Skip The Wrangler: This Obscure Classic 4x4 Is Dirt Cheap, Extremely Cool, & Shockingly Capable!
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2021
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In this video we go in-depth with one of the coolest 4x4's on the used market, the Isuzu Amigo. You gotta check this thing out!
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#Isuzu #Amigo #4x4 - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Nice interview Tommy. Really cool history.
Sheesh, I was gonna joke about this guy probably being met on grinder and then he turned his head at min 4:40, it’s no question 😶
Tommy is going to be the best.
@@tanner882 Came to the comments to find this
That guy is from 1986.
and loving every minute of it. He was awesome.
. . . maybe 1976 🤔
@furyroad7565 agreed, 70s right down to the led watch
I thought my phone was glitching to an episode of Miami Vice.🤣
Ya, he’s pretty cool
This is a dude who really loves the early 1980s.
Who doesn’t?
I was thinking that too, he's straight out of top gun
Including the dangling earring 😆
@@ShaunHensley It's not a bad thing. I love the 1980s.
Even has the right watch. 👍
“Jessie’s Girl” plays in the background, black cats being lit off, and mountains of coke. Dudes straight outta Boogie Nights. Love it!
Ricky Springfield is definitely a buddy of his!
Young Master Ken of Ameridote martial arts right there during the 80's.. .
Rex Kwon Do
Don't forget to stomp the groin!
"GM transmissions... are bulls••t!"
I thought it was Ted Lasso?🤷♂️😅
Yah that fake fur on his lip needs to go
TFL should hire this guy to do all the TFL Classic videos! The stashe, button down shirt with the hamburger meat hanging out and pants, this dude is straight out of the 70’s or 80’s!
And he tops all that off with fuzzy dice on the mirror of his rig!
For real. And he really knows his stuff. First the Russian guy and perhaps an 80's rocker reviewing cars. Crazy quirky concept but takes absolutely nothing away from the core of the TFL line of programs. This dude was on it. Well done!
Absolutely! Character for days! That chest hair!
I thought 70s porn 'stache, bear skin rug chest hair, choker gold chain and single dangling ear ring off his right earlobe he would look great popping out of a Delorean pipping the Miami Vice intro music for a TFL Classic intro.
LOL LOVE IT
@@silentbuccaneer4569 BEST COMMENT EVER
Hire him for vintage vids! Love the smoothness and confidence. Excellent interview Tommy.
Agreed. That guy was on it! Tommy has also become a great host. He's come a long way over the past couple of years.
I wish I loved the smoothness and confidence.. unfortunately it's become somewhat of a contagious trend, and often causing problems when it continues.
When you call someone on it, others bring in another trend -- calling any realism "negativity"-- and away they go.
From suave know-it-alls to "fake it til you make it" young overnight-experts who love to say "no worries!" even after they've screwed up YOUR day.... this guy seems like one of the nicest and most polite, but it reminds me of how often the confident smooth people have really caused me some serious problems and wasted time.
It's a con, but they've conned themselves into believing their own expertise so that perceived innocence keeps feeding itself and more and more like the style. Meanwhile when they're wrong, it's even harder to detect or suspect, so you go further down the road with bad information.
This guy is right about a lot of it, but not all.
When it's somebody doing that through real estate, your finances, or your health, it can ruin your life. Sure, everyone is wrong from time to time, but the confident ones are the worst when trying to figure out when you need to stop listening to them.
Most of his info is straight up internet reads, so that' fine but that's also why it's so ready and easy... which means he didn't live it yet.
For example, Isuzu wasn't doing all that bad, and though yes, competing with Jeep etc.. is difficult since it's against established American brands that could build better or worse product and the name itself will give fair advantages... it was Consumer Reports that hurt Isuzu them most. They erroneously did an unfair test assuming the Trooper, the Amigo's night sister, would tip over more easily though slalom tests. Isuzu took Consumer Reports to court and actually successfully sued them, but the damage was done. Once everyone heard it was dangerous, sales dropped beyond what they could survive on even with the competition already there. The truth was the test started the turn for the poor trooper late after the cones, making it look terrible and out of control. They do look like they might tip easier (than say a 4runner or Explorer), but they actually didn't. Still, most humans are too lazy to look into the correction, so Isuzu suffered and pulled most of these tough little SUV'a and the Trooper out of the U.S.
