I'd love your feedback on this 96 SR

PajEvo

JDM Journeys
It does have a rear locker! So that's a plus... I'd probably want to see service history, ie timing belts, a/t fluid change, etc.

Looks pretty nice in the pics...
 

78Bronco

Explorer
Don't buy it. I bought my 1998 for less money than that.

He's asking $3300, doesn't mean that you couldn't offer $2800. The fact that's a 1 owner could be why it's listed higher.

Torsion bars look a little saggy in the front. Why does the carfax show a potential odometer rollback?

Make sure everything on the car works, parts are tight, etc. Check the steering for play. These little annoyances give you more control to talk him down. I doubt that these vehicles have a high demand in the used market so you will be in control. Don't be afarid to walk away as he grovels.
 
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Would not hesitate

If I were you I don't think I would hesitate a bit on purchasing this unit. Certainly look it over and under. My 95 runs strong and was clean like this on dealer lot. Fortunately, they didn't know what they had. All the other Monty's I've seen around here recently on lots have been pretty beat up. As these units age we will see more and more of that. I would buy it because I do all my own work on mine.
 

Whitey

Adventurer
I'll swing by with some cash and see what he says.

I think I've been spoiled owning my 4Runner because the internet support for Toyota is second to none. Any question/concern about a 4Runner is thoroughly covered on a number of forums. The Mitsubishi's have what? 4x4wire? If there are others out there I'd like to know.
This won't be my primary vehicle. I can't decide if i want to go a different route with this or spend the 3-5x more for a toyota 4runner/100/Sequoia.
 

78Bronco

Explorer
Not a lot of aftermarket support for these rigs but there is quite a few sites that you can collect information and advice besides 4x4wire. Try Outerlimits 4x4 or Pajero 4wd Club of Victoria. These trucks are quite popular in Europe and Australia but go by Pajero(Monty) or Challenger(Monty Sport).
 

off-roader

Expedition Leader
Looks fine.

Yes, not alot of online sources however I believe it's a situation where Quantity cannot beat Quality in this case as most all of those sites have extensive information on maintenance & upgrades from mild to wild.

As for whether to buy this particular rig, it all depends on how solid it is.

Engine, Tranny, & Electrical are the key things that come to mind.

Valve Guide Seals / Engine
Pretty much all Mitsu v6 engines in their 4x4's suffer from Valve Guide Seal issues at some point. The worse it is, the sooner you'll have to have them replaced. To check the condition, allow the rig to idle for 3-5 minutes or so. Rev it (say 3000 rpm) and check for smoke out of the tailpipe. If it has a valve guide seal problem it will have oily black/dark blue-gray smoke out the tailpipe. If it's white, or lt gray, run away.. that's likely a head gasket problem.

Belts/Waterpump
Hopefully the belts & associated hardware (water pump, tensioners, etc.) have all been replaced in the last 60k. If not, factor in $700+ for that.

Transmission
Tranny and xcase are pretty bullet proof but check for very slopping shifts after the engine & tranny are warm (run away if you encounter this).

Transfer case / hubs / Transfer case locker/rear differential locker
Also check for 4wd operation. Put in 4Hi. Drive forward. The front wheels should light up. Put in 4Hi Lock, and dive forward. The xcase lock light should light up.

Put in 4Lo Lock and depress the rear differential locker switch. The rear differential should light up (orange IIRC) indicating a locked rear diff.

Usually there are no issues with these items.

Now, turn the rear locker switch off & put it back into 2wd and continue driving forward (less than 45mph) and the front diff light should shut off as will the diff lock light and xcase lock light. If the front lights continue to flash it may be the vacuum line is broken or the sensors are dirty or need to be replaced.

Interior
As for the interior, if it's an SR, then it should have leather. Unfortunately the leather will likely be very worn on the driver seat and worn to some degree on the other seats. In mine, the driver seat was toast while the passenger seat was nearly new and the rear seats (both middle and 3rd row) were pretty much mint.

HTH.
 

Whitey

Adventurer
Helluva post off-roader. Thanks for your insight.
Tdesanto, do you live in Dallas proper? I just moved to south Arlington.
 

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