L300 4x4 conversion? is it possible?

[corknut]

Hello all! I drive an 88 2 door montero that I dropped a 4d55 into. I just drove it on a several thousand mile month long road trip with my girlfriend, and I've come to realize that it is lacking the proper space for a good night's sleep. I'm a diesel nut, I refuse to get an RV, and VW diesel syncros are not in my budget when I find them...oh, and I can't live without four wheel drive...but I'm hoping I can build a mitsu to my specifications...

I know where a mitsu l300 cargo van has been sitting in a junkyard for some time now, and I was wondering how feasable it would be to convert it to four wheel drive. Are they the same chasis as a delica 4x4? Do they share any front end parts with monteros/pajeros?

I'm hoping someone has played around with these vans a bit and can help me out. I haven't had a chance to look closely at the van's front end yet, or look around too much online, but if I could drop my 4d55 and four wheel drive tranny into the van, and throw my monty's front end up underneath, I could have a pretty cool rig.

thanks for anything you can tell me

- doug

 

[Sturmy]

Hi Doug,

I'm a Delica owner in the UK & have tried to work out what's interchangeable over the last few years. Basically there is substantial differences in key items like axles etc. Also I think the Delica has a subframe added for the 4x4 bits?
see http://www.cmc-motor.com/products/delica/

Jesse from the Canadian Delica club has had plenty of experience of Montero's & is a fount of knowledge about which parts fit what. He has posted on here before as jfarsang. It might be worth sending him a PM?

Good luck

James

 

[corknut]

van

Thanks for the help, James. I was hoping to hear that the front end could just be swapped over, but of course things are never that easy. I'll try and get in touch with Jesse, but it looks likes my van was crushed and scrapped anyway. Not sure what the odds of me finding another one are.

I'm thinking maybe find a 4x4 mitsu pick up, toss the diesel in, and get a wildernest camper cap...hmmm...but the van would be so much cooler!

 

[off-roader]

Thanks for the help, James. I was hoping to hear that the front end could just be swapped over, but of course things are never that easy. I'll try and get in touch with Jesse, but it looks likes my van was crushed and scrapped anyway. Not sure what the odds of me finding another one are.

I'm thinking maybe find a 4x4 mitsu pick up, toss the diesel in, and get a wildernest camper cap...hmmm...but the van would be so much cooler!

Why not just find a 4 door 1st gen Montero and swap the diesel into it? I built a storage compartment into the back of my old 4 door gen 1 & it had lots of room for sleeping then. I just did a similar setup in my current gen II and use it for sleeping for 2 as well.

 

[corknut]

lwb monty

Thats not a bad idea! Do you think you could share some pics of your set up?

I was also considering finding a mitsu pick up or old ford ranger and putting the diesel in there and getting a cap for the bed, but the lwb monty idea sounds better. I have to do some research and see how well a little 4d55 can move a 4 door montero....

 

[off-roader]

Thats not a bad idea! Do you think you could share some pics of your set up?

I was also considering finding a mitsu pick up or old ford ranger and putting the diesel in there and getting a cap for the bed, but the lwb monty idea sounds better. I have to do some research and see how well a little 4d55 can move a 4 door montero....

I had just a few design criteria for a bed/storage system in my 1996 Montero...

1) The solution had to be relatively light. I've built a few full blown drawer systems which I felt are simply too bulky and heavy for the added benefit they provided. I wanted it to be lighter but also 'heavy-duty enough' a design to carry what I needed for a typical 3-7 day 4x4 trip on even the harshest rock crawling trips.
2) Platform would double as a bed.
3) I could retain use of the middle row seating as required.
4) I could use simple sealed under bed plastic tubs.
5) Keep the design as simple as possible.

Here's what we came up with...
I first removed the 3rd row seats.
I then folded the 2nd row seats forward (flat).
I then installed a platform across the entire rear half of the Montero.

Image Notes:
(A) 2 hinges to fold the platform up and back to allow use of 2nd row seats. I still need to trim 2 corners of the folding section at this hinge because I didn't take into account the curvature of the side of the Montero. Currently the platform will not fold back until I trim a 1x6" triangle off those corners.
(B) 5/16" dia metal handles are used for strap points for my ARB Freezer Fridge. Worked great off road BTW!
(C) The platform itself is 1/2" plywood that's 73"x53" which is large enough for 2 to sleep on.
(D) This is the 1x2 hardwood cross bracing.
(E) Here you can see the 2x4's being used to support the sides of the platform. They're mounted to the OE mounting points for the 3rd row seats via 1/8" aluminum angle iron. I need to use larger more aggressive screws for attaching the 2x4 mounts to the aluminum angle iron. The small 1/8" dia. screws I used were simply not up to task. I'll use 1/4" fasteners this time.
(F) This is the 1/4 dia. carriage bolt
(G) Here are the 6 Rubbermaid tubs I elected to use. Dimensions are 16.7x13.3x5.3" (x4) and 29x18x6 (x2). I also added 1/2x3/8" door seal gasket foam to the perimeter of the covers to better seal the tubs.
(H) This is one of 4 turnbuckles
(I) Here's the 3" ID PVC pipe cut to size and placed at each of the turnbuckle mount points.
(J) Here's the 'J' bolt end attached to the built in strap points in the floor of the Montero.

That's about it! Very simple design. Can be completed in a day and even more easily with a buddy's help. Or better yet, just get your buddy to do the whole project for you. That's what I did.

Well truth be known, I was simply swamped with work and my friend Mike was just itching for a project.

Also, here's an animated GIF image of it folding out (note: the unupholstered wood side is now covered with black carpet to help hide it "in plain sight")

 

[corknut]

perfect

That looks awesome. Simple enough too! I have my feelers out for a 4 door...or a pick up...or a van. I really like those vans still haha.

thanks a lot for sharing the write up and pics! very helpful.

 

[Christian P.]

It may be easier to just buy one already built...3900 Pounds.

Ref: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/4wd-for-sale-wanted/sale-mitsubishi-delica-l300-4x4-52693

 

[bitoy]

+1 on this.

The 4x4 Delica looks like an excellent expedition vehicle platform.