Soon to be Monty Owner

twisterad3

New member
Hi guys,

I've been working on building a trail rig for a while. My priority is usually "get the thing to factory specs for reliability BEFORE modding the crap out of it." This particular function has proven to be a huge money pit in my current 97 4 door Suzuki Sidekick. I spend a lot on initial investment, then a lot more in general repairs with the usuals... Timing belts, water pump, oil pump, cv axles, rear wheel bearings, etc... It was my plan to be my little wheeler and commuter car when I lived in the Bay Area... However, things have changed. I now live in Idaho, have 0 commute since I work from home, and as my family grew and friends want to visit and hit the trails... I'm cutting my losses (big losses btw) with the sidekick and checking out Montero's. (LS and SR's).
After a lot of consideration of what I need for my rig, the Sidekick just won't let me bring along my larger friends very comfortably... Plus, getting it "trail ready" for any reasonable trails here to keep up with all the Jeep-Sheep... will require a lot more work.
I've narrowed down that I'd like a 96+ Montero, preferably SR so I don't have to get ARB's right out of the gate for rear lockers. Longer story short, I've found a higher milage 97 SR for sale for a reasonable price. It needs some routine maintenance work... But providing that everything checks out, I'll likely be making a purchase this weekend. Which brings me to the main reason for my post:
Is there anything I should look for that's a clear "walk away" from indicator with these rigs? Is the 97 a decent year? I'd really like OBDII, which is the primary reason I'm not as interested in a 95...
Are LS's good options if this SR doesn't work out?
What other advice can you give a Montero Newb?

Thanks in advance
-David
 

plh

Explorer
Hi Dave,

Down side of the '97 vs a '96 is the '97 will have 4.272 gearing vs 4.63 in the '96. OBD2 is nice, the '97 will have a SOHC 3.5l vs a DOHC 3.5l in the '96 - maybe 15 less HP on paper in the '97, people say the butt dyno is more than that.

General maintenance is always an issue in a 20 Y.O. plus vehicle. Be prepared to do a timing belt kit, water pump & crankshaft bolt on any of them. If you are not handy this will generally run $1100 at a shop.

Check the frame especially in the rear of the rear wheels for rust (not sure of salt usage in your area).

Suspension parts and all the rubber bushings (same 20 Y.O. issue) Luckily these are reasonable and available.

Might need valve stem seals at around 200k miles.

I'd pass on an LS.

I'm sure others will chime in.
 

twisterad3

New member
Hi plh,

Thanks for the information. Maybe OBD2 should be changed to a "preferred." That's a pretty big gearing difference. I see a lot of mixed reviews on if that'll turn 33's on the highway with an incline? Ultimately I'd like to probably go with 35's, but I would probably aim for the 4.9 re-gear if I'm trying to turn 35's to keep up with my buddies Jeep. (He's on 33's now, he'll be on 35's in the future).
Good points on the water pump, crankshaft bolt, and timing kit. That's usually on my top list, especially with interference motors. I learned that from my 4g63 days with my Eclipse, Talon's, and Galant VR4's! (Long time Mitsu fan). I will be doing the work myself, and it looks like (according to rock auto) it'll come in under $500 for the timing, water pump, and a complete gasket kit (I always like having complete gasket kits, so I'm not stranded in the garage at 10pm on a Saturday/Sunday wrenching).
I will keep you guys posted on how things go. I'm pretty stoked. These things are pretty hard to find in the Idaho area it seems.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
David, how soon are you looking to buy? I am currently deciding which Montero I want to keep between our 96 and the 98.
 

twisterad3

New member
Coffeegoat,

You changed my life sir! That was such a great read. I love how passionate and knowledgeable the Adventure Driven Designs guys are.
This article pretty much confirmed everything I've read about the Monteros. I think these are the right vehicles to restore and take my sons on adventures.
I'm not trying to build a rock crawler. I'm not trying to build the baddest thing the world has ever seen off road. I'm looking for a fun family rig, that can be driven in some of the terrain Idaho has to offer, along with towing my Jet Skis to the local lakes and rivers with my gear and friends. (Although I do have an f250 CC for that too).
 

twisterad3

New member
David, how soon are you looking to buy? I am currently deciding which Montero I want to keep between our 96 and the 98.

