended up driving for a couple of hours on the interstate with the cap just resting on top of the intake manifold. I was stopping for something anyway, and when I came to a stop at the end of the interstate off-ramp, saw smoke coming from under the hood. (Yeah...that's what I said too).

Well oil had been blowing up out of the filler hole, and some had made it onto the exhaust manifold, so as bad as the smoking had been, it could have been MUCH worse. I found a car wash, cleaned the engine bay as best I could, grabbed a bite to eat, then checked the oil level to see just how much had been lost and topped it back off. Luckily, only about half a quart had been lost, and I've had no oil related issues since.

Not the most stress free way to start my VX ownership experience, but comparatively speaking, it's been a pretty smooth ride ever since.

wow, good 1!