Zyla's 1994 Isuzu Trooper LS - End of the Road.

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Sounds pretty neat! I wish Bruiser would sound that good with an exhaust leak. :lol:

But what the hell was that whining when you let off? Just general road noise or...?
 
Today started out as a typical, dreary morning, consisting of clouds and little to no good sunshine. The air was cold and the wind was stupidly strong. Around noon or so, the sky cleared up, and the wind died down, allowing more sunlight to get through and warm the air to a moderate temperature.

Our school had another assembly about a half hour before school let out, so I decided to just leave early and head up to one of my favorite scenic roads in the area - Little Cottonwood Canyon.

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Being the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, there was hardly any traffic on this curvy paradise, which made for great driving experience.

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I always love coming up here this time of year, because it's when you finally start to see the life come back into everything.

The sound of that water nearly put me in a trance.

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Lana wanted to be a part of the scene too.

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The glare in this image is ghastly, but the angle was just too good to let go. Looks like my car acquired a power-up. I always knew it was special. :D

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On the way back down, I was reminded why I love Utah so much. You just can't beat a view like that.

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She may be older and rather heavy, and running a little rough, but she sure made the trip pretty well. After turning around and coming back downhill, I was pushing 50-60mph through the curves and that car stayed planted. I couldn't help but smile like an idiot. I can't wait for it to be tuned.

Speaking of being tuned, stay tuned, as there's more where this came from.
 
Today seemed gloomy at first, because a lot of the leftover clouds are blowing through before summer is here and it's giving Utah a lot of cloudy days. However, after driving aimlessly and making one of the best "wrong turns" ever, it made me greatly appreciate the weather we were having, as it brought out the scenery of this incredible curvy road better than I would expect. It reminded me of the English countryside, and I loved it.

I've never seen this part of the east mountain range.

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A rather quaint patch of dirt and mulch, yes?

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Continuing up the road from the previous pics, I found an extremely scenic church parking lot tucked in behind some trees. (I also saw an E36 M3 but the guy was sitting in it and I didn't want to make it awkward by taking a picture.)

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I know they're all similar but I couldn't decide on a favorite so I posted them all k.
 
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I figured a follow-up on the car would be nice to have, since it's been almost a month since the last post.

First of all, some good news: As of last monday (a week before this past monday), I have finally gotten myself a job. :D

I should be seeing my first paycheck this coming monday, although I have only been getting training hours thus far, so the size may not be as large as I would like. Either way, it should be enough for me to purchase a full diagnostic and some necessary parts needed to raise Lana's health.

So far, the (necessary) tasks on my list are:

Oil Change
Transmission Flush
Replace Spark Plugs and Spark Plug Boots

Any additional modifications done to the car will be included in a future post.

Stay tuned, the fun is only starting!
 
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Congrats on the new job! earn them dolla dolla bills y'all

Looking forward to some updates on Lana too. 👍
 
Another day of dealing with Utah's temperamental weather patterns. It's roughly ten days away from June, and we are still dealing with fifty-degree weather and stupidly strong wind. This didn't, however, stop me from going on a brief trip out to Magna, for the fun of driving down Bacchus Highway and shooting a few pictures of the prominent Trooper.

What's ironic, though, is that when I set off to take this trip, I had no particular area set in my mind to visit. It was one of those "let the wind carry you there" kind of things. So I ended up at some road that led to a cemetary, that was rather scenic, and had a stunning view.

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My car looks so innocent.
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As for the news regarding the car's restoration, I'm still waiting on the money to do so. My boss tells me I should see the check Wednesday, since that's when them benjaminz get handed out. Lana gon' be one boss azz bitsh. :mischievous:
 
This is a rather painful and awkward post to be typing, but yes, you read the title correctly. I've been doing some thinking about the Trooper, and its numerous problems, and I've come to the conclusion that it is time to say goodbye to the car. As much fun as I've had with it, it's obvious that it's on its last legs, and I can't deal with the issues it has anymore.