Hi jeep-n-montero,

It's hard to say I'm not in a rush to get something sooner than later... I've been searching CL for a while (past 2 months or so while decided to build the Sidekick, or sell it) and having a hard time finding anything other than a 95. I'm not really "patient" when it comes to pulling the triggers at times. The problem is I only have a budget around $2500 which would include the initial price of the rig, all general maintenance that needs to be done, and if any $$ is left over, any upgrades.
The rig I've found is a 97, higher mileage (210k) for $1300. I figure that gives me enough money to address the major issues right out of the gate, and know they're done. 96 sounds like the Unicorn year though, largely due to the axle ratios.
 

plh

Explorer
96 sounds like the Unicorn year though, largely due to the axle ratios.

Each year SR (or top level '98 and after being SR name was dropped) is a slight unicorn but mostly the same between 1992 and 2000.

'92 & '93 SR - 3.0l SOHC, OBD1, V4AW2 transmission (aka KM148 aka A44D, aka AW372L), 4.88 gears 9" ring gear - maybe an air locker in some.
'94 & '95 SR - 3.5l DOHC, OBD1, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.63 gears 9.5" ring gear, air locker
'96 SR - 3.5l DOHC, OBD2, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.63 gears 9.5" ring gear, air locker
'97 SR - 3.5l SOHC, OBD2, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.27 gears 9.5" ring gear, air locker
'98 (winter package) - Blister fender, 3.5l SOHC, OBD2, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.27 gears 9.5" ring gear, air locker
'99 - Blister fender, 3.5l SOHC, OBD2, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.27 gears 9.5" ring gear, air locker
'00 - (Endevor package) Blister fender, 3.5l SOHC, OBD2, V4AW3 (aka A340F, aka AW30-40LE), 4.27 gears 9.5" ring gear, no air locker

And the ADD guys rock! They have been around Monteros and Mitsubishis for decades. Great resources and great parts.
 
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twisterad3

New member
You rock too plh.
I haven't seen this stuff spelled out about the year quite so nicely. And not for lack of searching, but probably more incorrect search terms.
From the look of it, it sounds like a 97 wouldn't be terrible if I plan on going in and doing the 4.9 gearing from the Montero Sports.... Perhaps in the mean time, I'll get some OEM parts (pump, timing belt, crank bolt, suspension) and throw some 31's on it and go have more fun than I was able to previously have in my stock 27" tire sidekick!
If something is a huge red flag on the 97, I'll probably continue to save, and keep an eye out for a 94-96. The more I think about OBD2, the more I'm not really sure why I want it...
 

plh

Explorer
From the look of it, it sounds like a 97 wouldn't be terrible if I plan on going in and doing the 4.9 gearing from the Montero Sports....

I did the Montero Sport 4.90 gear swap into a '95 SR rear locker axle and then swapped the entire MS front axle + Starion LSD into my old '92 RS (not SR). Great upgrade.

I've been lightly searching for a '98 thru '00 for a couple years, have not found the right truck / right time / right price yet. If the '97 is solid I wouldn't hesitate jumping on it. $1300 if its good - wow.
 

twisterad3

New member
Well, sad to report that I was unable to go Full Monty this weekend. :-(
I looked at the rig, and it was just too rough for the price. Going to have to get on the waiting list...
Fighting the urge to get a temporary vehicle while searching for the perfect one.
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Most people are not going to sell a nicer rig at a much cheaper price point, so a rough rig is usually what you will find.
 

zerodrift

Adventurer
Most people are not going to sell a nicer rig at a much cheaper price point, so a rough rig is usually what you will find.
I second this and am going thru my fair share of elbow grease as a result of a quick decision to buy something quickly. That said, if you wait long enough and with some luck you can find a great deal for a good condition car.

Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk
 

Swank Force One

Adventurer
$2500 would go a lot further with a Monty Sport. I don't know that $2500 for a turn key gen2 is realistic even with generous application of elbow grease.

Seems easier to just plan on winning the lottery at similar chances.
 

plh

Explorer
I was shocked at your $1300 price point actually, and personally didn't expect you (OP) to find much more than a barely running heep. Good luck with your hunt, and really probably need to bump that price search criteria to $2500 + as a starting point.
 

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