A guy at work has like a 97 or 98 rodeo, I can pick it up for about 500 bucks. It has a blown head gasket supposedly and wasnt run long hot so i wouldnt know whats wrong with it until i got it.
Is it woth getting?
If its more than a head gasket i wouldnt make any money to fix it and sel it sooo... Would it be worth making a tail rig out of?and just hanging on to it.
I havent found to much information on these things and i have never fooled with any isuzus.

If it's just a head gasket you may be ok. I would worry what they consider "run long hot"

Overall, as a trail rig...depends on what you are looking for in a trail rig. They have a Dana 44 w/ disk breaks out back, a IFS Isuzu 10bolt up front. NOt much in the way of gearing choices if you stay IFS..however you can run 33's with a 3" SL and trimming or adding a BL. You can get Independent4x.com gearing for the t-case and drop it to a 3.07-1 which works well. ARB makes lockers for the IFS front as well. So you have options for a good weekend warrior. If you are familiar with SAS'ing something...it's been done by many people. They seem to work well and it is similiar to a Yota SAS in basic terms. If you go that route...it's a great trail rig. They are generally reliable....espeically with a manual.

Whether or not it is a 97 or 98 is a big deal. 97 is the 1.5 gen. They look like all the other 1st gens (more boxy) while the 98 is a 2nd gen and is rounded (more like the late 90's Chev Blazer) The other major differences...the steering. The 97 is a recirc. ball, while the 98 is R&P. Suspension...the rear on the 97 is leaf sprung while the 98 is coil.

I need to go look at it but its almost an hour away. I would like to make one trip and just get it. I read they do have dana rears. Definatley a sas would be for that project and if the engine is to far gone maybe a 4.3 like out of an s-10. I would lke to make it a drivable trail rig ,just to the trails and home if close enough. I figure for $500 bucks it would be a good custom start. I dont have any trail dedicated vehicles and the family would have room to ride along also. A chevy 4.3,trans and transfer case may be a good swap. Blazers and s10s can be picked up cheeeep,and find a front axle out of something. The guy had it took care of it, but it has been sitting for prolly a year after the head or whatever happened to it and it was parked.

You can keep the rear end (spring over) and for an SAS go with a S-10 4.3 engine/ drive train and a Jeep Wagoneer 6 lug front Dana 44. They have a drivers drop t-case as does the (right one) Wagoneer front axle. You have all the gear choices of the 44's plus the American engine, trans, t-case and axles. It will make a good trail rig and the stuff to build it is cheap. Keep the snowflake aluminum wheels and put 32's or 33's on it and your set. If you get real tricky you may be able to find a 4 to 1 t-case out of a wrecked Hummer H2 Alpha and put in there.