Too bad, because with some polish, they could have been a nice alternative. They were lower cost, and though not as reliable as Toyota, they easily held up with the other IF you took care of them. The Trooper models hold more cargo, and though later ones are too heavy to keep up off road with the Amigo, will still surprise most with what they can do. A '99 I've used would gobble up twisted trails (at times steep enough so I couldn't see anything but the sky) with no problem.
i got a 1998 for $1800 with the 5 speed
cant wait to rebuild it and go wheelin
came with good knoby tires and an ARB bumper
has a hard top with dual sunroofs
painted that orange color
I'm loving all of these cheap build able 4x4s
Not very build-able, I owned one. All of the aftermarket parts are no longer available. That lift he has is literally 1 of 2 options. Still very fun, I wish I would have kept mine.
Hunter rocking the 80's style
@KAG no he doesn’t
Thing is sweet! But please fix that tailight guard!! 😄
Yeah, I had an OCD twitch when I saw it too. :)
My father bought a 1998 Isuzu trooper when I was younger, standard transmission v6 with four wheel drive, never had lift or anything just some all terrains, and that baby would run circles around any other vehicle on trail. She always handled that nasty red Louisiana mud, I remember cursing windows down in mud pits watching trucks get stuck while we glide right over the mud.
I sold mine one of my biggest regrets
In Europe this is Opel Frontera and in the UK its Vauxhall Frontera... best cheap 4x4's
They’re really capable especially in 2 door form.
Holden Frontera in Australia. The Rodeo was a pick-up here.
Growing up, I wanted one of these more than anything but they became harder to find. It’s nice to still see some on the road.
I thought uncle Rico drove a van?
He did throw a football over those trees off camera.
@@79thump8 Unlike Uncle Rico, this guy probably did make state.
😂❤
This guy is very well spoken. Tommy didn’t really have to do anything to keep the conversation going.
I miss my 1st Gen Amigo. 4WD, manual locking hubs, 3” lift, 32s (?) and a manual. It went everywhere I ever tried to go in Oregon. Lost it to a roll-over in ~1992 :(
The Amigo was my dream vehicle when I was in High School…..
Vauxhall frontera, made famous my Clarkson😍
who?
what?
@@rottieshepcalibre9156 Jeremy Clarkson, are you new in the automative world?
I was an engineer at Honda for YEARS. We always loved our brothers from Isuzu. They really helped “teach” Honda how it’s done…
I had a 99 amigo with the V6 5 spd 4x4! Loved that thing, it would go anywhere. Little to small for the family though , so it had to go.
Used ti have a 1994 red Amigo with nice off road tires and rims. Was fun taking it to the beach ⛱. In La Jolla, San Diego.
Been waiting forever for u guys to come across one of these, I have the 1999 Isuzu Amigo version of this. Stick, 4wd, V6, soft top. Love these, they're underrated 💪
That stick version is the Holy Grail of these cars.
I LOVED my Amigo! I still miss it 20 years later.
This thumbnail reminded me of another Uber-obscure 4x4 that I owned 24 years ago… a Daihatsu Rocky!!!
You should hire this guy
When I lived in Idaho, my room mate had a 91 Amigo in this awesome blue/green color. It really did well off road, I remember going up this super steep gnarly hill full of loose dirt, rocks, and stumps. That little booger went right up it backwards, lol. I wanted to buy it from him, but he ended up trading it for a late 90s Z28 Camaro in perfect condition.
My uncle had a 1999 Honda passport,it was an absolute tank I miss that truck
This is awesome, i sold my 4x4 a few months ago and lately my business has been growing so i am hoping to get into a budget 4x4 soon, i just saw one of these in a walmart parking lot, i researched them and put them on my "Maybe list". Glad you got this rig in the channel!!!
Wife and I rented one of these (Amigo badged) in Hawaii in '99. Was so much fun we bought a four door Rodeo with stick shift when we got back home. That Rodeo served us very well for 100,000 miles until we sold it to a coworkers daughter. Who within a few years spun the bearings due to low oil level. Great rig though. Would love to see some current auto makers return to an Amigo/Rodeo Sport sized vehicle.
I love seeing that vehicle. Makes me want one! I just wish that the video was a little bit longer and showed more aspects of the vehicle such as the interior, the swing out tailgate, etc. It does not need to be to the level of detail of Doug Demuro, but just a little bit more would have been great. Such an awesome vehicle!
Anyone going to make a Lt. Dangle comparison with this guy??
I get the impression he has better taste in music than Dangle
LT Dangle meets Disco Stu
Needs shorts.
I remember these! Awesome!
