1989 Montero Build

[Burlwoody]

OK after exhaustive search I have come to the conclusion this vehicle odes not meet my stress test, parts availability it far to spotty for my plans. would make a great project for someone with greater resources than I. Soooo I am selling my truck... any one looking to do an engine swap project this is your chance to get solid runner only missing engine and exhaust manifolds. body and interior are in great shape, running gear is in great shape... I will post picks soon.

Already upgraded suspension to bilsteins, new BFG 31"s, K&N, have extensive mechanical history available and can provide digital copy of factory manual and hard copy of haynes...

entertaining realistic offers.

 

[off-roader]

OK after exhaustive search I have come to the conclusion this vehicle odes not meet my stress test, parts availability it far to spotty for my plans.

oh? what kind of stress test are you looking at and compared to what other rigs? Jeeps? Land Rovers? Landcruisers? Full sized pick ups?

Parts availability? What parts? What plans and kind of wheeling do you have in mind?

I ask because so many complain of the same thing then decide to go with something like a Jeep or other typical 4x4 only to be passed up by myself and my buddies in our reliable trail tested and not just 'rated' Montero's on the trail. Just curious...

 

[scrubber3]

I think he means the stress to himself due to the fact that he cannot find the engine he wants... Correct?

 

[Burlwoody]

1. It's durability, Monty meets that
2. must use regular gas and have extended range or large fuel tank, Monty meets (no land rovers, I tend to follow the manufacturers requirements)
3. parts new and used, readily available now and in the future, BIG fail for this generation of Monty
4. easily repaired on trail, to be determined
5. reasonable cost of repair and parts, parts hard to find and not many mechanics familiar with vehicle
6. solid trail-able truck with minimum to no modification, well met by Monty

I am looking for a long distance trail vehicle not a rock climber or mud bogger, medium/heavy trail duty. The biggest issue would be the have to find and procure replacement parts quickly and reasonably priced. Should be able to handle a reasonable amount of camping/fishing/hunting gear and tow or carry on rack a kayak. and yet still be a reasonable daily driver. I intent to eventually use this truck for south America road trip.

I am now researching other options, leaning toward a Toyota Tacoma but still in the initial stages of research.

I am having issues finding exhaust manifolds, and a reman motor from a reputable reman source. I have in the past searched other parts but with the limited availability it is making this project more expensive than going a different direction. Don't get me wrong I love the truck, but I have to keep on point for my end goal, the south america trip.

 

[SOFpirate]

I admit that sometimes parts are a little difficult to come by, and I'm most certainly not down talking a Taco.

But, just remember, a Montero/Pajero/Shogun will bring you home everytime.

 

[scrubber3]

Instead of giving up on the Montero platform why don't you consider a possible GM engine/ transmission fitment. Does anyone know if a 5.3 will fit in our engine bay? I know width wise it would, but length wise would probably be an issue. From what I understand a GM 3.8 and 4.3 fit fairly well in these. I would actually prefer the 3.8 to the 4.3 for reliability and ease to work on. I have seen many 3800 engines go for over 300,000 miles and a few top the 400,000 mark. You'd get the solid Montero platform with the low maintenance, reliable, easy to work on and find parts for GM engine. I'd stay away from the 3.1 and 3.4 engine though as they aren't as solid as the other two.

 

[rxinhed]

1. The engine search should not be fruitless for you. The 3.0L V6 was used for many years and in several chassis.

2. The exhaust manifolds are 1-year specific. So? I'm sorry you missed a crushing event at one yard in my locale, they had a really nice 89 that I couldn't save. There are more out there, just needing patience.

3. Finding parts for a 20-something year old vehicle can be difficult for many platforms, not just the Mitsubishi line. This is one of the reasons that I have purchased so many parts vehicles to help serve my online Mitsu buddies. Sometimes it has taken a number of years to recoup my $$ expenditures on a specific vehicle. I have a Tarco rebuilt shortblock that needs to be gone through again. However, I'm on the other coast. Do you have emissions testing in your area? If not, get some 90/91 manifolds and do away with the EGR system, or get some headers.

4. Gosh, what a bunch of whining. Sometimes things aren't so easy to find and projects don't come together in 2 weeks. I purchased and wasted $6,000 dollars on a Chevy 1-ton 4x4...a Chevy!!!!!!!!!!!!...that I was only able to put 3 miles on in 3 years. I experienced only loss with this vehicle, nothing else. Yes, I have moved on, but after having 65 other cars, trucks and trailers...about 1/3 of these have been parts cars of various fashion - Mitsus, full-size Dodge trucks, Spridgets, Buick Skylark/Gran Sport.

5. Goodness, please take no offense as I'm not trying to dissuade you from selling the Montero. But, especially if you're going to attempt international travel, why not just repower with a diesel? Something akin to a Cummins 4BT, Mitsubishi, Toyota, or Nissan? How about a 302 Ford and C4 trans?

6. For a very low buy in, I found my '87 Raider to be the best vehicle I've had. Roxy was 18 years old when I bought her, then added 100K miles with little or no maintenance for 6 years. Now, she's 25 and needs lots of work. I have slowly gathered parts, lived other lives, bought a house and small ranch, and am looking forward to renewing my favorite car. That's just the way it goes.

My $0.03,
Russell

:Mechanic:

 

[off-roader]

3. parts new and used, readily available now and in the future, BIG fail for this generation of Monty

Most parts are available and considering the v6 is nearly the same (aside from cams/heads) as the one used in a gazillion Chrysler minivans but that said it is a 16YO rig. I'm also unsure how popular it was in S. America. As for an exhaust manifold, where have you checked?

4. easily repaired on trail, to be determined

No more than most any other rig if you know the engine but I'd say that's the same as other rigs.

5. reasonable cost of repair and parts, parts hard to find and not many mechanics familiar with vehicle

See my response to #3. The engine is block is nearly identical to the blocks Chrysler used for their minivans from the same era. Aside from minor things like the manifold, engine mounts, dipstick location etc. it should be nearly the same especially for things like basic maintenance, engine rebuilds, etc.

As for the transmission a good repairs shop will know how to rebuild one. Problem is most are crappy and are only familiar with THE MOST common transmissions. Then again it's the same problem with finding a good mechanic who knows enough to read the current info on repairing current vehicles. The good news is that with proper care these trannys are nearly bullet proof to 300k+ miles if you simply flush the fluid every 30-50k miles and use the proper fluids.

I am looking for a long distance trail vehicle not a rock climber or mud bogger, medium/heavy trail duty. The biggest issue would be the have to find and procure replacement parts quickly and reasonably priced. Should be able to handle a reasonable amount of camping/fishing/hunting gear and tow or carry on rack a kayak. and yet still be a reasonable daily driver. I intent to eventually use this truck for south America road trip.

I am now researching other options, leaning toward a Toyota Tacoma but still in the initial stages of research.

I am having issues finding exhaust manifolds, and a reman motor from a reputable reman source. I have in the past searched other parts but with the limited availability it is making this project more expensive than going a different direction. Don't get me wrong I love the truck, but I have to keep on point for my end goal, the south america trip.

A Tacoma leads your options for a rig with parts availability. Thats fine but for a S America trip?!?! Nothing against Tacos but being a US only rig, I'm sure you'll have ample problems with parts availability in S America. If I were you I'd be leaning more towards a gen II Montero or a late model Land Cruiser. Heck with the number of stolen US brand/built vehicles in S America, GMC/Chevy tahoes, 'burbans, etc. ought to lead your choices. LOL.

 

[off-roader]

Fwiw, My mechanic was able to find a replacement 'low mileage slightly used' engine from Japan for my 90 v6 back in 2002 pretty easily but it took 2 engines before the one sent to him was a decent one.:Wow1:

Others on 4x4wire have bought rebuilt engines before from other rebuilders but I don't recall the rebuilders name. I also recall the quality of those rebuilds was far from good.

That said its usually better to buy a used engine and rebuild it yourself (or have your mechanic rebuild it) than try and find a decent rebuilt one. Cost will be a little more but the ensuing reliability will be far superior.

As for availability, While the 3.0 v6 mitsu block was used in plenty of Chrysler 90's minivans, the van motor used a different cam among other things (exhaust manifold, etc.) and those parts should be replaced with the Montero parts (cams & manifold at a minimum). Used exhaust manifolds can be bought via car-part.com and refurbished by any competent shop. Not sure if any new stock are available since it is a 20+ y.o. rig.

