Introduce yourself here!

[norazz]

Hi there friends,
I was delighted when I came across this forum where everyone is friendly and ready to help out. I searched through quite a few threads and was indeed glad to find a few tips which for some time past eluded me.
I reside in Malta ( central Mediterranean) and I bought my VX through the local Isuzu distributor. That was in 1997. Mine is the only VX on this island and it is still an eye-catcher after all these years. It is still in top condition with only 30k kms on the clock. By the way, the colour is maroon.

I am quite happy with my VX except for the stiff ride; the gas shockers seem to be still in good order, but it seems that my model was meant to be driven on Japanese roads which must definitely be a lot smoother than the ones on this island. I will consider changing these shockers in future, although I don't know where to start. Any advice will be appreciated.

A few days ago I sent my reverse camera to England to have it repaired - I just hope it's only the camera that's faulty and not some other thing under the dash. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Before closing, I have to mention that since I bought this VX (14 years ago) I have tried and tried to get my hands on an English version Owner's Manual, but to no avail. Can some kind soul help me out ? I can be contacted on : npanpa@maltanet.net Cheers.

[Gussie2000]

Hi there friends,
I was delighted when I came across this forum where everyone is friendly and ready to help out. I searched through quite a few threads and was indeed glad to find a few tips which for some time past eluded me.
I reside in Malta ( central Mediterranean) and I bought my VX through the local Isuzu distributor. That was in 1997. Mine is the only VX on this island and it is still an eye-catcher after all these years. It is still in top condition with only 30k kms on the clock. By the way, the colour is maroon.

I am quite happy with my VX except for the stiff ride; the gas shockers seem to be still in good order, but it seems that my model was meant to be driven on Japanese roads which must definitely be a lot smoother than the ones on this island. I will consider changing these shockers in future, although I don't know where to start. Any advice will be appreciated.

A few days ago I sent my reverse camera to England to have it repaired - I just hope it's only the camera that's faulty and not some other thing under the dash. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Before closing, I have to mention that since I bought this VX (14 years ago) I have tried and tried to get my hands on an English version Owner's Manual, but to no avail. Can some kind soul help me out ? I can be contacted on : npanpa@maltanet.net Cheers.

Welcome to your VX world !

I can provide you some info about the shocks.

The shocks most commonly use as a replacement are the ranchos 5000 series and the 9000 series.

The 5000 series are very soft and because i currently got them in my VX i can tell you they do pretty well.
Just keep in mind that once you change your shocks you wouldn't have the excellent cornering that the VX comes with anymore. Also you'll notice that the VX will be a bit lower in ground clearance with the 5000 series,i wasn't sure about it 'till another member who i met few weeks ago noticed too.

The 9000 series shocks are adjustable so you can adjust the dampering of the VX to suit you comfort.

Another good brand is the KYB

I think we have a downloadable owner's guide in english language here @ the left side list where it says 'DOWNLOADS'

[vt_maverick]

I am quite happy with my VX except for the stiff ride; the gas shockers seem to be still in good order, but it seems that my model was meant to be driven on Japanese roads which must definitely be a lot smoother than the ones on this island. I will consider changing these shockers in future, although I don't know where to start. Any advice will be appreciated.

Several of us have come to the conclusion that the primary reason for the harsh ride is the proximity of the rear bump stops to the axle (1/2" or less, many have reported seeing their VX "sit" on the stops). For $0 and about 30 minutes of your time you can cut them in half and you'll notice a DRAMATIC improvement in ride quality. You'll lose some level of cornering ability because your VX won't lean on the stops as quickly, but I can't tell the difference on my own VX.

Check out this thread, interesting reading...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ight=bump+stop

[VX KAT]

I reside in Malta ( central Mediterranean) and I bought my VX through the local Isuzu distributor. That was in 1997.

I am quite happy with my VX except for the stiff ride; the gas shockers seem to be still in good order,

Before closing, I have to mention that since I bought this VX (14 years ago) I have tried and tried to get my hands on an English version Owner's Manual, but to no avail. Can some kind soul help me out ? I can be contacted on : npanpa@maltanet.net Cheers.

Several of us have come to the conclusion that the primary reason for the harsh ride is the proximity of the rear bump stops to the axle (1/2" or less, many have reported seeing their VX "sit" on the stops). For $0 and about 30 minutes of your time you can cut them in half and you'll notice a DRAMATIC improvement in ride quality. You'll lose some level of cornering ability because your VX won't lean on the stops as quickly, but I can't tell the difference on my own VX.

Check out this thread, interesting reading...

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ight=bump+stop

Wow, I think that makes you the longest original owner!

Here's a site that sells Owners Manuals. They don't have the '97 JDMs however. But they are English if you want to get a '99-'01 manual.
http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.a...ected%5Fmedia=

Here's some pics of my rear bump stops cut in half. The original bump stop is like a figure "8", and is about 8" or 9" long. We cut the bottom half of the "8" off. So in these pics you can just see the top half of the "8". Mine are covered in beige dirt, but they're black rubber underneath that.

Like Mav said, it makes a huge improvement in the rough ride, it reduces that slamming/jarring effect in the rear. You can see I have about 4" of clearance now before that stop hits the axle. Much better!

Sorry I couldn't get the actual pics to display in this post : you have to click the link.
http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/...908111658b.jpg

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/...908111647b.jpg

http://i1099.photobucket.com/albums/...908111649b.jpg

[Whosaidyoucouldhavesome]

Hey guys

I was very happy to discover this forum. Everyone seems really cool and knowledgeable and it has helped me out a lot with my 01 VX. Just received the SBC window brackets and will be putting those in today. Ill have windows again!!

[norazz]

I thank VX KAT and all the others for their quick response. I might have forgotten to mention that my VX is a Japanese Model. I do have all the Manuals but they are in Japanese. I guess I will have to learn the language ! ! ! because it seems that getting an English version is impossible.
Thanks also to those who posted tips about the hard ride of the VX.

[norazz]

I thank VX KAT and all the others for their quick response. I might have forgotten to mention that my VX is a Japanese Model. I do have all the Manuals but they are in Japanese. I guess I will have to learn the language ! ! ! because it seems that getting an English version is impossible.
Thanks also to those who posted tips about the hard ride of the VX.

[tom4bren]

Hey im tom new to the vx family. My japanese sport car was hit and with the insurance. Money I got my dream truck I have a 99 sliver vx and I am trying to make it the most crazy off the wall vx out there I am already installing nightvision cameras in it and I am trying to find or my gave to make a crazy brushgaurd any ideas. I welcome ideas from the vx family angrypanda out.

Angry,

If all goes well, I'll have pushbar brackets available soon. Just keep your eyes on the forum & I'll start a thread on the subject.

t4b

[bluzvr4]

hey guys the name is james i am just about to turn 22 and i decided i needed a decent DD so i started lookin around. i was at work one day and saw one in the parking lot that caught my eye so i stated asking whos it was. wasnt hard the place was dead. less then a month later i owned her black 2001 vehicross and i have now fell in love with it.

[tom4bren]

Welcome to the obsession ... & to this wierd family.

Don't forget to post some pix of your ebony.

[bluzvr4]

will do im use to the wierd family lol i have been in the dsm game for a bit lol. i love cars that are different. i have a 94 3000gt vr4 that is one of 37. if its rare and different its in my field lol ill have to snag some pics of it but its pretty stock right now

[tom4bren]

I just junked a 93 3000GT that I couldn't keep running. It was BADLY abused by previous NYC owner. I nursed it along for 5 years but then just gave up.

[bluzvr4]

i have a huge soft spot for 3ks lol ill post o pic of my beast together here soon

[VehixDad]

Howdy from Alabama! I purchased my 16 year old a 1999 silver VX the first of August after about a year of research on this vehicle. By the way, this forum was one of the main reasons I bought the VX. The vehicle had a clean carfax and only 89,000 miles. My son and I love the little critter! Rides like a log truck but handles like a sports car. The first weekend we had it we took it to a car show and no one knew what it was. Most thought is was a year old concept vehicle!

