Toyota LC vs Mits Montero?

[dapolrbear]

I have a GenIII Monty LTD, so far with 75000 miles on it I have had no problems, just regular service, changed timing belt, rotors and pads, etc. all regular wear and tear stuff. I use it as a DD and on occasional weekend offroad/camping trips. Very good offroad perfect size, not too big and not too compact.

 

[preacherman]

dapolrbear-
Welcom. It's always good to see more monty owners.

 

[OneTime]

WOW NICE GEN III. That is the coolest looking one I have see yet. I had no idea one could look so nice! I have always thought the Gen III bodies were too wussified. Are those sliders? Or just running boards?

 

[dapolrbear]

Thanks for the welcome.

dapolrbear-
Welcom. It's always good to see more monty owners.

 

[dapolrbear]

Thanks! I really dig the way it looks too Yes those are sliders or side protectors as they are called and are worthless as running boards.

WOW NICE GEN III. That is the coolest looking one I have see yet. I had no idea one could look so nice! I have always thought the Gen III bodies were too wussified. Are those sliders? Or just running boards?

 

[DavidG]

Hello again OneTime,

I've been playing devil's advocate a bit on the 'Wire, but as Preacherman mentioned, fitting 33's is a no trouble at all. A little crank on the front torsion bars help front tire clearance (I went up around 1.5"), or you can just remove the factory front mudflaps and live with the occasional full-lock rub on compression. 33's will fit on rear without modification, but I added OME 910 coils (to reduce bottoming when loaded) and gained around .75 inches or so.

Another item to look for on the SR are the factory 3-way adjustable shocks. I'm not sure what year they began offering them, but I have not had a problem with my factory original set even after 140k. When it is time to replace them, the factory adjustables will be cost-prohibitive...but they do work great.

Here's a pic of my 97 camping on Albert Mtn, N.C. last year...

 

[OneTime]

DAVID Nice looking rig!!! What do you get MPG with the 33's. And does the 97 have a factory locker? How does that mounting bar work on the front bumper. Again sweet rig!!! I do remember asking aobut replacing my factory shocks on my 95 at its was $$$$$$$ Does OME offer a lift kit?

 

[DavidG]

DAVID Nice looking rig!!! What do you get MPG with the 33's. And does the 97 have a factory locker? How does that mounting bar work on the front bumper. Again sweet rig!!! I do remember asking aobut replacing my factory shocks on my 95 at its was $$$$$$$ Does OME offer a lift kit?

Thanks! I get a little over 16mpg on the highway with the 33's and a little under 16 in mixed driving (around town, slow speed trail, highway, etc.). I have not checked the mpg on trail only. I lost approx. 1 mpg around town running the 33's over the factory 265/70-15. With the factory size tires, no roof junk and only highway I've hit over 20mpg a few times, but it's usually closer to 18mpg.

The locker is standard on the SR in 1997 (3.5 SOHC) and I think it is standard on ALL 1995-96 SR's (3.5 DOHC). I don't recall if it was standard on the 1998-2000 (3.5 SOHC), but I believe it was as well.

The bar on the front bumper is actually an old CJ light bar I had sitting around that happened to fit the small horns hidden beneath the plastic bumperettes perfectly.

OME offers shocks and rear coils. The OME lift kit doesn't necessarily provide much of a lift, but the coils are a higher rate. Valley Springs offers (or offered?) rear coils and Sway a-way and Ironman offers heavy duty torsion bars. A number of companies offer shocks.

 

[preacherman]

DavidG

Good to see another montey with a RTT. I have the exact same tent. Did you get a different ladder than the one that came with it?

 

[4Rescue]

I can't realy see the logic in going from an 80 Series Cruiser to a Monty... Monty's are neat trucks, and would be a good platform to start with, but why go FROM an 80 to a monty, the 80 is about as good a Full-sized trail rig as they come. There is nothing the Monty can do that the 80 can't. Milage might be better, don't know, but that'd be it.

Having seen DavidG's rig though, they (monty's) do look real cool when built up). Nice truck David.

Cheers

Dave

 

[Martinjmpr]

I can't realy see the logic in going from an 80 Series Cruiser to a Monty... Monty's are neat trucks, and would be a good platform to start with, but why go FROM an 80 to a monty, the 80 is about as good a Full-sized trail rig as they come. There is nothing the Monty can do that the 80 can't. Milage might be better, don't know, but that'd be it.

