off-roader
Expedition Leader
Don't shy away from the 1st Gen Monteros. My '89 LS was a great truck and it went everywhere my Jeep and Range Rover buddies said it couldn't. And the difference in engine power wasn't apparent when crawling around in the dirt or on the rocks. Remember, the SR's rear axle can be bolted on to virtually *ANY* Montero pretty easily, Gen1 or Gen2, so don't let that sway you should you find a clean car without a rear locker. You can also pick up Eaton lockers for the rear for $210, or an Aussie for the front for $290.
To clarify a bit further, if you are considering a gen 1, then a 90-91 v6 Montero or Dodge Raider would be my choice simply because the 84-88 only came with the 2.6l, 4 cylinder carburated engine, and 89 although it had a v6 did not have a lockup torque converter. You can swap an auto tranny from the 90-91 into the 89.
Also the sr rear axle will only bolt onto any *v6* gen 1 Montero or Dodge Raider easily. The 2.6l models had leaf sprung rear ends so you'd need to replace it with one from a montero sport instead...
But said I wouldn't recommend the 2.6 unless you are über knowledgable with its mikuni carb (its the rubic's cube of that engine) or plan on swapping in a station/conquest turbo engine and ecu (+wiring harness).