Monday, August 8, 2011

All the Cars, Part 2: 1985 Isuzu Trooper


Picture: Similar to this one, only I don't think ours had the stripe down the side:
Car: 1985 Isuzu Trooper / white 2-door SUV / 2.0L I4 gasoline engine, 73 HP
Owned?: no
Features: 4-speed MT. A/C, 4WD, which was/is actually more off-road capable than most modern AWD/4WD vehicles because Troopers had no front differential, meaning that in 4WD mode, the front wheels were always turning. PS. Seats 5
Summary: I learned to drive a manual transmission on this car. Ever since, I have found manual transmissions more fun to drive than automatic transmissions. I didn't particularly enjoy driving this car at the time, but now I think of it with nostalgic fondness.
What I Liked: Great manual transmission that was not super "picky" about shifting and did not die easily. I think I only drove it in 4WD once (on a hunting trip with my Dad), but I remember it being excellent on rough/uneven/steep dirt/gravel roads/trails. Great on snowy roads.
What I Didn't Like: Uncomfortable plastic seats. Absolutely gutless engine (could only go up to 55mph without straining the engine). I remember trying to get a running start when I would drive up a big hill that led up to the community college where I went for two years, and even with the running start I would be in second gear barely going 20mph by the time I got to the top of the hill. The A/C worked OK, but was hardly ever used because it heavily taxed the already-weak engine.
What Happened to It: It threw a rod (not while I was driving it), went to the Pick-n-Pull, and was likely sacrificed to save the life of another Trooper.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A car that is uniquely perform well on roads specially on rough roads. Simply looking car that you can't imagine to perform well, that is Isuzu Cars. A tough car that I think will be one of the most well know cars here in the Philippines.

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