2003 Montero 3.8, engine wont start after overheat

[IdahoAndrew]

hey guys
found a Montero for sale here in Boise for $1000 that looks pretty clean, except the engine wont start. current owner says it overheated and her mechanic thinks its a warped head possibly.

Im looking to buy a project rig, so reworking the engine isn't too worrisome, but im just thinking if there's anything else i should look for before i buy it, or any horror stories anyone has that i could glean some wisdom from.

is this a bad deal, or should i go for it?

 

[Salonika]

For a grand, if you are ready for a little project, sounds like a good deal to me. Pull engine.....have a shop rebuild it. For about $4k total in, you’ll have a great functional base to play with, and the engine won’t be a concern.

 

[TO_Socal]

1,000 is a great deal. You can put some money into that Montero and make it look like this:

 

[nwoods]

I would suggest start sourcing a replacement motor before you spend real cash on this mechanic's special. I did a similar deal couple years ago and getting a replacement was much harder than anticipated, though I ultimately did one that I pulled out a Monty that had been rolled. Why losing a lot of money looking for engines was painful, the process of rebuilding a junkyard motor and installing it was really quite enjoyable. If you have some loose cash and the time and tools, I say go for it! When you are done you will have a rock solid vehicle that is worth very little but offers a lot, and you can drive it like a rental past its expiration date

 

[Salonika]

I would suggest start sourcing a replacement motor before you spend real cash on this mechanic's special. I did a similar deal couple years ago and getting a replacement was much harder than anticipated, though I ultimately did one that I pulled out a Monty that had been rolled. Why losing a lot of money looking for engines was painful, the process of rebuilding a junkyard motor and installing it was really quite enjoyable. If you have some loose cash and the time and tools, I say go for it! When you are done you will have a rock solid vehicle that is worth very little but offers a lot, and you can drive it like a rental past its expiration date

Why didn’t you just rebuild what was in it (or have it rebuilt by a shop)?

 

[Schmaab]

Only you can know if it's a good deal. If you have the experience with this specific platform and can source parts for an ENTIRE rebuild, then $1000 seems reasonable.

 

[plh]

Depends on your ability and your personal worth of time. If you are paying someone to do the work, I wouldn't touch it. If you are doing it yourself and your time is worth $10 an hour and you are capable, go for it. Basically if you are asking random people on the internet if this is a good deal, it isn't for you.

 

[nwoods]

Why didn’t you just rebuild what was in it (or have it rebuilt by a shop)?

Mine wouldn’t turn over when I bought it. When I pulled the heads off, I discovered that it had somehow eaten a piston.

Monty Restoration