I just purchased a 1988 Isuzu Trooper. 2.6 4L, 5 speed. trans. fuel injected, 4 door. Total sale price of $780.00. The body and drive train is in near perfect condition. Interior is almost new condition. No body rust at all, all doors operate as they should. All gauges work.
I noticed that the motor was ¾ of a gal. low on coolant, and that the motor was 2 qts. low on oil! No wonder it was overheating. Later, after buying the Trooper, I discovered, from careful observation, that as the motor overheated neither the upper radiator hose nor radiator were hot. Thus the thermostat had not opened yet. I promptly replaced it with a 180 deg. thermostat. Now the motor does not overheat at all, thus eliminating several threats; warped head, blown head gasket, pulsating r.p.m.
Now that the machine is on the road, it runs and drives great! I feel that the motor has enough power to do many jobs. Acceleration on to freeways and hill pulling with a full load of passengers is no problem for this machine. This motor will not go 80 in 3 seconds nor will it tow a yacht, or put on a drag race inspired smoke show. It is an economy minded machine.
I like the visibility from the drivers seat. I can see almost 360 deg. No blind spots or hidden spots. The gauges are laid out in an easy to view arrangement. The gearshift is in the right spot, and this particular model does not have any electric options of any kind. Manual operated means less broken stuff later on down the road.
I feel that if I take care of this motor and use it for what it was intended, I will have a great machine for several years to come.
