Hi...
I told my husband I wanted an older 4wd jeep-like truck that I could
afford to pay cash for and take to the beach and not worry about
getting a little sand, saltwater, etc. in. Jeeps themselves were out of
my price range. Yesterday, he bought me a 90 Isuzu Amigo. He said the
new michelins and new alpine stereo system cost more than he paid for
the whole package. It's in relatively good condition for being 15-16
years old...doesn't have much body damage at all although it does have
maybe 150-200 pencil lead size rust spots over the entire vehicle. It
has about 145,000 miles on it and cleaned up ok with a lot of MY elbow
grease and various cleaners (I got it today, and my first reaction was
YUCK!! full of dog hair, dirt, cigarette ashes/ tar & nicotine, dirt,
you know the drill - I made HIM drive it the 45 miles home!) One of the
problems I encountered though when cleaning it is that the shift boot
(the vinyl dust cover over the gear shifts) is really crumbling - the
underneath fabric is intact, but the vinyl surface is crumbling and
creating black flea sized dust everywhere, anytime I move the
shifter... So... I started looking online for vinyl or leather boots
and couldn't find one that fit the dual shift that I have (regular tall
shifter on the left, shorter 4wd shifter on the right)... Does anyone
know what the real name of this cover is, a part number, and/or where I
might find one??? Will I have to disassemble the existing one and use
it as a pattern to make my own (yes, I can sew)

Next... the amigo shifts pretty nicely, considering it's been a while
since I drove a 5-speed truck...(I drove it AFTER I cleaned it!) but it
seems to HAVE to get to 3rd pretty quickly... is this normal? It's not
pegging out, but it sure sounds like it's winding up pretty fast and
I've always shifted by ear, with the tach in my peripheral vision...

The amigo came with a hard top... and I'm thinking about getting a soft
top... should I? I'm only 5'3 and weigh 120lbs.. I think a soft top
would work better for me on beach days. Are there inherent problems
with soft tops? I used to have a cutlass convertible that leaked like a
sieve and don't want a repeat of that experience. Any advice?

Speaking of leaking... the sunroof (flips up) leaks. Do I have to
replace the whole thing or can the gasket be replaced? Can I do it
myself?

My husband usually doesn't listen to me when I tell him about strange
new noises, different driving behavior, etc. in my cars, so until he
drives my vehicles and "discovers" the problem himself, I usually don't
get things fixed on my vehicles (his ego would be destroyed if I took
the cars to the dealer/mechanic without his prior approval) Anyway,
I've read some of the issues with the 90 Amigo on
auto.consumerguide.com but would still like to know from owners things
to look out for, listen for, notice in the way the vehicle handles,
etc.

Anyone know where I can get interior door handles? I find lots of
exterior ones online, but none interior.

There's a good deal of rust on the black vent cover that sits between
the hood and the windshield. I saw this stuff in WalMart tonight
called rust converter... says it turns rust into black primer, ready to
sand and finish... Anyone used this and does it work???

Sorry about the run-on post... but like I said in the subject, I need
HELP!!

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds!!