Update on the $2100 Isuzu trooper

[Chris142]

Things still running! The piston soak and Valvoline RnP slowed the oil consumption down to acceptable levels.

It did throw an O2 sensor code a few weeks back. She ordered a sensor and had her boyfriend put it in so I didn't have to.

I did a pad slap on both ends.

AC is cold,heat is hot, 4x4 works, cruise control works.

She got the windows tinted and put some LED lights where the goofy fog lights were.

Currant milage is about 244000 so almost 15k miles since we bought it about a year ago.

Imo a pretty good deal for the cost of 4 payments on a newer car.

 

[We're Metals]

Original thread?

 

[wavinwayne]

Looks a bit like a mid-90s Land Cruiser. I like!

 

[Chris142]

Original thread?

C

Thread 'Found cousin Casey a car.'

Jan 25, 2025

After dealing with weirdos and scammers this 99 Isuzu trooper showed up on market place.

Guy seemed ok, he pointed out a few minor issues and what not. Test drove it and it shifted good and ran good, hot heat,cold AC.

Sounded ok. According to the paperwork I found it had 8k on the oil though. Looking down the oil fill hole I can see bare aluminum,not piles of sludge.

It has 5 nearly new BF Goodrich tires bought from Costco 7000miles ago. Date code on the one I checked was 34th month of 2024.

It's a 4x4 and the CV boots on the front axles are good and not slinging green grease.

Paid...

• Chris142
• Replies: 46
• Forum: Vehicles

• 
• 

 

[Chris142]

Looks a bit like a mid-90s Land Cruiser. I like!

She is country girl and a 4x4 SUV is more her style than say a kia rio or a Corolla . Plus we needed something that can take the dirt road.

BTW 4.56 gearing is factory in this car.

 

[melk]

Awesome rig. They are under appreciated I think.

 

[JTK]

That's great to see it still lives on. I miss seeing these in the wild. A cousin I'm close with owned a 1998 and then a 2000. I did some work on them for him. It's what prompted me to buy our new 2002 Rodeo LS 4x4 back then. I loved those 3.2/3.5's. Got pretty good at draining and re-filling those dipstickless 4L30E's back then too.

 

[cheech279]

I've had three Troopers: 1996, 1998 and 2001, all purchased used. My son killed the 1996 driving on the beach. I drove the 2001 for two years and sold it for a profit. My wife didn't like driving them. It's a shame that the Ralph Nader organization so badly crippled the Isuzu brand, but it's nice keeping Troopers on the road.

 

[Pew]

Original thread?

I gotchu:

1

2

 

[RooflessVW]

Troopers are Good Cars™

 

[Chris142]

I loved those 3.2/3.5's. Got pretty good at draining and re-filling those dipstickless 4L30E's back then too.

The 3.5 sounds very good. Does not rattle on cold start. Part of the reason I bought the car. The transmission does have a small drip and filling it is a real pain. I bought a 12v pump to fill it every 3 months or so.

Ya it's not perfect but better than a monthly car payment.

 

[fdcg27]

Glad to hear that this old high mileage beast has worked out so well for you.
In my part of the world it would have suffered terminal rust more than a decade ago.

 

[cb450sc]

I read an interesting article the other day on this vehicle. Apparently the Trooper (generation 2) holds the record as being sold and rebranded under the most different companies. I think I read that ten different companies around the world sold this vehicle under their name plate.

 

[Chris142]

I read an interesting article the other day on this vehicle. Apparently the Trooper (generation 2) holds the record as being sold and rebranded under the most different companies. I think I read that ten different companies around the world sold this vehicle under their name plate.

Yes I have found that out too. I forgot ... I had to replace the dr seat as the springs broke. I found one @ picapart. It was in an OPEL MONTERAY branded Trooper. It was also a manual transmission¡. Too bad I didn't have time to get those parts.

 

[RooflessVW]

Yes I have found that out too. I forgot ... I had to replace the dr seat as the springs broke. I found one @ picapart. It was in an OPEL MONTERAY branded Trooper. It was also a manual transmission¡. Too bad I didn't have time to get those parts.

There was a lot of badge engineering going on during those years. The Chevy Trailblazer has to tie for the record of "most rebranded"

 

[wavinwayne]

There was a lot of badge engineering going on during those years. The Chevy Trailblazer has to tie for the record of "most rebranded"

Didn't Isuzu and Chevy also have a few identical/re-branded pickup trucks over the years?

 

[RooflessVW]

Didn't Isuzu and Chevy also have a few identical/re-branded pickup trucks over the years?

The Hombre/Canyon/Colorado

 

[Nick1994]

As an XJ lover, I have to say these are probably more reliable. My XJ has been fairly needy over all these years, mostly just the age of stuff not holding up. But, some cars just age better.