 

[Burlwoody]

1. The engine search should not be fruitless for you. The 3.0L V6 was used for many years and in several chassis.

2. The exhaust manifolds are 1-year specific. So? I'm sorry you missed a crushing event at one yard in my locale, they had a really nice 89 that I couldn't save. There are more out there, just needing patience.

3. Finding parts for a 20-something year old vehicle can be difficult for many platforms, not just the Mitsubishi line. This is one of the reasons that I have purchased so many parts vehicles to help serve my online Mitsu buddies. Sometimes it has taken a number of years to recoup my $$ expenditures on a specific vehicle. I have a Tarco rebuilt shortblock that needs to be gone through again. However, I'm on the other coast. Do you have emissions testing in your area? If not, get some 90/91 manifolds and do away with the EGR system, or get some headers.

4. Gosh, what a bunch of whining. Sometimes things aren't so easy to find and projects don't come together in 2 weeks. I purchased and wasted $6,000 dollars on a Chevy 1-ton 4x4...a Chevy!!!!!!!!!!!!...that I was only able to put 3 miles on in 3 years. I experienced only loss with this vehicle, nothing else. Yes, I have moved on, but after having 65 other cars, trucks and trailers...about 1/3 of these have been parts cars of various fashion - Mitsus, full-size Dodge trucks, Spridgets, Buick Skylark/Gran Sport.

5. Goodness, please take no offense as I'm not trying to dissuade you from selling the Montero. But, especially if you're going to attempt international travel, why not just repower with a diesel? Something akin to a Cummins 4BT, Mitsubishi, Toyota, or Nissan? How about a 302 Ford and C4 trans?

6. For a very low buy in, I found my '87 Raider to be the best vehicle I've had. Roxy was 18 years old when I bought her, then added 100K miles with little or no maintenance for 6 years. Now, she's 25 and needs lots of work. I have slowly gathered parts, lived other lives, bought a house and small ranch, and am looking forward to renewing my favorite car. That's just the way it goes.

My $0.03,
Russell

:Mechanic:

I guess I missed out on being independently wealthy and able to just throw money at the problem. Keep in mind while this is not a budget build I want to get the most for the money. I am doing my best to be practical over the long run. I have been looking for a reputable engine already built with a solid warranty. I don't have my own garage, a stretch of land to store a heap of parts trucks or the tools needed to install a motor myself these expenses add up. I want to keep this as stock as possible I got over my "Bionic urge" (better, faster, stronger) years ago when I spent more and found sometimes they did it right the first time and any amount of massaging and tweeking just leads to a list of chasing chicken issues, alotta work and all i end up with is a dead chicken. What does adding 40hp matter when I give up 6mpg? does it make sense to get 35s and loose mpg and street-ability? I can do any of these things for half the price by buying something else.

I have jacked up a 1980 jeep grand wagoneer, restored a 1988 grand wagoneer, and built up a 1979 VW scirocco build w/ 85 GTI motor and a list of other mods that raced in scca, among others projects i have done my turn in throwing money at projects.

The goal of the build is a solid, simple, daily driver with strong off road ability (exactly what the stock gen 1 montero is.) With the long trip in mind I have to take this into consideration. parts availability is a huge issue and even if I do get a Taco i can still easily find the part in the us and have it shipped. In case you have never been to Mexico there are parts you don't want to hang around for long if you don't have to.

I was brought up "do it once, do it right" and that is what i intend to do. So you can call it whining all you want I'll do my work and do it my way.

If you can help with some resources that would be great! I may re think the sale.

Thanks for the 0.03

 

[rxinhed]

I respect the creedo of do it once, and of the stock OE approach. I'm just trying to keep your Mitsu project alive, because they're great vehicles.

Some of my SoCal friends used these guys for an engine:
http://risingsunengines.com/default.asp

For a time, the parts business paid for my lunches, a few tools, and often a few bills. This has generally ceased but I have all the remnants still.

Russell

 

[rxinhed]

Jim to the rescue:

http://www.4x4wire.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1260958&an=0&page=0&gonew=1#UNREAD

Russell