Having seen DavidG's rig though, they (monty's) do look real cool when built up). Nice truck David.

Cheers

Dave

I can see it. From what I've seen a lot of 80s get around 10-12mpg especially if they're loaded up. Going from 10 to 17 mpg (about what I got in my 90 Montero) is a 41% decrease in fuel use [math corrected.] That's a huge difference and can make the difference between being able to afford a trip and not being able to afford it.

From what I've heard the 80 is overbuilt in just about every way. Which is great if you need that capability and if you're traveling on someone else's dime (government, military, NGO, etc) then it's exactly what you want. But when you're traveling on your own $$ you have to take things like MPG into consideration. Most of us aren't wealthy enough to afford to go on long expeditions and with fuel prices going nowhere but up, people have to stop and think about whether they really need all the capabilities that the FJ80 gives them. Most of us don't.

 

[4Rescue]

I can see it. From what I've seen a lot of 80s get around 10-12mpg especially if they're loaded up. Going from 10 to 17 mpg (about what I got in my 90 Montero) is a 41% decrease in fuel use [math corrected.] That's a huge difference and can make the difference between being able to afford a trip and not being able to afford it.

From what I've heard the 80 is overbuilt in just about every way. Which is great if you need that capability and if you're traveling on someone else's dime (government, military, NGO, etc) then it's exactly what you want. But when you're traveling on your own $$ you have to take things like MPG into consideration. Most of us aren't wealthy enough to afford to go on long expeditions and with fuel prices going nowhere but up, people have to stop and think about whether they really need all the capabilities that the FJ80 gives them. Most of us don't.

Well, if the MPG is that much better, then maybe it is worth it. Personaly, I'd than look at it this way, if it's sheer off-road ability you're after, then the Toyota is the winner in my book, but from an all around stand-point, the milage and fact that the Monty is a still a good-great off roader makes it a tough call, maybe in favor of the monty. They're "world trucks" too, so getting parts across the globe should be easy. And, like I replied in the other therad on motors, my experiences with the 3.0 Mitsu motor have been gerat.

Cheers

Dave

 

[DavidG]

Thanks for the kind remarks.

DavidG

Good to see another montey with a RTT. I have the exact same tent. Did you get a different ladder than the one that came with it?

So far, I've been pleased with the tent. Only 3 overnights on it but it's kept me dry and the kids love it! I retrofitted the infinitely superior 2007 ladder. I had to chop a little off the end of the fixed portion to fit it under the cover, but it's fantastic compared to the original steel one. I also replaced the bungee-style cover surround with coated cable and end links, a pair of bungees running beneath the load bars provide tension. I thought the original elastic setup was a bit silly. I still need to replace the rainfly with larger version with some fabric I picked up, but have not gotten around to it yet. BTW, Goof Off (that's the only brand that worked) works great at removing the cartoptent.com logo

 

[OneTime]

Holy Cow!!! I just posted in IH8mud.com about selling my 80 for a Monty. Those guys are killing me. And I posted in a Expedition forum purposly and not a 80 forums thinking Expedition guys would be more experienced with other brands. Only one guy spoke highly of the Monty. Personally I think they are just Toyota Snobs. I do think the LC is a better trail platform. Just not better for my personal needs. And like said early if you cant afford to drive the truck...Want good is it

 

[AndrewP]

Holy Cow!!! I just posted in IH8mud.com about selling my 80 for a Monty. Those guys are killing me. And I posted in a Expedition forum purposly and not a 80 forums thinking Expedition guys would be more experienced with other brands. Only one guy spoke highly of the Monty. Personally I think they are just Toyota Snobs. I do think the LC is a better trail platform. Just not better for my personal needs. And like said early if you cant afford to drive the truck...Want good is it

I have not seen that yet, but I'll go look.

By the time you mod anything enough to go real wheeling, the fuel economy is going to be poor. A modded Land Cruiser 80 series for instance gets 12 mpg on the highway, more or less.

A Montero modded for hard use and loaded for a trip will get 15 mpg. Is that enough difference to give up a better tuck, better reliability, more space and more available "stuff"?

I'm not a snob at all, and I've kind of always liked the look of the gen 2 Montero. I'm sure it's a worthy "expo" truck.

If you really want better fuel economy, it's time to go diesel, or drive something much smaller.