I'm usually a pretty patient person, especially with cars, but its too difficult living with a car that struggles to reach the speed limit of a neighborhood, has violent gear changes, and sounds like it rolled out of Farmer Jenkin's old shed for the first time in twenty years.

I understand that the car has potential, and it sure didn't receive the name Trooper for nothing, because it certainly is one. Of all the hell I've put it through, and all of those miles that have racked up on it, it sure says something when it continues to run and drive. I've just never been as much of a big car person as I am a small, compact car person. Lightweight, agile, fast acceleration. Those are the things I love most in my cars. Yes, I can make exceptions, obviously, because I adore classic Volkswagens. But the Trooper just doesn't reach out to me the way I was wanting it to. Not to mention the lack of availability of specific parts that I both wanted and needed for it.

I don't want to say things are set in stone, because I'm known to be somewhat indecisive, but I've definitely thought this through, and I'm pretty serious about it. It's a smart choice to be making. This car was going to most likely fall apart before it was healthy again, and that's what worries me.

When I'm in the mood to do so, I will drive around quickly, and take corners like an idiot. I don't take it to the point where it's dangerous, though; I do have self-control. The Trooper, though, does not like corners, or turning in general, unless you're going under 10mph. I know this is part of the suspension that needs upgrading, which is, in most aspects, a simple fix, but it's all added up too quickly, and I've decided to just let go of it. No more dealing with malady after malady. Gotta fix this, gotta fix that, oh, that's leaking again, damn, I almost rolled the car, I'm doing 35mph after ten seconds of 3/4 throttle. I can't put up with it. And it's not just because I don't feel like dealing with the repairs; that would be stupid. I genuinely want something new; something exciting (to me).

I will miss the car, and I'm glad I have pictures of it to remind me of the fun I had with it in the future, but this is the wiser choice to make on my part. Thanks for the support and interest, it would have been fun, but much too expensive. I'll see you in my next car's thread.

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Take your time hunting for a new car.
Take it to a mechanic for a pre-buy inspection.
Enjoy the experience rather than making it a chore.

Prrsonally I like your choice in giving up on a too large vehicle for a sporty (sportier?) compact. Hopefully less to maintain and run. Easier to find parts for and repair.

Any ideas on what you're goi g to replace it with? Subaru impreza? Honda civic?
 
Noooo i liked Lana. Anyway as long as you keep us posted with What you get it's all good 👍
 
A shame that Lana has to go, but I certainly understand why. I think she just needs to go with someone who's a Trooper/off-roader enthusiast who has the money, time and tools to make her shine again. I did think you'd bought a bit of a lemon when you first posted this thread though. But after you cleaned her up she looked alright so I didn't say anything.

Will Suzi be making a return or is it on to the next one?
 
A shame that Lana has to go, but I certainly understand why. I think she just needs to go with someone who's a Trooper/off-roader enthusiast who has the money, time and tools to make her shine again. I did think you'd bought a bit of a lemon when you first posted this thread though. But after you cleaned her up she looked alright so I didn't say anything.

Will Suzi be making a return or is it on to the next one?

I certainly hope she falls into the right hands.

Suzi belongs to my sister, sadly, but it's alright, because I'm more interested in the car I'm looking at later today. More details will be shared later on.
 
I won't say good. Or I told you so. Far from it, but it's better to call it quits before sinking a lot of money into something not worth it. That's the economic side of things. It's a brilliant way to learn.. :) Pro tip, before advertising it at least change the gear oil. If it results in smoother gear changes, you'll have the chance of fetching more coin or an easier sale at least - gearbox rebuilds are expensive and jerky shifts are a real turn off for most people (who will fear it's a full rebuild) or an opportunity for haggling for those who know it may just take an oil change to make it decent.. :)

Also throw the door card on and just clean it up a little before showing it. Tricks of the car flipping trade lol.
 
Okay, so here's what happened.

Originally, I was going to get rid of the Trooper. I needed to get into something that didn't make driving a chore rather than an enjoyable experience. I never had the desire to get rid of it though. I love it so much! I was upset that I had to even consider getting a new car because it had so many things going wrong. But then I got some insight from my dad, saying that I would love the car once it was fixed. He was wrong; I love the car now! But he had a point, I should go through with it. I don't think giving up the vehicle is something I won't regret. I would have missed the crap out of it.