So cool. I had 1991 Isuzu regular cab 4x4 pickup with an off road package similar to what was available on the Rodeo. 15 in aluminum wheels with 31's and a brush guard like the one on this vehicle. Had a GM 3.1 V6, 5 speed manual, manual locking hubs and a two speed transfer case. The thing was a goat, light weight and a short wheelbase allowed that thing to go pretty much anywhere. Can't remember if it had a limited slip in the rear. Great little camp truck, all I added was a cheap aluminum topper and slept in the back. Sold it to a friend who added a sleep platform in the bed. Only drawback is that 3.1 was a dog at elevation, you needed a run at hills and a downshift to 4'th at the base of the climb to maintain momentum. The truck/rodeo/trooper platforms were really good early 90's lower cost off road alternatives.
I had an '01 Rodeo sport. It was my favorite vehicle I ever owned. It was lifted 4 inches with 33 inch MTs on it. It is as a beast. It went anywhere I wanted to take it.
I have a 1999 Isuzu Amigo (blue) with 127000 miles that I paid 2200 for. The 3.2 L is a great motor, a/c is ice cold and the 4x4 works great. The transmission is the only problem. I had to add fluid a couple of times now. Love this little car. Am in the process of rebuilding an XJ but am going to hang on to my Amigo after it is done because I love it so much. Great video, these definitely don't get the attention they deserve.
I remember those. Threw me off for a second when I saw the Honda grille logo.
I have been waiting for the rodeo or passport to make an appearance on your channel they are fantasticly underated. I have a 01 rodeo v6 5 speed 4x4 and I have nothing but compliments.I got it at 85000 5 years ago have put on 40000 miles with no major issues. Great video thank you
He's ;lucky to have it still standing on it's frame, because I had 1992 Isuzu Space Cab pickup that right from new started to rust even worse and about 10 times faster than that era of Jeeps did.
I see there in about the 2:24 mark, is that a loose rear sway bar link?
It's good too that Hunter is not camera shy. Well spoken and knows the vehicle well.
Good one, Tommy & Kase, thanks!
Yes, good eye... looks bent also.
@@thomasrossi31 Haha,...I only spotted that because I just replaced those links on my buddy's car this past weekend :)
As far as frame rust is concerned, I recall reading a Rodeo forum post back in the day (I owned a 2001) that the Isuzu frames were overbuilt and could rust for decades and still be perfectly strong. The body could be a different story, however.
@@rheteric Hahaha,... all I know is that my Isuzu did rust away totally in about it's 3rd or 4th year ( different owner suffered that loss ) . I 'got rid' of my truck by trading it in as quickly as I could, once I saw the rust start.
The owner was one of the sales reps at the dealership where I traded it, he told me that he bought the Isuzu for an old beater to get him fishing hunting in the back woods, as long as it would run.
Lol. This guy owns an Amigo and a Saab.
On the upside, he has a great voice for radio/video…don’t know what he does, but he should pursue voice work.
Good video. 👍🙌
1998 Isuzu Amigo 4x4, v6, and manual. It was a tank offroad and I regret ever selling it
Love this. I have an 01 trooper and it is an absolute monster off road
Thats cool back in the day l I had a Isuzu Rodeo with v6 5spd and I put a Old Man Emu lift kit on it with 31-10-50 tires and it was a blast to drive.
Good job, Hunter. Love your bumper stickers 😎
I had a 93 Rodeo, it just had the stock auto locking hubs, 3.2 and the automatic. I put 31” Mickey Thompson ATZs. It was pretty capable and the only thing that really bothered me were the hubs. The limited slip still took several hundred pounds to break loose past 220k. I sold it around 250k miles and the engine was losing oil pressure. I think it would have benefited from a larger engine and probably had better fuel economy. The Cadillac transmission had software issues and the alternator caused it to go into limp mode but the 4L30 made for an easy north star or small block transfer.
My father had a 92 with the 2.8 GMV6 and the 5 speed. The lack of a limited slip on the 92 made for a huge difference. I know he still had the original clutch at 185k when he sold it.
I had a 2001 trooper that was super plush (they were selling the same thing as an Acura) and capable. The transmission went out twice in 100k miles.
A friend had the Isuzu Trooper manual and it was very cool to drive on dirt.
