SaltStainedEyes
Observer
2002 Mitsubishi Montero XLS 154k miles SOCAL rig its whole life, zero rust
CLEAN CA title in my name good til December
4.90 Gear ratio with Limited Slip Rear Diff
Power Everything
Cold AC Hot Heat
Seats 4 Sleeps 4-5
Zero oil leaks or consumption
FACTORY MITSU TRAILER HITCH! (only one capable of a static recovery without destroying the frame.. unobtainium)
24 gallon tank, I get 16-18 mpg and used to get 18-20 with 31's and no RTT
MAINTENANCE: w/ receipts
All done by the best Montero mechanic in the business Chai at C&A Auto
@143k MILES:
Full timing belt/water pump job w/ OEM Belt and Tensioner /updated crank bolt
New OEM cam and crank position sensors
Front + Rear Cam seals
Valve Cover Gaskets
NEW VALVE STEM SEALS (this is big $$$ job and what causes oil consumption in the Montero)
Spark Plugs + Wires
Factory CV axles rebuilt all around w/ OEM boots (preventative before they tore, nothing aftermarket as strong as OEM)
@149k miles:
New OEM Radiator + hoses (3.8L radiator which is slightly larger)
OEM Thermostat
Full Transmission flush/pan gasket/filter using Mitsu SPIII (transmission shifts flawlessly)
Front/Rear diff drain /fill
Transfer Case Drain/fill
All upper/lower A-arm/trailing arm bushings replaced by me when I installed new suspension (OEM)
New rear door handle
New OEM brake accumulator (common fix for the 3rd gens)
AFTERMARKET MODS:
ADVENTURE DRIVEN DESIGN Skid Plates (all 3)
5x 17x8 Method Wheels
5x 285/70r17 D rated BFGoodrich KO2 All-terrains (95% tread)
BILSTEIN 4600's all around w/ LOVELL Springs (Med-load front/Heavy-rears) (5K miles on them)
DOBINSONS IMS shocks included but not installed, MED load Lovells installed on front shocks
AUTOHOME Columbus Roof top tent (made in Italy, fiberglass NOT ABS plastic, the Porsche or RTT's)
OVS 270 LTE awning
ASTROAi 55L 12v Fridge Freezer
10 Gallon water tank under fridge in 3rd row void (3rd row seats included in sale)
SEAFLO 12v Water pump w/ quick disconnect hose (see photos)
GOAL ZERO Yeti 400w Plus additional 33 AH deep cycle battery housed in seat void (charges while driving, 66AH total)
100w fold out solar panel included
ROBBIE GORDON 24" LED Light bar
PIAA Fog Lights
Montero Limited Factory Fogs added
THULE Aero Rack with DIY wind fairing w/ attached bars for recovery boards/rotopax mounting (picture #4)
EBAY snorkel w/ prefilter
DIY 6" Jeep style lights (original lights included w/ fresh lenses)
Rear Door Custom MOLLE Panel Kitchen/Storage Setup w/ PELICAN case (I use as spice storage)
Sleeping platform 55"x73" the middle row panel on a piano hinge to allow for rear fridge to open, very easy to setup
RUBBERMAID ACTION PACKERS x3, they all fit between the fridge and the middle seat, providing lots of storage
Auxiliary Temp Gauge (see below)
History of the rig:
This is my 3rd Montero and I'm the 3rd owner, second was my good friend who enlisted my help to find this one for him about 7 years ago, we purchased from the Original owners with 119k miles, an asian couple who always stayed up to date on service/maintenance, unfortunately my buddy lost all the maintenance receipts provided by them.
The idea for this build was to keep it simple and modular, able to seat/sleep 4 adults and set up camp fast! The RTT opens in 5 seconds and the rear door kitchen setup works extremely well. I'm also able to pull the whole platform/fridge/middle seats easily/quickly to open up the interior completely while still keeping the aux battery setup/fresh water. It was my daily driver for about 5k miles, then became a dedicated trip rig... mainly trips down the Baja peninsula where the independent front/rear suspension of the 3rd Gen really shines, eats Baja washboard roads like a mid travel rig.
Unlike most people, I set out to build an XLS over a limited for a number of reasons, all of which come back to the Limited being way less reliable in my opinion... No sunroof to leak, rear AC to fail/have to delete, Butterly valve issue to have to address, the 4.3 gearings too low for 33's, mechanical vs problematic electrical transfer case, the 5 speed electric tiptronic trans less reliable, LSD > Traction control, I was happy to give up a few horsepower and heated leather for all these reasons.
