Say I wanted to build a new forum from scratch...
 

I have a forum that has been up and running for a while.

I would like to keep it running in the meantime....so if I do a fresh install on a localhost....customize it to my liking....import the data from the live forums via Impex and then copy all the files over (from the localhost install) to the server replacing the old files, will my forums be up and running with all my modifications working properly? I do realize I may have to make small edits to the config.php file etc, but I am trying to make this as seamless as possible and to have the ability to work on the upgraded forums with minimal downtime.

So my question is....will the above work? If not, what do I need to do to accomplish my goal? Please feel free to ask questions of if you need further explanation. Thanks in advance to all that offer input.

I would recommend using your test forum to do a test installation of each product/mod and then go ahead and install your mods, one by one, on your live site.

i would recommand to ask someone to upgrade your forum instead of moving everything from a place to another, because your solution would break all your urls... imported users, threads etc change the whole thing in an imported forum...

Its not about figuring out what mods will work or testing a forum. I want to create a new forum on the localhost.....get everything done and working and then replace my existing files with it and import the DB.

--------------- Added at 20:59 ---------------

I would like a clean DB and if I upgrade, I will have more broken code to deal with because my site is heavily modified. By starting fresh, it will clear out the junk and any mistakes I have made in the past. I can upgrade myself if need be, its not a matter of skill.

Don't use ImpEx. Just copy the database over and then copy the files over (remembering to tweak config.php).

I want to get the garbage tables and errors out of the current database. Im not moving servers or domains. If I use Impex, it will filter out the garbage. Right?

This is what ImpEx will import: http://www.vbulletin.com/docs/html/impex_vbulletin_36.