Unfortunately the repairs began quickly after purchase, Here is the list:

1) A/C blower motor. Easy to replace but buy the one that looks original on ebay for about $50 and it came with the squirrel cage. NAPA's was a poor replacement, no cage, very loud and one screw could not be put in properly.
2) Keyless did not work. Did the little trick with the green button under the driver side dash. Fixed in a couple of minutes! Found where the previous ISUZU dealer in TN could not fix it on some old paperwork, HAHA!
3) Battery died 2 days after purchase. OK, regular stuff.
4) Both windows giving binding issues. Used this forum, pulled off door panels, widened the front window tracks, lubed them up and did one more thing I did not see on the forum. I put a big zip tie on the bottom of the track to hold the window rubber down so it would not get drawn up by any future binding. Windows work faster than my 2 other new cars now!
5) While the door panels were off saw the speakers were blown. Replaced easliy with 3Way Pioneer 6.5" and they sound great. While in there I cut anti-fatigue matting (Available per foot in the carpet section at Lowes) double-sided capet taped them over the holes in the doors and covered the edges with real metal duct tape for sound barrier. Worked very nice. No problem getting panels back on. Need rear speakers soon.
6) Discoverd dry rotted Michelins that salesman said was new. Dime width cracks deep in the treads, nothing on sidewalls. DOT number on tires showed they were 9 years old. (Look at DOT number and the last 4 digits are the week and year of manufacture, ie. 2508 is the 25th week of 2008)Replaced tires. Do car sales people only lie when they move their lips?
7) Cassette player would not work so My son and I replaced it with a BOSS (not BOSE) single DIN DVD player with a 3" screen, built in bluetooth, WMA and MP3 playback. Very tight fit with Minor Modifications. Plan on hooking up a rear camera soon. System was $170 on ebay and sounds great. Took out a perfectly goos 6 disc changer (was replaced under previous owners warranty) and put in a generic single DIN cubby I ordered from England. May change out with the Ford cup holder even though reviews are mixed.
8) This VX is clean, no peeling chrome, like new paint, great interior, etc. She wasn't driven much over the last several years and was garage kept which leads to the next thing. Dead Fuel pump. Rust in tank. Had pump replaced, tank cleaned and coated, changed strainer and fuel filter. New Pump died a few weeks later. ARRRGH! Covered under warranty but not the labor. Will look at wiring harness closer for possible short up near front driver fender/headlight area. Noticed previous owner put 20 amp fuse in 15 amp spot for fuel pump, hmmmm. I changed it back to a 15amp.
9) Found cracked CV Boot while under VX so told them to replace. They put a gray one and a Black one on and neither were shaped like the other side. Ok I'm a bit OC even if it is under the VX.
10) Asked mechanic to adjust linkage since could not get shifter into proper gears like low. His adjustment caused the vehicle to jump out of Park and start rolling with a loud clicking noise. It rolled head on into a nearly new Avalanche in the parking lot! Guess what, the Avalanche sustained more damage even with a bull nose brush catcher on the front. Mechanic, a good friend of mine, admitted fault and said he would have his insurance company take care of the damages. Poor VX, she needs a new front bumper, fog light, blinker and some hood repair. Oh well, she needed a "fog" light bulb anyway. Might as well have the hood insert repainted while in shop.
11) Cleaning Mode Selector switch did not work so will be replacing it this week to avoid future problems. Hope to kill the shifter problem and tranny jerk.

This VX is driving me crazy but it's like a little puppy that just chewed up your shoes. They look at you with those big brown eyes and you forgive it then go on! You hop back in, after spending a small fortune, and you fall in love with it again. Amazing vehicle!

[tom4bren]

This VX is driving me crazy but it's like a little puppy that just chewed up your shoes. They look at you with those big brown eyes and you forgive it then go on! You hop back in, after spending a small fortune, and you fall in love with it again. Amazing vehicle!

BWAAHAAHAA!!!

I like that. It sums up the obsession very nicely.

Welcome to the family. It sounds like your beast is finally getting the TLC it deserves.