zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
For $1,300, Could This 1999 Isuzu Amigo Become Your New Best Friend?
For $1,300, Could This 1999 Isuzu Amigo Become Your New Best Friend?-August 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:58

Joe Isuzu got famous for lying like a rug—that was his schtick. His corporate masters would have preferred his fame arose from selling cars, but that was not to be. One car that they did sell was today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Amigo and we’ll need to decide if its current price is a deal and that’s no lie.

Okay people, let’s get one thing straight, lowering cars ain’t like raising hemlines, you can go too far. Yesterday’s was dropped—maybe not too far—but still enough to be noteworthy. That was most likely when riding over sleeping policemen or substantial dips in the road.

Contrastingly, it’s price was seen as too high, coming in at a 60% Crack pipe loss, much to the chagrin of the bevy of Volvo loves we have around here, among which you can count yours truly.

My wife and I in fact attended Volvo’s 60th anniversary here in the States last year. There we giggled when hearing both the company’s CEO, Lex Kerssemakers and Jay Leno pronounce the brand’s name asVahl-voe. It’s how we say it now. And then we giggle some more.

Another company name that once had pronunciation issues here in the U.S. was Isuzu. Back before the company hired David Leisure to create the character of Joe Isuzu they ran an ad in which caucasians struggled to say Isuzu and then which ended with an Asian man commiserating that he couldn’t say Chevrolet. It was endearing and mildly racist.

Today’s looks pretty endearing, and not the least bit racist so let’s give it the once over.

The truck has 146,000 miles under its belt and the cool hard/soft convertible top that echoes the style of Porsche’s original 901 Targa. The truck is located in Las Vegas, and the harsh Nevada (Nuh-VAD-uh) sun has baked the clear coat off on the hood. That’s nothing driving exclusively at night won’t fix. The convertible top seems a bit lumpy and tired, but at least it’s intact. No rust, major dents, or missing bits mar the truck either.

On to the interior where everything appears equally tidy. There looks to be an upgraded head unit in the dash, but other than that, nothing to get too excited about in here.

Mechanicals are comprised of a 3.2-litre, 205-bhp V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. It’s a 4X2 so don’t plan on taking it on the Rubicon, but it should acquit itself quite nicely on the road.

The seller says it passed California smog in 2015 (perhaps I spoke unfalteringly too soon about that Nevada sun) and has had a recent sprucing up under the hood. It’s described charitably in the ad as a “tough tank.” Somewhat cryptically however the seller also says that this Amigo needs a new ignition coil. The truck apparently drives, so the current one couldn’t have totally failed or have gone missing, but that is a weird thing to have go bad. These have coil-on-plug units (times six) and says they can be had for as little as $34 a piece.

That coil-needing business is the only fly in the ointment here in the ad, which otherwise has the truck smelling of roses. That issue may actually foretell other engine maladies, so a good going over by someone who knows these things would be warranted before exchanging cash for its advertised clean title.

Or you could just wing it, he’s only asking $1,300 for it.

What do you think about this Isuzu with that mystery malady and that $1,300 price? Is that low enough for someone to pick it up “as-is?” Or, does what the ad does NOT say tell you to stay away?

You decide!

Viva Las Vegas , or go if the ad disappears.

Help me out with NPOCP. Click to send a me a fixed-price tip, and remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $7,000, Will This Mileage-Heavy 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser Cruise to a Quick Sale?
At $7,000, Will This Mileage-Heavy 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser Cruise to a Quick Sale?
People love Toyota’s Land Cruiser and most, like today’s FJ80, show lots of miles as a result. This one may have done more than most, but as a result, will its price also add up? In yesterday’s ad, the seller claimed that the sale was to make way—and money—for...
Aug 29, 2026
At $81,000, Is This 2010 Audi R8 4.2 Quattro a Great Deal?
At $81,000, Is This 2010 Audi R8 4.2 Quattro a Great Deal?
The seller of today’s Audi R8 claims to be in no hurry to sell, stating that they are “testing the waters” with the ad. We’ll just have to see if its passes our test. One of the great drivers of the post-WWII economic boom was mass consumerism. That engendered...
Aug 29, 2026
2024 Audi RS6, RS7 Get More Power With 600-HP Performance Models
2024 Audi RS6, RS7 Get More Power With 600-HP Performance Models
and were already brutally quick, but the new Performance version will boost power even further. For 2024, they now make 621 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 30 hp and 37 lb-ft compared to what they offered previously. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the outgoing version’s...
Aug 29, 2026
These Are the Cars With the Longest Potential Lifespan
These Are the Cars With the Longest Potential Lifespan
With low inventory and high prices,. There are some cars with better longevity than others and if you happen to be driving one from this list of models that can make it over a quarter of a million miles you should be in good shape for a long time....
Aug 29, 2026
Toyota to Buyers: Please Start Leasing Our Cars Again
Toyota to Buyers: Please Start Leasing Our Cars Again
Most automakers would love to be in a position to complain about too many people their cars. But not . The automaker has a weird problem on its hands that’s also industry wide. As reported, the brand is trying to figure out ways to get buyers back to leasing...
Aug 29, 2026
Luxury Car Resale Values Dropping Almost As Hard As Crypto Values
Luxury Car Resale Values Dropping Almost As Hard As Crypto Values
The bankruptcy filing of has sent shockwaves through the markets. The digital currency’s value is falling hard, personal net worths are also taking a dive. It’s even more apparent when it comes to luxury cars on the market. Crypto investors are selling their luxury cars like hotcakes and it...
Aug 29, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved