Montero Buying Advice

stoneman13

New member
Hey guys. This is my first post here but I've been lurking for a couple of months. Big thanks to all of you for the wealth of information herein.

I'm searching for a Gen 2 or 2.5 Montero. My plan is to use it as a daily driver and occasional camper/offroader/get to the hunting and fishing spots rig. At this point I'm not really interested in building it out to be a rock crawler or overlander, although the expedition vehicle and associated trips are definitely a lot more up my alley.

Initially, I was solely interested in the SR or Winter Package equipped variants. However, after thinking about my planned uses, I'm not sure that is really necessary. It seems to me that an LS model would do just fine for my purposes, and that in the event I decide to build it out later, I would have upgrade options available through the aftermarket or junkyard. Do you guys agree with that statement?

Also, I've searched a good bit but haven't been able to find much discussion on the 3.0L V6 used in the Gen 2 LS. What is the general consensus regarding that engine? I have read a good bit about the 3.5 DOHC and SOHC, so comparisons would be welcome.

Anything else to be aware of regarding an LS vs an SR or Winter Package? I have read just about every thread on here regarding the LS, but there are significantly fewer than for the other packages.

Thank you in advance.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Sounds like you already covered your bases. As for the engine variants, the SOHC 3.5 was slightly more reliable than the DOHC due to the "butterfly" issues, but not really a deal-breaker. If the budget allows for a gen 3 with the 3.8 motor then that may be worth considering.
 

All-Terrain

No Road Required
Where are you located? Will be putting my father-in-law's 1999 Montero up for sale soon. It has the winter package, so headlight sprayers, leather seats, rear diff locker, etc. Very clean condition and I think ~165k miles.
 

stoneman13

New member
All-Terrain: PM sent. Thanks to Toasty and Jeep-n-Montero for your responses. I hadn't seen the ADD forums yet - those are a great resource.

The only hang-up I have with a pre-97 LS at this point is the 3.0L v6. I just haven't been able to find a whole lot of information about it and while I can look at the HP and TQ numbers, I'm not entirely sure how much that transfers to real-world feel. Is it underpowered for stock setup? What about once you add some bigger tires and load it up with gear?

Thanks
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Where are you located? Will be putting my father-in-law's 1999 Montero up for sale soon. It has the winter package, so headlight sprayers, leather seats, rear diff locker, etc. Very clean condition and I think ~165k miles.

I with I had known this a few days ago, post up info/pictures when you can.
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
Where are you located? Will be putting my father-in-law's 1999 Montero up for sale soon. It has the winter package, so headlight sprayers, leather seats, rear diff locker, etc. Very clean condition and I think ~165k miles.

All-Terrian, let me know when this is posted. I am in the market
 

All-Terrain

No Road Required
All-Terrian, let me know when this is posted. I am in the market

It can go any time. I haven't made an ad or anything yet, purely because it's Christmas and we have had other things going on.

But the truck is ready to go immediately to a new owner, if someone was that interested. It's basically a very stock truck with the only modifications being running boards removed, OEM Mitsubishi front mud flaps installed, KYB MonoMax shocks installed (new), and an aftermarket head unit. It has had some decent maintenance done. Gently driven. Lived in California until 2015, so it's very clean in terms of body condition, no rust etc. No rock crawling, no big nasty pin stripes, etc. You can jump in it today and go camping for a week. Or it's a great blank canvas if you're going to turn it into a super project truck.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
It can go any time. I haven't made an ad or anything yet, purely because it's Christmas and we have had other things going on.

But the truck is ready to go immediately to a new owner, if someone was that interested. It's basically a very stock truck with the only modifications being running boards removed, OEM Mitsubishi front mud flaps installed, KYB MonoMax shocks installed (new), and an aftermarket head unit. It has had some decent maintenance done. Gently driven. Lived in California until 2015, so it's very clean in terms of body condition, no rust etc. No rock crawling, no big nasty pin stripes, etc. You can jump in it today and go camping for a week. Or it's a great blank canvas if you're going to turn it into a super project truck.

Any idea on price?
 

All-Terrain

No Road Required
Where are you located? Will be putting my father-in-law's 1999 Montero up for sale soon. It has the winter package, so headlight sprayers, leather seats, rear diff locker, etc. Very clean condition and I think ~165k miles.

Any other interest? Planning on putting this truck up on Craigslist in the next week or two. Not looking forward to the insanity....
 

nwoods

Expedition Leader
He did with me. It looks pretty good, although the roof is a bit rough. Unfortunately I had to make an unplanned purchase of another car for my son, and took me back out of the market. Kids.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
He did with me. It looks pretty good, although the roof is a bit rough. Unfortunately I had to make an unplanned purchase of another car for my son, and took me back out of the market. Kids.

Rough as in sun-baked and peeling clear coat or some other issue?
 

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