The Prospects for my '95 Isuzu Trooper LS

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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The one and only new car I ever purchased was a 1979 model. I later picked up two more of the same make and model, keeping them trim and maintained until 1999 -- the year I retired "completely." I relocated from the DC metro area to the home of my youth in So-Cal, and on my way west, visiting a friend in Albuquerque, I made arrangements to buy his 1987 Trooper for $1,000. It was in great shape, but he didn't want to spend $400 to replace a CV joint boot. I returned to ABQ that month with a $1,000 check and a NAPA "blue-plastic" split boot. [I know about these -- they're tougher than the factory part.] My friend said "Gee! If I'd known you could do that, I wouldn't have sold you the Trooper!" I apologized, but told him "a deal is a deal."

That Trooper was a stand-up ride for a 5-speed manual and 4-cylinder engine 4WD. I took it on two marathon trips up to WA and the North Cascades. But one evening, I was returning from Idyllwild with my brother the chef, and a brainless college girl decided to make a U-turn from the right shoulder into the opposite lane without even signaling. I was going 55. I could've killed her, but swerved. The accident totaled the Suzu, but the insurance company gave me a check for $1,500 -- covering the new tires and minor repairs I'd made.

I had been bitten by the SUV bug. I immediately looked for another Trooper. Within a month, I found a second-generation 1995 Trooper LS. It had been briefly owned by a rental agency, then purchased by a family in San Berdoo. It had 95,000 miles on the odometer when the family decided they wanted a Lincoln Navigator. I paid them $8,500. The MSRP of 1995 was $29,245. So now, I was not only bitten, but I was going to be spoiled.

Next month, the LS will be 24 years old, and I will have owned it for 17 years. It is almost as though I suddenly woke up to this fact. After a marathon trip to No. VA for two months in 2004 and some "four-wheelin' adventures," I was putting an average of 3,000 miles per year on the car. It is our "main ride." I had replaced the transmission during the 2004 trip. In October of this year, without even considering the Kelley Blue Book value of ~$2,000, I invested $2,500 in a completely rebuilt suspension with KYB heavy-duty shocks, ball-joints, heavy-duty brakes, a replacement CV-Joint.

I had had an engine-oil leak -- very minor, in the last few years. But a bottle of Blue Devil engine sealer stopped it completely. More recently, cleaning up the garage floor, I'd discovered a transmission fluid leak near the radiator -- also very minor. I put in some Valvoline tranny "stop-leak," and now that leak has disappeared.

The engine has 185,000+ miles on the odometer. Three different mechanics, one of them a smog-test facility owner, told me this last year "Don't do ANYTHING with this engine! It's perfect!" There are maybe four years left on the tire warranty, and only 10,000 miles in wear of the 70,000 mile warranty limit. No coolant leaks. Everything works, although I never use the anti-theft alarm system and keep it switched off.

There are uncertainties. What happens if one of the two onboard computers goes on the fritz? I ran some preliminary searches at Rock Auto: "Out of Stock." When Isuzu introduced their 3rd Gen models after 2000, they priced themselves out of the market, and chose to get out of the passenger-vehicle business. They had always made commercial trucks, but my Trooper is an orphan now. Even so, there does not seem to be a dearth of new parts available, excluding the computers and tail-light assemblies.

My friend from high-school (1965 and we're now 70 years old) keeps telling me to buy a new car. I very much like watching my savings account, which had amazing growth this year despite $6,000 in dental work. And I'm not interested in buying a new Toyota Corolla. I'm spoiled now. A longtime friend in Virginia who retired handsomely with $17 million in personal assets had bought a Land Rover in 2003, and I was impressed. But I cannot afford $52,000 MSRP for a 2018/19 Discovery. For any such vehicle, I'll need to buy "previously-owned." I'm not eager to do it. And if I buy another car, I'll still want to keep the SUZU.

So I worry about things like "new fuel formulations" with ethanol. Or a surprise death of an onboard computer. If the engine somehow dies, I think I'll be adverse to replacement or overhaul, but it is definitely not showing any troubles.

Any ideas on how I should plan for the future? I think I can pay $20,000 as a cash outlay for another car in three years and still have half my savings left over. I don't like the idea of a vehicle as an asset store. I DO like the idea of low cents-per-mile and reasonable dollars-per-year, and I like the idea of a "Free Ride" even better.

I love this Trooper -- often referred to with less affection as "The Pooper." Sooner or later, I'll have to "let go."
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PS I checked my digital archives for the smog-test records. The smog-test results for January 2018 were better than they were for the test run in January 2002. Barring the comparison, the "NO" results show a "Maximum" allowed of about 550, and my SUZU scored 345. And that was last year's test result.
 
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herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
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the old troopers were pretty great. best modern equivalents are the land cruiser and the newer Nissan armada/patrol/qx60 which i think, all now qualify for luxobarge status, shying away from their roots a bit. there is the Montero as well, a bit newer models around than the trooper, but getting long in the tooth as well. last one of those was 06, vs 02 for the trooper.

real world, if you find the parts and can fix yourself, you could get quite a bit more time out of the trooper, if you have to pay someone you may want to ditch it. Expedition portal has a small buy loyal Trooper following and they love to overpay for them. great place to sell it if you go that way.
 
