This is my second post on a forum of any kind in a very long time! The first was to ask someone about some really cool Dakar decals I saw on a build thread here. I have been "lurking" on these boards for a couple months now, and have officially joined and figured out how to post a thread. The community as a whole seems to be very helpful and friendly to those in need, despite being complete strangers. I never see any drama on here, which is what typically turns me off to other online communities. That is what prompted me to join and get a username. Thanks in advance to everyone who makes this community "work."
Now a little about me and my new found love of Monteros!
Name is John, I live in south Florida currently (been here 2 years) and am originally from Maine and Connecticut. I am leaving Florida in March (about 10 weeks from now) to go live in Colorado. My search for a vehicle to purchase for out there began around 4 months ago. At first I was adamant about having a pickup truck, as I am a carpenter/builder of things, and I was pretty much decided on a 4 door tacoma 4x4.
Being in south Florida poses a problem for finding 4WD vehicles, as there is no snow, mountains, desert, etc. The only Tacomas I could find were over 10 grand typically, which was way out of my price range. Eventually I gave in to the idea about maybe getting an SUV, at which point I started searching for 4 runners and Land Cruisers. Again, very expensive even for a 10-15 year old model with over 150k miles (youd have to look hard for a decent one for under 6 grand here!)
After my disappointment with the Toyota search, I started exploring other [non-domestic] options. That is when I stumbled across this forum!
Initially I was thinking of an older Land Rover, as I loved the looks. Then I saw on here that a lot of people had o constantly work on those. Then I found out about the Isuzu Trooper, and after much research I narrowed a few down on CL. After several flaky sellers, I finally saw one in person, and although it had a ton of new parts, it still rode terribly and was over priced, with a lot of mileage.
I decided against the Trooper (mainly for tranny issues) and eventually found out about the Montero full size. It was just what I wanted, and there were a few in my area that were reasonably priced too. I found this one below and went and saw it as soon as I could. As soon as I pulled up I knew I was going to buy it, great condition! Long story short, I drove it, loved it, and offered him full price on the spot. Next day I got the cash, bought it, got plates on it, and proceeded to sell my 96 Accord a few hours later for my full asking price!
Here are some specifics of my rig:
1998 Montero, with winter package
3.5 SOHC
mileage upon purchase (10/6/14) was exactly 124,000
Has had 60k (highway) put on it in the last 3 years (owners commute was 88mi round trip, 5X a week!)
All maintenance records included, full synthetic oil run for last 60k
Truck is in overall great condition
Has a heavy duty hitch/hook
Purchase price: $3000
What Ive done to it so far:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Tensioners, pulleys
front Cam seals (OEM)
Newest version of (OEM) crank bolt/washer (this was the ONLY that made me nervous about a Montero purchase after much reading)
Crankshaft position sensor (OEM)
Camshaft position sensor (OEM)
4 New KYB Monomax Shocks
Changed tranny fluid with dealership fluid
New synthetic motor oil
4 New Cooper Discoverer AT/3 tires size 255/70/15 - I went a little narrower on the tires than factory
2 New Rockford Fosgate speakers in doors (also Have RF 6x9s for back)
Thats it for now, just trying to get it safe for a long 2200mi journey.
Sorry if this was too long-winded! Figured Id provide a bit of a backstory instead of just posting random pics.
Now a little about me and my new found love of Monteros!
Name is John, I live in south Florida currently (been here 2 years) and am originally from Maine and Connecticut. I am leaving Florida in March (about 10 weeks from now) to go live in Colorado. My search for a vehicle to purchase for out there began around 4 months ago. At first I was adamant about having a pickup truck, as I am a carpenter/builder of things, and I was pretty much decided on a 4 door tacoma 4x4.
Being in south Florida poses a problem for finding 4WD vehicles, as there is no snow, mountains, desert, etc. The only Tacomas I could find were over 10 grand typically, which was way out of my price range. Eventually I gave in to the idea about maybe getting an SUV, at which point I started searching for 4 runners and Land Cruisers. Again, very expensive even for a 10-15 year old model with over 150k miles (youd have to look hard for a decent one for under 6 grand here!)
After my disappointment with the Toyota search, I started exploring other [non-domestic] options. That is when I stumbled across this forum!
Initially I was thinking of an older Land Rover, as I loved the looks. Then I saw on here that a lot of people had o constantly work on those. Then I found out about the Isuzu Trooper, and after much research I narrowed a few down on CL. After several flaky sellers, I finally saw one in person, and although it had a ton of new parts, it still rode terribly and was over priced, with a lot of mileage.
I decided against the Trooper (mainly for tranny issues) and eventually found out about the Montero full size. It was just what I wanted, and there were a few in my area that were reasonably priced too. I found this one below and went and saw it as soon as I could. As soon as I pulled up I knew I was going to buy it, great condition! Long story short, I drove it, loved it, and offered him full price on the spot. Next day I got the cash, bought it, got plates on it, and proceeded to sell my 96 Accord a few hours later for my full asking price!
Here are some specifics of my rig:
1998 Montero, with winter package
3.5 SOHC
mileage upon purchase (10/6/14) was exactly 124,000
Has had 60k (highway) put on it in the last 3 years (owners commute was 88mi round trip, 5X a week!)
All maintenance records included, full synthetic oil run for last 60k
Truck is in overall great condition
Has a heavy duty hitch/hook
Purchase price: $3000
What Ive done to it so far:
Timing Belt
Water Pump
Tensioners, pulleys
front Cam seals (OEM)
Newest version of (OEM) crank bolt/washer (this was the ONLY that made me nervous about a Montero purchase after much reading)
Crankshaft position sensor (OEM)
Camshaft position sensor (OEM)
4 New KYB Monomax Shocks
Changed tranny fluid with dealership fluid
New synthetic motor oil
4 New Cooper Discoverer AT/3 tires size 255/70/15 - I went a little narrower on the tires than factory
2 New Rockford Fosgate speakers in doors (also Have RF 6x9s for back)
Thats it for now, just trying to get it safe for a long 2200mi journey.
Sorry if this was too long-winded! Figured Id provide a bit of a backstory instead of just posting random pics.
