Getting Hung up age and mileage.

[Ebenezr]

I see a lot of forumers" really hung up on the odometer. If you see a VX you want ...buy it. It will not get any younger. Tommorrow it will have more miles. My trans just died at 125,000 miles. It died young!! My opinion. I have suspicions my VX was put thru ah shall I say ach eee double hockey sticks early in its life. It was a police interceptor for 3 years and likely took a beating.
Shortly after I bought mine I pulled into a station and a man asked if he could take a picture and I obliged then he pointed at his Trooper and told me it had 400,000 miles on it!!!!! He took care of it and that is all it takes. I am sinking bucks into VX with pleasure. The engine is a time bomb and when it goes I will pull it and rebuild it. When I do I will take Dub's super charger from him and.....sorry Dub nnnot really. You have those big guns that shoot hard. but forgive me for preaching but I think mileage is just not even a consideration anymore. I would look at exteriors and the interiors those are things more difficult to fix and keep up.

[Grif]

Thank you for that EB, thats been bugging me for a while. Some people seem to be hung up on what model year (almost irrelevant) or mileage. Yes, those are things to be considered, but getting hung up on a couple of numbers is dumb. Interior and exterior DO count, tires count, rims count, maintenance counts more than anything. Mods count, fixes count, and set of all those things combined may turn one person on to a VX and might turn the next person off.

If I may misquote you, "If you see a VX you LOVE ...buy it." it's sage advice.

[RickOKC]

I can understand the desire to buy the newest year model available just because that's just 2 fewer years of age and wear and rot. Personally, I didn't really care what year I bought; I just happened to come across the right VX at the right time for the right $$$$. I would not have hesitated to buy a '99.

Mileage.... that was important to me and I had no intention anything over 75k miles because I always assume the worst when it comes to care and maintenance. But, I sure do agree with what you said. In the end, the "right" VX came with a very good (and documented) history... along with 120k miles. Still, I felt a lot more comfortable buying this one over others with big question marks hanging over them.

Having a preference: Cool! Ignoring all other factors: You may be cheating yourself out of a better VX.

[tom4bren]

X2.

I'd kept my mileage down to about 50K. But then Boy started driving it & the miles are starting to rack up. That's OK ... I plan on being buried in my VX, no matter how many rebuilds it takes to keep it going that long.

Remember: I plan on living forever ... so far, so good.

[circmand]

While maintanence is by far the most important issue you can never really be sure what was done and what the owner said was done. Sure you can do a detailed look over but just because fresh oil is innow does't mean the oil that was just removed didn't have 30,000 miles. So absent things you can check i.e. general condition the only thing you can be sure of is the year and the mileage

[samneil2000]

Mileage only really affects the drivetrain, and all of it is rebuildable/replaceable, even improve-able...
I bought the first VX I found for sale, without ever seeing it (or any other one for that matter) or having anyone look it over. Just paid for it, had it shipped here, and start driving it and fixing what broke.

[circmand]

Mileage only really affects the drivetrain, and all of it is rebuildable/replaceable, even improve-able...
I bought the first VX I found for sale, without ever seeing it (or any other one for that matter) or having anyone look it over. Just paid for it, had it shipped here, and start driving it and fixing what broke.

You also have shocks, bushing and other fittings shaken loosen from driving vibration. You have spark plugs, allignment, metal fatigue etc. There is a reason car dealers look at mileage and have a system of valuation that depends quite a bit on year and mileage. Quite frankly apart from accidents 90% of the aging and wearing out a car experiences is due to mileage driven

[Ebenezr]

When I purchased mine about a year or less ago. It had a sloppy feel to the control, hit a bump and I was veering a little. I replaced all tie rod ends and ball joints and shocks. It drove like a new vehicle after that. tight steering and would move straight if I let go of the steering. The thing I can't realistically replace is the interior. The steering wheel is worn and ugly etc. Therefore if I were to buy again I would take the best one I could find as far as interior and exterior condition and NOT even look at the odometer!!!!

[Ldub]

Therefore if I were to buy again I would take the best one I could find as far as interior and exterior condition and NOT even look at the odometer!!!!

I totally agree with this & your initial post. It's a machine, designed to move it's contents from point A, to point B. There is not a single part that cannot be replaced...for a price. (though some creativity may come into play with an 12 yr old/limited production vehicle)

It doesn't have a soul, it's just a bunch of parts, made of various materials, that haul your @$H in a certain modicum of style & comfort, to the next destination.

GET ONE, & experience happy

[WormGod]

I'll take my 10 year old vehicle with 55k miles anyday.

To each his own though. Typically, when I look at miles, it's just a rough idea of just how much wear and tear the vehicle may have gotten over it's life. Doesn't mean a low mile vehicle can't have wear and tear, but it is a good piece of mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG4IaHgqH00

[Chopper]

When I purchased mine about a year or less ago. It had a sloppy feel to the control, hit a bump and I was veering a little. I replaced all tie rod ends and ball joints and shocks. It drove like a new vehicle after that. tight steering and would move straight if I let go of the steering. The thing I can't realistically replace is the interior. The steering wheel is worn and ugly etc. Therefore if I were to buy again I would take the best one I could find as far as interior and exterior condition and NOT even look at the odometer!!!!

sure you can....the seats were Recarro Trends and were used in a bunch of cars...like the Cobalt SS. Plenty are still available and will be for some time yet. Momo makes a full line of wheels....Grant and a hundred others too. I KNOW you can get a brand new Momo (or Grant) that will keep the airbag. The carpet kits are still floating around....the dash is from an Amigo (I think, it's from one other older Isuzu) Headliner and center consoles are upholsterer territory. The hard plastic panels and inner door panels are something else again....They are gonna get really tough to replace soon.
Even the windshield is from a Rodeo. The metal and plastic bits are the rub, and always will be

[Ebenezr]

sure you can....the seats were Recarro Trends and were used in a bunch of cars...like the Cobalt SS. Plenty are still available and will be for some time yet. Momo makes a full line of wheels....Grant and a hundred others too. I KNOW you can get a brand new Momo (or Grant) that will keep the airbag. The carpet kits are still floating around....the dash is from an Amigo (I think, it's from one other older Isuzu) Headliner and center consoles are upholsterer territory. The hard plastic panels and inner door panels are something else again....They are gonna get really tough to replace soon.
Even the windshield is from a Rodeo. The metal and plastic bits are the rub, and always will be

good information. Thanks.

[Ebenezr]

I'll take my 10 year old vehicle with 55k miles anyday.

To each his own though. Typically, when I look at miles, it's just a rough idea of just how much wear and tear the vehicle may have gotten over it's life. Doesn't mean a low mile vehicle can't have wear and tear, but it is a good piece of mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG4IaHgqH00

You need to put more miles on that VX. Just think of how your dry'in the seals out here and there in the trans and engine and water pump. They need to be warmed up and run daily...them poor things gettin cracked from sittin around. And then the exterior really ought to have some mud flung all over it from time to time if you want it to look tough like some of the other VX'rs out here. Yep I really think you should do this in order to keep up with the rest of the crowd of worn torn and abused. (he he he)

[Chopper]

hahaha.... mine sits for weeks sometimes a couple months.....those gaskets and seals are just dandy. The only "rule" is: I don't start it unles it can be run more than 20mi. or 20min without shutting it down.
I'm at 48k (I think)

[WormGod]

Thanks Eb, but I'll pass. You all keep the war torn, I'll keep the dandy little prince.