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Post by Naeos_Valkarian on Dec 11, 2015 1:22:34 GMT -5
I bought this beauty on the 28th of August for $700 from a guy on craigslist initially being told it just wouldn't start and that it probably needed a new starter only to find out the next day when I picked it up from the mechanic who worked on it last that the guy lied to me and that it had jumped timing and bent the valves to hell.  Anyhow the mechanic felt bad for me so he sold me a motor from a 97 Montero Sport for $50! I had the heads machined so they'd fit on my 98 engine block and got new gaskets etc. and she purs like a kitten now. Probably spent a tad under $1100 on repairs, fluids and the vehicle itself. It had 151K miles on it when I bought it. So far I am in love with this truck, I want to restore it one day and keep it as long as I can. First image is from before I loaded it onto a trailer, second one is after I got it running and washed it.  Attachments:
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Post by pinstryper on Dec 11, 2015 9:06:44 GMT -5
Congratulations, sounds like your mechanicly inclined. Great skill to have with these.
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Post by redraif on Dec 14, 2015 12:13:04 GMT -5
good score... all in all a good beast for the $ spent. You probably ended up cheaper then buying one running
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Post by Naeos_Valkarian on Jan 4, 2016 11:04:09 GMT -5
Yeah I fell in love with my Montero the first time I saw it, I know it sounds silly but even though it wasn't running at the time I still wanted it so bad. No idea why but I bought it fully knowing that I'd have to at least partially rebuild the motor, but the experience gained from doing it was well worth the trouble. I went from being an all indoors PC gamer to being outdoors more so I could work on my Sport, I learned that I love being a mechanic because of this diamond in the rough. |
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Post by dclambertt on Jan 4, 2016 12:41:10 GMT -5
Good for you nine, congrats.
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Post by ES_97Sport on Jan 4, 2016 20:57:59 GMT -5
Yeah I fell in love with my Montero the first time I saw it, .... I bought my first Sport because the Jeep sales people pissed me off.  They were so busy watching a playoff game, they couldn't be bothered to sell me a vehicle.  Went across the street, saw my big '97, came back the following day for a test drive. Never regretted it and never looked back. That Sport has close to 600,000 miles on it now. And what's really funny? I also own the one that was sitting next to it on the lot in '98, too. Get yourself some FSMs. Read 'em and obey. Japanese vehicle are not American vehicles. Don't start wrenching on it like its an old Chevy pickup. If you follow the FSMs and do the required maintenance when it says to, it'll last for a long, long time. Oh, and get yourself a GOOD torque wrench and learn how to use it correctly. Stuff like the manifold have to be torqued down correctly. Winging it like I used to do on the '60s stuff is not a good plan.  Edward |
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Post by jkdv8 on Jan 4, 2016 22:40:40 GMT -5
It cleaned up nice
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Post by pinstryper on Jan 4, 2016 22:41:50 GMT -5
I like it, looks good.
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Post by Naeos_Valkarian on Jan 5, 2016 11:21:17 GMT -5
Yeah I fell in love with my Montero the first time I saw it, .... I bought my first Sport because the Jeep sales people pissed me off. They were so busy watching a playoff game, they couldn't be bothered to sell me a vehicle. Went across the street, saw my big '97, came back the following day for a test drive. Never regretted it and never looked back. That Sport has close to 600,000 miles on it now. And what's really funny? I also own the one that was sitting next to it on the lot in '98, too. Get yourself some FSMs. Read 'em and obey. Japanese vehicle are not American vehicles. Don't start wrenching on it like its an old Chevy pickup. If you follow the FSMs and do the required maintenance when it says to, it'll last for a long, long time. Oh, and get yourself a GOOD torque wrench and learn how to use it correctly. Stuff like the manifold have to be torqued down correctly. Winging it like I used to do on the '60s stuff is not a good plan.
EdwardLol I'd say those sales reps got fired when their boss got wind of that. 600K miles is insanely awesome! Does it have the original motor and transmission or have they been replaced? I'm big on torquing bolts to the correct specifications so I'm good on that front. However if you could tell that to my buddy who says It's a waste of time I'd be grateful, I'm afraid his Jeep is going to fall apart on him one day.  As for an FSM I have no idea what that is, all I can think of is perhaps "Field Service Manual". When I punch it in google all I get is references to a New Zealand "Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster". |
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Post by Naeos_Valkarian on Jan 5, 2016 11:29:45 GMT -5
It needs a new paint job, it has scratches and rust pits all over it. The interior looks like it was left open to the elements for a long time. When I got it there was dried up mud all over the inside walls and there was a thick (and I mean thick) layer of yellowish dust over everything. I still need to get a steam cleaner and go to town on the carpets and see how it cleans up. I'm not giving up on this beauty, not any time soon. The previous owners neglected it and then tossed it when it broke down, 151K miles and everything and I do mean everything was still stock. Slowly getting her all fixed up, and learning in the process. Never done anything like this before.  |
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Post by pinstryper on Jan 5, 2016 18:13:51 GMT -5
Its what keeps us young...
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Post by MonteroSportHonduras on Jan 6, 2016 8:48:23 GMT -5
Glad to see you are dedicated and determined to keep that truck running sharp.
Mine wasnt as neglected as yours, but it was. 148k miles on stock suspension and other maintenance parts. I've been slowly getting it from just another beat Montero to a nice looking, sharp running Montero.