Minor issues:
Included but needs to be installed: sway bar end links, outer tie rod ends, upper ball joints (all OEM)
Paints faded, has plenty of trail scratches, couple small dings
Battery is 4 years old but still strong
Small (nickel size) ding in windshield, been there 3 years and never grew/expanded
Has the typical poor solder issue for the gas/temp gauge, I re-soldered once but its intermittent again, installed AUX temp gauge (see picture)
Stuck horn, I bypassed with a big momentary switch mounted to steering wheel (see picture) works great
Why I'm selling:
My intention was to keep this rig for a VERY long time, I got it ready for another 150k trouble free miles. It's just not getting used, I only take it when I need the 4x4 capability, which is very rare these days, the ultimate goal was to store it by the airport in Loreto, BAJA full time, but its become really more rig than I need down there and it would be a disservice to it as it would only be used a few times a year down there. Really gonna miss this rig, will likely regret selling, gets LOTS of attention and looks from Toyota and Jeep owners whose rigs cost 3-5 times more (my favorite part)
Asking $13k obo
CLEAN CA title in my name good til December
4.90 Gear ratio with Limited Slip Rear Diff
Power Everything
Cold AC Hot Heat
Seats 4 Sleeps 4-5
Zero oil leaks or consumption
FACTORY MITSU TRAILER HITCH! (only one capable of a static recovery without destroying the frame.. unobtainium)
24 gallon tank, I get 16-18 mpg and used to get 18-20 with 31's and no RTT
MAINTENANCE: w/ receipts
All done by the best Montero mechanic in the business Chai at C&A Auto
@143k MILES:
Full timing belt/water pump job w/ OEM Belt and Tensioner /updated crank bolt
New OEM cam and crank position sensors
Front + Rear Cam seals
Valve Cover Gaskets
NEW VALVE STEM SEALS (this is big $$$ job and what causes oil consumption in the Montero)
Spark Plugs + Wires
Factory CV axles rebuilt all around w/ OEM boots (preventative before they tore, nothing aftermarket as strong as OEM)
@149k miles:
New OEM Radiator + hoses (3.8L radiator which is slightly larger)
OEM Thermostat
Full Transmission flush/pan gasket/filter using Mitsu SPIII (transmission shifts flawlessly)
Front/Rear diff drain /fill
Transfer Case Drain/fill
All upper/lower A-arm/trailing arm bushings replaced by me when I installed new suspension (OEM)
New rear door handle
New OEM brake accumulator (common fix for the 3rd gens)
AFTERMARKET MODS:
ADVENTURE DRIVEN DESIGN Skid Plates (all 3)
5x 17x8 Method Wheels
5x 285/70r17 D rated BFGoodrich KO2 All-terrains (95% tread)
BILSTEIN 4600's all around w/ LOVELL Springs (Med-load front/Heavy-rears) (5K miles on them)
DOBINSONS IMS shocks included but not installed, MED load Lovells installed on front shocks
AUTOHOME Columbus Roof top tent (made in Italy, fiberglass NOT ABS plastic, the Porsche or RTT's)
OVS 270 LTE awning
ASTROAi 55L 12v Fridge Freezer
10 Gallon water tank under fridge in 3rd row void (3rd row seats included in sale)
SEAFLO 12v Water pump w/ quick disconnect hose (see photos)
GOAL ZERO Yeti 400w Plus additional 33 AH deep cycle battery housed in seat void (charges while driving, 66AH total)
100w fold out solar panel included
ROBBIE GORDON 24" LED Light bar
PIAA Fog Lights
Montero Limited Factory Fogs added
THULE Aero Rack with DIY wind fairing w/ attached bars for recovery boards/rotopax mounting (picture #4)
EBAY snorkel w/ prefilter
DIY 6" Jeep style lights (original lights included w/ fresh lenses)
Rear Door Custom MOLLE Panel Kitchen/Storage Setup w/ PELICAN case (I use as spice storage)
Sleeping platform 55"x73" the middle row panel on a piano hinge to allow for rear fridge to open, very easy to setup
RUBBERMAID ACTION PACKERS x3, they all fit between the fridge and the middle seat, providing lots of storage
Auxiliary Temp Gauge (see below)
History of the rig:
This is my 3rd Montero and I'm the 3rd owner, second was my good friend who enlisted my help to find this one for him about 7 years ago, we purchased from the Original owners with 119k miles, an asian couple who always stayed up to date on service/maintenance, unfortunately my buddy lost all the maintenance receipts provided by them.
The idea for this build was to keep it simple and modular, able to seat/sleep 4 adults and set up camp fast! The RTT opens in 5 seconds and the rear door kitchen setup works extremely well. I'm also able to pull the whole platform/fridge/middle seats easily/quickly to open up the interior completely while still keeping the aux battery setup/fresh water. It was my daily driver for about 5k miles, then became a dedicated trip rig... mainly trips down the Baja peninsula where the independent front/rear suspension of the 3rd Gen really shines, eats Baja washboard roads like a mid travel rig.
Unlike most people, I set out to build an XLS over a limited for a number of reasons, all of which come back to the Limited being way less reliable in my opinion... No sunroof to leak, rear AC to fail/have to delete, Butterly valve issue to have to address, the 4.3 gearings too low for 33's, mechanical vs problematic electrical transfer case, the 5 speed electric tiptronic trans less reliable, LSD > Traction control, I was happy to give up a few horsepower and heated leather for all these reasons.
Minor issues:
Included but needs to be installed: sway bar end links, outer tie rod ends, upper ball joints (all OEM)
Paints faded, has plenty of trail scratches, couple small dings
Battery is 4 years old but still strong
Small (nickel size) ding in windshield, been there 3 years and never grew/expanded
Has the typical poor solder issue for the gas/temp gauge, I re-soldered once but its intermittent again, installed AUX temp gauge (see picture)
Stuck horn, I bypassed with a big momentary switch mounted to steering wheel (see picture) works great
Why I'm selling:
My intention was to keep this rig for a VERY long time, I got it ready for another 150k trouble free miles. It's just not getting used, I only take it when I need the 4x4 capability, which is very rare these days, the ultimate goal was to store it by the airport in Loreto, BAJA full time, but its become really more rig than I need down there and it would be a disservice to it as it would only be used a few times a year down there. Really gonna miss this rig, will likely regret selling, gets LOTS of attention and looks from Toyota and Jeep owners whose rigs cost 3-5 times more (my favorite part)
Asking $13k obo
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