Montero gen II.5 - what to check when buying?
- Thread starter drabina
- Start date
If you live in the rust belt, obviously the undercarriage, and all suspension components, if they too rusty (as in everything is covered in rust, a little here and there is probably not a big deal), or you can find rust holes anywhere (exhaust is the only exemption), walk away, if the undercarriage is not rusted see if it runs smoothly, understand that more than likely you will have to do all the maintenance (timing belt, water pump, seals, etc along with fluid changes, etc) turn on the AC, heat, operate all the electrical things you can find, and see what works and what doesn't, look for mismatched panels, check the oil and coolant before you turn on the truck, if you can crawl underneath and see if the crank pulley has the new bolt or the old version (look it up), operate the seats to make sure they work, if it has the orange sticker for the rear locker try and operate it, operate the 4x4 system and see if there's any slop on the shifter, again turn on lights, stereo, etc, check the lights on the dash for flickering which is a alternator that has a failed voltage regulator, ask about the history of the vehicle, and calculate the price you are willing to pay.
Rust is never preferable to no rust, but my truck has more than most and it hasn’t stopped me from being serviceable, capable and road worthy. It’s mostly cosmetic. Never has it stopped me from properly repairing anything. Even the lighter gauge support brackets are overbuilt and while they look rusty, they are still holding up. My rockers are full of enough spray foam to probably float a river. Don’t be afraid of rust if maintenance checks out. Nothing is wrong with my truck other than the rust. Everything works like it did in 1998. It gets a few rattle cans every year, seems to do the trick. Obviously if the frame rails have holes in them, move on, but mine look rusty and are still solid.