Need Trooper info/advice

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Aaron and Aimee Ness - 19 Apr 2004 03:11 GMT

I'm looking to purchase a vehicle to replace my '98 not-so-grand Voyager so
I can pull my boat (and not have to worry about what's going to break this
week). We drove a '95 Trooper at a local dealer yesterday, and it seems to
fit the bill. Unfortunately, they seem to be quite proud of this particular
one, since they were looking for about $1800 more than it's worth, according
to Edmunds.com.

I haven't owned an Isuzu before, but the reviews I've read about the Trooper
make it sound pretty solid. Is there anything in particular I should be
careful of? I would be looking for something in the mid '90s or older, due
to the price. I do the majority of my own work - in a pinch, I'll take it
to a shop, as was the case when our Chrysler transmission exploded.

Thanks in advance.

Aaron

Reply to this Message

Bernie - 19 Apr 2004 03:45 GMT

I have an 01 trooper, and have found out other than doing minor things,
oil changes, ect. it's pretty much a dealer repair truck.
It's a leased vechile that is up in a year, when the lease is up, its
Gone.

Reply to this Message

Aaron and Aimee Ness - 20 Apr 2004 04:47 GMT

Could you elaborate on that a bit? What kinds of things have you had (or
would you have) the dealer repair? I'm just finishing a clutch
replacement/timing belt/water pump project on my '88 MR2. I've done work of
similar magnitude on other cars (mainly VWs). Should I expect to need to do
significant work on it? From all the reviews I've seen, I didn't think
there would be much to do on it.

Thanks for the input.

Aaron

> I have an 01 trooper, and have found out other than doing minor things,
> oil changes, ect. it's pretty much a dealer repair truck.
> It's a leased vechile that is up in a year, when the lease is up, its
> Gone.

Reply to this Message

Kamus of Kadizhar - 19 Apr 2004 09:48 GMT

> I'm looking to purchase a vehicle to replace my '98 not-so-grand Voyager so
> I can pull my boat (and not have to worry about what's going to break this
> week). We drove a '95 Trooper at a local dealer yesterday, and it seems to
> fit the bill. Unfortunately, they seem to be quite proud of this particular
> one, since they were looking for about $1800 more than it's worth, according
> to Edmunds.com.

I don't know how suitable the Trooper is for towing; it's a short
wheelbase, tall vehicle. I would not want to tow anything heavy with it.
(Nothing against the Trooper itself; I've hauled a 4,000# boat in and out
of the water with it. Just the geometry may not be suitable for
high-speed towing.)

Regardless, I wouldn't pay $1800 over what Edmunds says. Find another
dealer. There's lots of old Troopers around.

--Kamus

Signature

o__ | May your trails be dim, lonesome, stony, narrow, winding and
,>/'_ | only slightly uphill. May the wind bring rain for the slickrock
(_)\(_) | potholes fourteen miles on the other side of yonder blue ridge.
| May God's dog serenade your campfire, may the rattlesnake and
o | the screech owl amuse your reveries, may the Great Sun dazzle
>[] | your eyes by day and the Great Bear watch over you at night.
/\ |
\ \ | - Edward Abbey, Beyond the Wall

Reply to this Message

Aaron and Aimee Ness - 20 Apr 2004 04:56 GMT

I'm definitely moving on to better dealers/individuals. Incidentally, I
stopped by today to see if they would come down $1800 (I really knew they
wouldn't), and it was sold. Someone got screwed. I think in the future,
I'll use that dealer to determine what I want, because they're huge and have
a decent selection, if you don't mind driving all over town to their various
lots. Then I'll go somewhere else, find a similar vehicle, and pay what
it's worth.

The boat isn't really a big deal; it's a 16' fiberglas bass boat with a 55
hp Johnson outboard. Too much for the minivan to handle (especially
considering that it couldn't even pull its own weight around!), but I
wouldn't expect it to be too bad to pull. I think I'll probably just go for
it, since it really seems to be the best thing on the market for what I need
it to do. I just won't be able to run triple digits with the boat in tow,
right?

Thanks for the input.

Aaron

> > I'm looking to purchase a vehicle to replace my '98 not-so-grand Voyager so
> > I can pull my boat (and not have to worry about what's going to break this
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> /\ |
> \ \ | - Edward Abbey, Beyond the Wall

Reply to this Message

Tom Gibson - 20 Apr 2004 22:06 GMT

> I'm looking to purchase a vehicle to replace my '98 not-so-grand Voyager so
> I can pull my boat (and not have to worry about what's going to break this
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> to the price. I do the majority of my own work - in a pinch, I'll take it
> to a shop, as was the case when our Chrysler transmission exploded.

I recently (last month) bought a 95 Trooper S w/24,500 miles on it.
5spd, A/C, cruise, tilt, power windows & locks, power heated mirrors,
highway gears and alloy wheels. I paid more than Edmunds thought I
should, but not $1800 more. With such low mileage, I just couldn't
pass it up.

The 3.2L V6 in the 95 is prone to a valve tick. The 'resolution' from
Isuzu is Mobil1 0W30 synthetic oil. The auto trans doesn't have a
dipstick (odd, eh?). Depending on your locale, they are prone to
frame rust that will inevitably spread to the body if not addressed.
It's an all aluminum engine, for better or worse, and you can strip
some threads if you aren't careful. Spark plugs require anti-sieze.

There's a bunch of Trooper nuts at the following forums:
http://www.planetisuzoo.com/
(forum link at upper left)
http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/ubbthreads.php
(Isuzu specific stuff about 2/3 down the page)

Dealer parts are EXPENSIVE. Mine had a hole in the exhaust flex
joint. Dealer wanted nearly $1000 for the part. Local shop welded in
a new joint for less than $90.

Isuzu option codes & VIN decoder can be found here:
http://www.itog.com/x-iu.shtml
(very handy)

For hauling a boat, I'd suggest finding one with a limited slip
differential. The option code is G80. Option codes are on a plate on
the passenger side of the firewall, under the hood. Mine also has a
'big radiator' option which would be nice for towing. The LS version
is where it's at if you have the patience...

Another thing: www.carfax.com = best $20 you'll ever spend as a used
car shopper, IMO. I found several vehicles that seemed like excellent
deals only to find out that they had been in serious accidents or had
salvage titles.

HTH,
Tom G

Reply to this Message