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repoman0

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2010
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It sounds like you don't really need to plan at all. The car seems rust free and healthy and you clearly like it, so just keep driving it without worry. Unless the onboard computers have a history of failing I don't think you need to worry about that.

The car landscape could change a lot by the time you actually need to replace it.
 
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BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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Herm0016 and repoman0 -- thank you for the encouragement and advice.

I've started investigating prospects for a replacement mechanic and repair shop, and I think I've found a good candidate. I must be asking the right questions, if another prospect said they weren't eager to do it and preferred servicing American cars.

My smog-tester told me the other day that a good replacement vehicle possibility would be a Toyota 4Runner or Highlander. Highlander is too big. The insurance agent tells me that the premiums on a 2014 4Runner would be about $160/month. In a couple years, I should be able to pay 2/3 down on a low-mileage pre-owned. The insurance is not a major problem in the budget, but I want to avoid a car mortgage, or a big one anyway.

But if I don't have to, I'll take my darn time and enjoy the Trooper.

The new mechanic shop's web-site promotes the idea of getting 300,000 miles out of an engine. They therefore encourage people to keep old cars. May they have a thriving business!

As for DIY maintenance, I've got the factory shop manual, I've got a great tool collection, but my hands-on experience is limited to 1979 technology. I can change the plugs and wires, change the oil, and the usual stuff. But if I need to replace a radiator, I'll pay someone else.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
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UPDATE COMMENT:

I PDF'd and archived every repair and service order since I bought the Trooper in 2002. I decided to run the numbers for total (nominal-dollar) outlays, cents-per-mile and dollars-per-year. For comparison, I assumed purchase of a new Trooper in 2002, but using the 1995 MSRP of $29,245. [Replacement vehicle recommended and noted above would have a price of ~$30,000 today). I considered cash payment up front in one column, and 10% down with 72 months @ 4% in another column. Insurance costs on the new vehicle assumed full comprehensive for the first six years, and then my existing bill thereafter.

It looks as though I "saved" between $14,000 and $17,000 buying the used Trooper in 2002. This would guide a similar decision today, as far as I can see.

I'm going to hang onto this ride for a few years, and then revisit the possibility of buying a 4-year-old replacement at that time.

Everybody here and everybody I know says it's a keeper, but for one person who just bought a new Corolla and thinks that I should be satisfied with that sort of run-about -- recommending that I buy a new car. I think the numbers prove my case.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,066
1,550
126
Yea, your numbers are probably pretty accurate.
Might be worth also considering to buy a 6-8 year old vehicle in a few years.
Many vehicles don't depreciate as fast as they used to, something 4 years old might still be 60 or 70% the price of new.
Of course there will be deals to be found, and, it can be nicer to have a newer car. I usually buy them 2-4 years old and keep em until they are too much of a headache.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,511
219
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If the time comes you can no longer get replacement parts, consider a used Lexus GX470. I paid $8150 for mine over two years ago, about 204k miles now. Toyota reliability with luxury car depreciation is a match made in heaven. :D
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
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Yea, your numbers are probably pretty accurate.
Might be worth also considering to buy a 6-8 year old vehicle in a few years.
Many vehicles don't depreciate as fast as they used to, something 4 years old might still be 60 or 70% the price of new.
Of course there will be deals to be found, and, it can be nicer to have a newer car. I usually buy them 2-4 years old and keep em until they are too much of a headache.

I'm glad all you folks have visited my thread.

Years ago -- many years ago -- I read somewhere that there are millionaires living in mainstream neighborhoods who advise buying three or four-year-old vehicles. I had a friend who kept a fleet of 1979 325i Beamers. He was also running an investment advisory service with a friend on the side, and managed to rent a Mercedes Turbo-Diesel through their company or LLC. Five years at the end of the rental contract, I think he bought it used through the company and then sold it to himself. Sounds shady, but he's a lawyer.

In addition to the shop order expenditures I tallied in my spreadsheet, I was able to cross-check the service history against the shop-manual maintenance schedule. It's embarrassing, but my remanufactured tranny of 2004 may have been unnecessary if I'd only paid attention to the maintenance schedule and the warning lights.

Anyway! The argument for buying a brand new car falls back on the convenience of a drive-train warranty and an attitude opposite keeping tabs as I described. I could call it laziness, but managing a used car or old car requires a little time and attention.

I don't think I'll change my strategy, however. I mostly worry that a time will come when I am no longer able to drive a car at all. It took me a long time until this year before I realized I was driving a 24-year-old Trooper. And I'm still just waking up to the fact that I'm over 70!

I've really gotten fond of it! I had to drive it again today. It's something I . . almost look forward to. Meanwhile, I'm not eager for all the touchscreen, Apple-Android stuff.

Next year, an end to mortgage payments on a rental property will boost my monthly income by enough to cover a new car payment plus the insurance. I won't have to alter my budget to accommodate another car. But I think I'll just get a transmission flush for the SUZU and watch the money pile up for a while. I even detest the thought of passing off the Trooper as a "trade-in" on another car. If I bought another car, I'd try to keep the Trooper.

