OK mitsu guys... I need input.

[Kenny Olson]

I have been keeping my eye on a Montero that has been sitting on a mechanics lot for a couple months.. Today I called the shop. Mechanic said he towed it off the highway when it died. Said it`s a 98. I took a peek at it sunday, and it has the orange locker sticker on the console, and the shift lever has the locker option on it as well. He says it MIGHT need an engine but wasn`t sure. Mileage on the odo said 23k. Not sure if that`s 123 or 223k. Tires are a couple different brands and tread on some is a little thin. Nice interior though, looked like leather and it had a sunroof too. I can buy it as it sits for$450. I`m wondering if it`s worth fixing.. My current truck is an 87 Trooper with only 66k on it. I like it but the monty offers so much more in confort, parts availability, and those lockers.. It looks EXACTLY like this one. I "borrowed" this pic from another post for reference. Oh, only body issues I noticed was a dented front bumper. What do you all think?

 

[DirtyDC05]

Hey that's my Monty . The odo has 6 digits so not sure why it would say 23k. I'm sure other members will chime in but most likely the timing belt is broken and caused severe engine damage. You can check the timing belt using the inspection point. It's on the right side of engine near power steering pump on the timing cover. One 10mm bolt holds it on.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

For $450 I would be all over it if the body is free of rust.

 

[eurosonic]

I would put another engine in it.

 

[mires]

For $450, I will buy it if you don't. Seriously.

 

[Kenny Olson]

Hey that's my Monty . The odo has 6 digits so not sure why it would say 23k. I'm sure other members will chime in but most likely the timing belt is broken and caused severe engine damage. You can check the timing belt using the inspection point. It's on the right side of engine near power steering pump on the timing cover. One 10mm bolt holds it on.

sorry, I needed a pic for reference and the one I`m looking at is the same. Maybe the mileage was 230k then. It was locked and I just glanced at the dash. That`s a LOT of miles..

 

[nckwltn]

at $450, even if you dump a grand into it, it's crazy cheap, and almost disposable.

 

[rock_shoes]

Source a JDM 4M40 (2.8L turbo diesel) and you should have a killer little rig for fairly cheap.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

 

[ultrakill]

sorry, I needed a pic for reference and the one I`m looking at is the same. Maybe the mileage was 230k then. It was locked and I just glanced at the dash. That`s a LOT of miles..

I picked up my Gen 1 when it had 204k miles. I'm at 226k now. It sounds like a lot of miles, but for Montero's it still is young. I've heard stories of these going well into the 400k range. For $450 that's a steal.

 

[DirtyDC05]

sorry, I needed a pic for reference and the one I`m looking at is the same. Maybe the mileage was 230k then. It was locked and I just glanced at the dash. That`s a LOT of miles..

You should go back and see if the timing belt is intact. Maybe it's not as bad as you think. I'm sure the parts alone are worth it. You could part it out and make some cash.

 

[Clem]

Save it...save it...save it!

 

[Kenny Olson]

I`m going to go look at it soon. I`ll keep ya posted.

 

[Kenny Olson]

Well, here it is!

 

[billygoats]

Looks good. Get it!

 

[Kenny Olson]

looking at the pics, you can see that the timing belt was changed 2000 miles before the engine went. Culprit? Not a drop of oil on the dipstick.. So I`ve been looking online at salvage engines. Seems they price between $850-1100. Just out of curiosity, do the automatic trannys in these thing last? Considering the mileage, I`d hate to put an engine in and then have the trans die..