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Post by ES_97Sport on Jan 6, 2016 15:01:29 GMT -5
... Does it have the original motor and transmission or have they been replaced? The original motor finally lost compression in a cylinder four years ago after about 500K. The dealership swapped in a '02 3.5L engine. Its a M/T 5-speed Sport. I've had to have the transmission rebuilt several times over the years.  It gets a lot of abuse besides just a lot of mileage.  As you can see its not stock. It runs a Gen 1 '70s Ford Bronco radius arm suspension with Dana 44 axles, with a Jeep NP231 transfer case and D&D gear doubler and the '1-ton' semi-high steer steering. The stock Mitsu t-case ratio is 1.91:1 and a single speed. I run a 3-speed transfer case setup at 2.72:1, 4:1 and 10.88:1. A crawl ratio of over 200:1. Other than doing general maintenance, and replacing the original steering box four years ago, I've had to do almost nothing to it that wasn't the result of the amount of mileage I put on it. I finally replaced all the sensors, solenoids and stuff under the hood last spring and put in a completely new OEM exhaust. I've gone through several alternators over the years. I have no sub-frame to protect the alternator anymore so wheeling in that silica crud in UT really takes its toll on alternators. Replaced the A/C compressor and condenser once and one hose. And I had to replace a gas tank 'cause the grit and crud from wheeling wedged between the tank and skid plate and finally wore holes through the bottom of the tank. The '90s Monteros and Montero Sports are extraordinarily durable vehicles. As long as you do the regular maintenance. Pretty much like any Japanese vehicle. 600K isn't that impressive really. It kinda is because of the use mine gets, but there are Montero guys that had upwards of 800K on theirs years ago. Uh, yea, I know a few of those.  He'll learn when he looses a front wheel or screws up the bearings and has to replace an entire hub assembly because he didn't torque the Dana hub nuts down correctly. Sigh. Japanese stuff is built to close tolerances and there really isn't any room for getting 'creative' and Mitsu stuff seems to be pickier than most. For example, if you don't torque the intake manifold down to the correct specs and in the correct sequence you'll end up with leak(s) and/or a warped/cracked manifold AND leaks. If you're off by even a little, eventually you'll have problems. Especially aluminum parts are not forgiving of being tweaked. Sorry! 'Factory Service Manual(s)'. eBay. Get a print set. Depending on your year, there are between 2-4 in a set. Most are 2-3 + the body manual. They're expensive and getting hard to find, but they're invaluable. The 'CD/DVD sets' on eBay are for the most part useless crap. They're pirated over-seas manuals burned to CD. I've gotten half a dozen CDs and none of them are complete. US and non-US Sports are not entirely the same vehicle. Wiring codes differ, emissions, some parts (even though they look the same) and specs. There is a LOT - and I mean A LOT - of information in those that is not common knowledge and having Mitsu specific troubleshooting information helps a lot. Working on Mitsus is not the same as working on a Chevy or a Toyota. You can't just assume you can do it even with 30 years of automotive experience on other vehicles. They're expensive, but they'll be the best investment you'll make. My family used to be the muscle car restoration business. The very first thing you do when restoring a new vehicle, before you touch anything is to get a OEM set of FSMs and go through them. Edward |
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Post by Naeos_Valkarian on Jan 6, 2016 20:10:24 GMT -5
That is one beastly Montero you have there, You may not be able to tell but I'm drooling a little.  As soon as I get a Job where I'm moving to and I have some free cash I'm definitely getting an FSM, as well as a few other things. I need new plug wires and bunch of other small things to get my Monty up to date. I'll have to see about borrowing a 3/4in. torque wrench from a friend of mine and reseat the TB, Plenum, and Intake Manifold, I'm fairly sure I torqued the IM right but just to be sure I'll do it again. I'm also going to keep track of my fuel usage after my next fill up so I can identify any issues but as far as I'm aware everything ran fine before I parked it out front a few weeks ago. I am so anxious to get my Monty out of the front yard and back on the road. (gotta wait on that darn bolt) |
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Post by ES_97Sport on Jan 7, 2016 17:25:09 GMT -5
That is one beastly Montero you have there, You may not be able to tell but I'm drooling a little. Yea, it is! First SAS Montero Sport. Actually, its the first SAS Montero anything. I'm building a new one now. '99 Limited 3.5L.  4x4Wire.com - 1999 Montero Sport Limited 3.5L crawler buildThis one is going on 37"s. Same 3.5L engine but with an A/T instead of the 5-speed manual. Aisin Warner AW4 - same as the Cherokee - with a RADesigns Winters full manual shifter and PCS TCU for auto control. NWF crawl box (gear reduction box), NP231 t-case with Tera Low231 kit - so the same t-case/box gearing, but with 5.13:1 gears in the axles. 2" body lift and depending on the suspension maybe lifting the drive-train up and 1-1.5" to clear links. Either extended radius arms or a 3-link front and leaves in the back. Kind of the 'super-sized' v2 Sport. I can sympathize there. Been working on brakes on the big Sport for a month and a half. Still have lines on the front and new rotors and pads on the rear to go. Motor mounts, a loose bolt behind the A/C and new transmission and clutch. Feels like its been at the shop more than I've been driving it lately. Edward |
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They were so busy watching a playoff game, they couldn't be bothered to sell me a vehicle. 
Went across the street, saw my big '97, came back the following day for a test drive. Never regretted it and never looked back. That Sport has close to 600,000 miles on it now. And what's really funny? I also own the one that was sitting next to it on the lot in '98, too. 
As for an FSM I have no idea what that is, all I can think of is perhaps "Field Service Manual".
It gets a lot of abuse besides just a lot of mileage. 