I traded in my first new car, a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero for a 2001 of these (the year they changed the name from Amigo to Rodeo Sport). It was just about $20,000 for a fully equipped V6 automatic RWD (I lived in Miami) soft top. It was probably the cheapest fully equipped new “convertible” I could get at the time. It was a really fun car to drive top-down to/from the beach, though in Miami weather you could be driving in completely sunny weather then suddenly drive under a cloud where the torrential rains made you realize how long it took to line up/zip up the top & all the windows while you got totally drenched. Between the rear mounted full size spare tire, the plastic rear window & the huge blind spots caused by the pillars, rear visibility was pretty much nonexistent & changing lanes was a game of chance & listening for people honking if they were in your blind spot while you went into their lane. It was my first time driving a truck-based SUV & the rear wheel drive combined with the high center of gravity made it feel like a skateboard while I would speed on the Miami highways, as far as learning when to accelerate and how to approach curves. For my purposes the V6 was plenty powerful. It ended up getting repoed at the end of 2003 when I lost my job and missed payments, but I totally enjoyed it the whole time I had it. I’d love to see a current review of the crazy Isuzu VehiCross from that same era.
Unique vehicle and knowledgeable owner; great stuff! Very impressed with the ease of removing the soft top.
I had a 1998 Isuzu Rodeo V6 with a 5 speed manual. It was a great off road vehicle in stock mode. I loved it 😍...
Had one for 5 years, and drove it in Moab a few times - never had problems keeping up with the Jeeps. Plus it had more power, and a better a/c.
I had a 1988 Isuzu 1 ton pickup. It had the 2.8 4cyl. 2wd 5 speed, LS rear diff. It was a great truck. I drove it out to Arizona from Michigan. It was a comfortable little truck. It went up those mountain grades (9% for miles) effortlessly. I had to downshift from 5th to 4th, but then it was plenty powerful. I miss that truck.
Badged as a Vauxhall Frontera here in the UK. Most were 5 speed with petrol and derv options. Loads around but most are rusty now.
I just got a 2002 Rodeo Sport about a month ago, I love it so much! Funny thing is I even bought white dice for mine when I got it. Glad to come across this video. Been talking about lifting mine soon, and getting ready to take the hard top off after all this Los Angeles rain in done :) oh and to add, mine is a manual 5 speed!
I had no idea the moon roof came off like that 😲 can't wait to check this out!
The V6 engines are prone to running out of oil and spinning bearings. Check oil very often.
I have never had to add a quart to ours between oil changes in 20 years of service.
@@brianmartin1139 you were lucky then. My trooper ate oil like it was its job, i did a timing belt and it started knocking just 10k miles later (at 215k miles). Sold it back to the original owner for parts (isuzu nut), great truck but not as easy to find parts here
@@BullittKid08 Which engine did you have. They put a2.8 L Chevy engine in them for a while that was horrible. I had an S10 with with it. Later Troopers had the 3.5L. Isuzu engine.
@@brianmartin1139 it had the 3.5L it was a 1998
Just replace the PCV valve every oil change and make sure to use all synthetic and you're good as gold. Had several Troopers and a Vehicross with the 6VE1 and never had a problem with oil consumption.
I miss my old 95 Rodeo. That thing really was a tough truck. I took it through some tough trails in stock form. Like others have mentioned, they rust quickly though and are hard to find as a result.
I have a 94 twin cabin Australia, they are everywhere here, they were called a Holden Rodeo as Holden was linked with GM.
Do they disappear from the rust?
I think they're hard to find because they didn't sell many and it was 20 years ago.
95 Rodeo was my first car. Loved it! Until a guy in an S10 sideswiped me and totaled it :(
@@dnlcast2 No mine doesn’t have rust, but there are nit many places that snow in Australia and so they do not put salt on the roads. It does get down to below 0 Celsius where I live and lots of rain.
Had my 4 door rodeo ls 4x4 for 17 years 250k miles still running strong
The old Isuzu´s are really nice. It took me a while to find it, but mine is a 1995 Trooper LTD 3.2 5 speed manual. And yep, it´s a keeper. Had it for four years now. Not a single problem. And besides being really nice on the road, it´s a beast off road too. 2" lift and KO2 33´s is the sweet spot.
Hunter looks like a cross between an Italian fashion designer and a pirate.
I can't stop laughing at this comment. Well done!
don't be mad that he stole your girl in an 80's movie
Butt pirate!!
This guy with the Honda/Isuzu is the man! I mean, I’m not cool enough to hang with him, but I want to be…
I really wanted to get one of these or a vehicross for my daily off-roader. I ended up finding a 1991 4Runner. These are cool but hard to find in nice shape these days.
Very cool rig, a neat alternative to the ever inflating prices of jeep wrangler. Interestingly my 98 4runner also has a push button 4wd and then manual lever for 4lo, the only difference is my bottom is on the driveline stalk
Putting your “bottom on the driveline stalk” is exactly what I figured you Toyota guys do.
Very cool! I also have a 3rd gen. Is yours the Limited model? any issues with the push button engaging?