And -- you're right. The more expensive vehicles, purchased as "pre-owned", seem to have a lot more reliability and longevity.
 

BurnItDwn

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
26,066
1,550
126
My Maternal Grandmother is in her mid 80s, she still drives 4-5 hour shits during road trips with my uncle or mom. She does ok for the most part. (hasnt hit anything.)

My Paternal Grandfather is north of 90, he still drives his car, but, only during the day.

You can get some pretty good mileage out of people these days. :)
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
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My Maternal Grandmother is in her mid 80s, she still drives 4-5 hour shits during road trips with my uncle or mom. She does ok for the most part. (hasnt hit anything.)

My Paternal Grandfather is north of 90, he still drives his car, but, only during the day.

You can get some pretty good mileage out of people these days. :)

We're trying to get more mileage out of Moms. She's always been very worrisome -- an anxiety disorder I suppose -- and she deliberately quit driving at 80. Then, she stopped remembering to pay the household bills at 88 when she chose "Senior ID" over DL renewal, and her car went to Cash-for-Clunkers in '16 at 90.

Being around her, I've started to worry about myself . . . :eek: I'm still speculating about any connection between anxiety and cognitive decline. And I try not to worry.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
1,448
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Lexus GX460.
That model looks like it's about one notch below a Land Rover, in terms of price and MSRP. I found one with 100,000 + miles on it for around $20,000.

Even so, my experience with the Trooper (95,000 when I bought it) suggests that there are cars with that much mileage which will just continue to go and go and go . . .
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,511
219
106
That model looks like it's about one notch below a Land Rover, in terms of price and MSRP. I found one with 100,000 + miles on it for around $20,000.

Even so, my experience with the Trooper (95,000 when I bought it) suggests that there are cars with that much mileage which will just continue to go and go and go . . .

In terms of reliability, it's at the opposite end of the scale. ;)
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,456
854
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In terms of reliability, it's at the opposite end of the scale. ;)

Yeah, Land Rover are not exactly known for their reliability. ;) And my experience with Isuzu doesn’t place them much higher than the British in terms of dependability. Lexus/Toyota is definitely at the other end of the scale.

Prices are lower on the older GX470 and they look almost the same as the newer model. They are great vehicles, very capable off-road and they last forever if you take care of them.

We bought my son a 1998 Toyota 4Runner about a year ago for his first car. The vehicle we bought is a one owner California car with 203,000 miles on it.

It needed tires, a timing belt and some other minor work but it has been very reliable and everything works on it except the power moonroof and the cruise control.

We looked into fixing the moonroof but it is very labor intensive which made it cost prohibitive so we disconnected the switch so it wouldn’t open. It would open but it wouldn’t close.

The cruise control is an easy fix but it hasn’t been something we have felt the need to do yet. I wouldn’t hesitate to drive his truck anywhere.
 
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herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
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Yeah, Land Rover are not exactly known for their reliability. ;) And my experience with Isuzu doesn’t place them much higher than the British in terms of dependability. Lexus/Toyota is definitely at the other end of the scale.


The trooper and a few of their SUVs were actually very good. Their made only for US stuff was generally crap.
 

BonzaiDuck

Lifer
Jun 30, 2004
15,699
1,448
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I had a ‘94 Rodeo. It was utter crap.

Different model. I explained my introduction to the Troopers, having got an '87 model two years before it was totaled and I had to search for a replacement. The new one was a step up in features, comfort, appearance. They were both "reliable." Of course, enough experience with old or used cars, and one understands that replacing something like a heater-core, a radiator or a water-pump is necessary as parts wear out. With an engine like my 95 Trooper and (so far) its transmission, I conclude that I only have to keep it in oil and Dexron III. If I already said it, my smog-test last year was better than the result from 2002 when I'd just acquired it.

The 4Runner is considered a good replacement vehicle, and I'm looking at recent model-years. I've been monitoring the drop-pans on the garage floor and the dip-sticks. There is a barely imperceptible leak at the rear engine main-seal, but I never have to top up the engine-oil. Another small leak from the transmission cooling pipes requires me to add about 1/8 quart of Dexron once a month to keep the tranny full. So . . . all old cars leak oil. You can replace the seals and gaskets for some considerable expense, but it doesn't make sense with the leaks I have.

Next December, I will pay off the mortgage on my Virginia rental property and wipe out a residual principle balance of a HELOC loan I'd used for repairs and restorations. This will suddenly give me about $700/month as a steady income stream. My tenant signed a three-year lease, and I don't really expect much in interruptions, although no problem if the occupancy turns over. But that's more than enough for a new car payment plus the insurance on something like a 4Runner. The way this Trooper is running, I should be able to take my time, let the cash pile up and put 100% cash down for the purchase of a new or pre-owned.

Or I could keep the Trooper and get a RAV4 -- also Toyota. Suburu Forester sounds interesting. But now I see there's no hurry. As I said, I look forward to grocery trips and errands because I just like to drive that Trooper.