So you can all take a deep breath with me, now. Lana is staying with me.
 
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So you're not selling Lana? I'd advise doing the research and writing a price list of everything you need and want to do to the trooper. Pretend your buying the parts for real, and figure out exactly what it's going to cost to make it into what you want. After seeing the bottom line you might decide it's better to just cut your losses.

Or you could decide that it's totally worth putting the time, money and effort into Lana. It'll be an awesome car once your finished, but you really should check the numbers first.
 
Awesome advice, but I've actually already made a parts list and put my priorities into order (for the most part). Lana is definitely worth putting the time and money into. I appreciate your help. :)
 
Sentimental value almost always beats monetary value, at least for me.

Good choice sticking with it. That's how you learn. 👍

Of course, don't spend too much on it, because I know you've been wanting a Kawasaki Tecate for a while :D
 
You're like my dad with Bruiser. For about a year he was certain he was going to get rid of him, and certain he was going to auction... and then a few weeks before the auction he decides to save up for a new engine and keep Bruiser running so I can inherit him. :lol:

Looking forward to see the updates on her then! :P
 
You're like my dad with Bruiser. For about a year he was certain he was going to get rid of him.

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Looking forward to see the updates on her then!

I took the time to apologize to her for letting the thought of selling her cross my mind. :P


i know im weird pls dont judge me
 
I took the time to apologize to her for letting the thought of selling her cross my mind. :P


i know im weird pls dont judge me

Don't worry, the other day when I got in Bruiser to go to school my bag accidentally caught his door and without even thinking I said, "Oops, sorry Bruiser." :lol:
 
There's this public off-roading park just off Bacchus near my house that I've never had the urge to visit until today. I arrived there this morning while the air was cool and the park was dead empty. This meant it was the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time with Lana.


Personally, I like to think of unmodified cars as the "babies" of the car world, and their gradual customization stages are the adolescent period. Lana definitely looks like a baby in this picture, but it's okay, I think it's cute. #weirdo
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And this is where the magic happen(s/ed).
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As a token of appreciation of everyone's interest and support in this thread, I've made a brief sound clip video that includes some simple action footage of the car.

 
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Lana and I love to go on impromptu drives after school and work. Yesterday, we did just that, but to a place I've never photographed until now. As you may or may not know, I live pretty close to Salt Lake City, where the good ol' capitol dwells. Took a nice lil' chooch up on yonder and found me a nice lil' road with a good view of the capitol from behind.

Now, mind you, I did take these pictures with an iPhone 4S, so just keep that in mind.

Somebody needs a bath.
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As you can see my license plate is only blurred in one picture. I did this because it felt weird taking a close up of it. I don't mind letting it show otherwise.
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I can't wait until I can go on impromptu drives. If I ask to drive somewhere now I just get glared at.

Nice photos! 👍
 
So... there's this amazing (I don't think I can italicize that enough) road called the Alpine Loop down near Provo. It runs through the mountains and it's nothing but incredible scenery, sounds of birds and the stream, and of course, a near-perfect road. Since we both live in the same area, @Ferraridude308 has also visited this voluptuous paradise. We both consider it to be the Nurburgring of the Rockies. I just can't describe how intoxicating it was to have my windows down, hauling ass through this incredible canyon with the sun shining and the temperature at the epitome of perfection.

...until some old fart in one of these pulls out and does 30mph for the next mile in front of me. So after having enough of that, I pulled off to the side to do what I love to do on awesome drives. Take pictures.

Don't let the quality of my darn iPhone fool you here. In person, it's a 12/10 view.
I really want need a DSLR.

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I'll definitely be making multiple returns to this lovely retreat from everyday crap.
 
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ya m8 I went yesterday

for those not in Utah:
It's tighter, longer, and has more elevation changes than the Nurburgring, and it's basically deserted.
the lack of guardrails or lines on the road is disconcerting however
 
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