I had the first gen Amigo and loved it
Now this is what i call a offroader
Great vehicle! Thirsty but good and reliable. Mine was same color combo with factory removable hard top.
I had a '98 with a 5 speed and hard top. These are amazing but if you're looking for one, don't EVER but one from an area where they salt the roads in the winder. The Amigo and the Rodeo were notorious for the frames rusting through and the rear trailing arms would come loose from the frame resulting in accidents. Isuzu issued a recall for the problem where they added some reinforcement plating but if you were to the point where the trailing arms were about to rust off, then the entire frame behind the rear axles is likely rusted out too.
feature more isuzus tfl!!
Loved the Isuzu Amigo
this video makes me feel old. i knew twenty of him in the late 70's
AMAZING, love the simplicity and utility of the Isuzu Amigo - like my beloved Suzuki Sidekick - compared to the new Bronco
I can remember when these came out and I still want one.
I loved these when they were out.
Sweet! I love hidden 4x4 gems like these for under 10k. Check out the R50 Nissan Pathfinders as well
Watched this video when it first came out.
Now I have one!
Make a video and post it here,seriously. I just put in a starter on mine and to celebrate I'm watching Amigo videos. There aren't like this one around.
@@TheVintagesteal In due time i will be posting about my build. Just bought it.
I own a 2002 rodeo sport v6 auto. Car is bullet proof minus that damn GM trans. Beware of the diaphragm in the trans starting to get weak and leak. i caught mine now shes good for another 80,000mi. Honestly been the best vehicle I've ever owned
Great to see tfl give Isuzu some love .. we have a 2002 Axion xs 94k still get people asking what is that ? It's style was ahead of it's time . Only thing I've replaced was a new radiator and alternator mechanically. For awhile Isuzu had the best warranty avail 10 yrs or 120,000 miles power train they were built to last . Too bad they left the UD market but they have along history and are co developers of the Duramax diesel in the gm trucks . @Tfl get a rodeo or trooper to test along side Nathan's Montero
Dude’s cranking the Def Leppard.
Nice overview!
Opel Frontera :-)
You guy finally put our Isuzu up!!
It's also an Opel Frontera. So you can find those badges as well 😁
p.s. You might wanna take a look at that front left CV boot
My bro in law had one of these with the 5spd about 14 years ago. It was pretty cool
Something to keep an eye on is the oil burning in those 3.2L (6VD1) engines. I have the 99 Amigo (5-speed) and had to rebuild the engine after it burned up all the oil. Apparently its pretty common, and attributed to a design flaw with the piston flow back holes. Otherwise a pretty fun car.
I believe it was 2000+ didn't have this issue. answers are on planetisuzoo forums.
excellent video showcasing you dont have to go out there and buy a $60,000 Gladiator
nice dude ive had 2 different 4 door rodeos currently driving one too, luckily i found a manual 5 speed one, im always on the look out for a first gen amigo or a late 80s pathfinder too no luck yet though!!
Hunter’s voice is amazing.
Back when most suvs were true 4x4 off-roaders
Sideburns too 😂. Really cool! Now i had an Amigo Sport, 1999 model. That thing flew. It was a great basic SUV with style & speed
My parents had a first gen when I was in middle school w manual locking hubs....soooo cool...remember the "Slinky" themed commercials?!
In Europe they have another brand name - Opel Frontera. Short wheelbase were Opel Frontera Sport. One of my friend have one with plastic hardtop.
Hey Tommy I think you should give the '97-'01 Isuzu Vehicross a try. They are just as off road capable and affordable as the Rodeo sport but they're on the rare side though. If you can find one buy it. They're cool.
There was one of these in my town with a color shift paint job when they were new. Loved that thing
@@graumail Nice
I own a 99 vehicross...i love it, it's my daily driver..
Interesting to hear you guys talk about Isuzu not being around in America much any more. While over here in Australia. There one of our top selling Ute's
Nice LED watch!
Mine was a soft top to hard top conversion. Neither 3rd brake light nor defrost worked. It was cool having dual sunroof in it. Too bad this guy didn't have to "power" mode on the transmission.
that's the smoothest dude in Colorado!
I've been waiting for this vehicle to show up. Also it needs to come back.
Tommy would have lost his mind over my supercharged lifted Isuzu Vehicross on 35's :P
OK hire this guy to do voice overs.
I remember when the Amigo came out. It was a nice 4x4.
Also sold as Opel or Vauxhall Frontera in Europe/UK. With an assortment of diesels and manual of course.
90s SUVS are the best. Period! I would love to see this guy go on a trail run with you guys!
No they aren’t, the new ones can do so much more.