Need Your Opinion, Looking at a 91 Montero RS

[TheFullMonty]

Hey, guys. Brand spanking new here. I've never really done much off roading but I had a 93 Chevrolet S10 Blazer. It got totaled in an accident last month so I've been looking for something else for a while. I'm primarily into sports cars like the Nissan Z but I've also been wanting a practical vehicle that I can take off road if I want to, haul around my dog, and cram up to 5 people in. I finally found a decent white 1991 Montero RS with great interior except for a small rip on the driver's seat and the body is in decent shape. I'm going to see it tomorrow, this Tuesday. I'd like your opinion on if it's worth picking up or not.

However, the seller says it smokes sometimes at startup which sounds like the common valve stem seal issues that these Montys have since I did a little bit research on these cars. The timing belt also hasn't been changed recently and it's at 198K miles.

If I get it, I plan on addressing the valve stem seal and timing belt issues first. I just wanted you guys' opinion on if it's worth the price and if the issues sound correct. Also, I'm not experienced enough to do the valve seal myself so does anyone know how much it'd cost for a shop to do both the seals and timing belt? The kit itself is very affordable, it's the labor hours that I think will be expensive. I can replace the power windows myself so I'm not worried about that.

The owner is asking $1,400. Here's the Craiglist ad. What do you think it's actually worth, taking the condition and issues it has? One more thing, does anyone know of a reputable Montero mechanic in the Triad, North Carolina area?

1991 Mitsubishi Montero RS 4x4


I've attached photos of the interior he's sent me. Thanks for looking!

 

[plh]

Timing belt is not too bad to do yourself on the 3.0l. Shop rate is 4.5 hours - so multiply that by your shops per hour cost. Not sure about the valve stem seals.

 

[TheFullMonty]

Just read that it's a non-interference engine so that's great. I tried looking for how-to writeups on changing the timing belt but couldn't find anything. Is there a link to one? I haven't done this job before but it being a non-interference engine gives me the confidence to try the timing belt on my own but I'd still have to get a shop to do the valve job.

 

[Sock Puppet]

I'd take a look and see how much it actually smokes. If it only smokes occasionally, and only at start-up, I'm not sure I'd spend the money to have the valves done on a $1,400 play vehicle. It depends on how much you actually intend to use it, but if it's just used for play why waste money? I know we're all inclined to fix every little thing, but that can be a major downward spiral on these older vehicles. Say you buy it for $1,400, then spend $1,500 on head work accessories you find as you tear it down. You're now into it for around $3,000 on a ride that's worth $2,000 on it's best day. Fix what you have to and drive the heck out of, repair as needed, rinse, repeat.

 

[TheFullMonty]

That's the thing, it's not going to be my play vehicle, at least for now. It's going to be my daily driver. The seller says he wouldn't be afraid to take it on a 300 mile trip one way since he used to use it for long trips for his old job, thus the high mileage, which seems to be mostly highway. I'm going to try and get him to sell it for $1,000 if everything checks out fine. I actually have more money than that from the insurance payout but I wanted to use the leftover money to address maintenance, DMV, inspection, insurance fees, etc and perhaps get a few upgrades for it.

If I end up buying it, I don't intend on selling it. Any upgrades I do to it will be enjoyed permanently by me since that's been pretty much my habit. I wouldn't get much if I sold it so why sell it at all?

 

[ultrakill]

In addition to timing belt, and valve stem seals, you will probably have to replace ball joints and pitman/idler arms. Also factor in a brake rebuild as well. My '90 brake master cylinder went out when I hit around 215,000 miles. I had previously re-done the discs and pads up front and had the rear drums serviced at the shop. Other than that, I've had no engine issues, and this thing will start up no matter what, very solid vehicle.

I DD mine in winter or when I don't feel like commuting on motorcycle. It puts a smile on my face every time I get inside, so for me it's soooo worth all the money I've thrown at it so far. I plan on running it into the ground which is what it sounds like you want to do too.

 

[plh]

All the Factory Service Manuals are available here: http://www.mitsubishilinks.com - drop the guy a little paypal love for hosting these. Correct - non-interference engine. My water pump seized and took out the timing belt about a month ago on the '92. Straight forward repair. Just be sure that you do the PM and not wait for it to break a long ways from home. My belt was replaced about 40K miles prior by the PO, but no records on the water pump. Weakest link ruins your day.

 

[TheFullMonty]

What's the PM? I'm guessing it's the 1989 FSM to use with this engine, right? I've replaced a water pump before so I can do that on the Montero. I'll be sure to drop him a few bucks for hosting the site.

Ultrakill, I don't mind replacing all of those. I'll get the shop that I take it to inspect it before I buy it check those parts too. Running it into the ground is exactly what I want to do to it. Even after it's done with daily driver duties, I'd still keep it as a backup vehicle. I'm currently talking to a few mechanics to see how much it'd cost to do the valve seals. The Mitsu dealer wanted $90 just to LOOK at it. That's exactly why I don't like stealerships.

 

[TheFullMonty]

I'd also like to pick up the center inclinometer or tipometer gauge pod and install it since this one doesn't have it. How difficult would it be? Any rewiring required?

 

[plh]

What's the PM? I'm guessing it's the 1989 FSM to use with this engine, right? I've replaced a water pump before so I can do that on the Montero. I'm currently talking to a few mechanics to see how much it'd cost to do the valve seals. The Mitsu dealer wanted $90 just to LOOK at it. That's exactly why I don't like stealerships.

Yes '89 FSM will do.

$90 for an expert opinion isn't that bad. Probably 1 hour at their shop rate.

 

[TheFullMonty]

I saw it today and ended up buying it. It's in pretty solid shape except for a few things here and there. I'm not too crazy about the seats, so I think I'll change them to something else. I'd also like to find something with a larger center console.

One thing that I need to replace ASAP are the side mirrors. They're a little too narrow and after I got on the highway, I noticed that the wind pushed the side mirrors towards the windows so I couldn't see behind me on either side. Is there anything that has larger side mirrors that will fit and won't be pushed by the wind?

 

[yugo308guy]

Congratulations! I have a '91 and love it. I was driving it daily, until I received a company vehicle this year. I just had a set of re-manufactured/rebuilt heads put on. I had my employee(service tech) do the work for $500 and the parts ran a total of about $600, so $1100 total. Not bad for peace of mind, well worth it!

 

[TheFullMonty]

Thanks! That's not bad, Yugo! I think that maybe I was overthinking the smoke issue. I finally saw it happen this morning and it wasn't that bad. The smoke was faint, nothing serious. My Blazer would belch out smoke that was twice as bad occasionally too. The nice thing is that the car also came with every repair receipt dating from the original owner that bought it new in 1991. I'm the fourth owner. I haven't gone through them yet but perhaps one of them did the valve seals.

A few photos of exterior stuff that need replacing:

1. The metal panel under the grille is bent up and I was wondering if that can be replaced or not. If not, I guess I'll get a body shop to straighten it out.

2. I just noticed the emblem broke off this morning from the grille but I was thinking of debadging it anyway to keep people guessing about what exactly kind of car it is. I don't know if the side "Montero RS" badges are bolt ons or just held on by an adhesive. Anyone know?

3. Both headlight surrounds are cracked. I found replacement ones on eBay for $25 each. Is that a good price? I also saw these and kind of liked them so I wondered if they'd fit on the 91?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Front-C...991|Model:Montero&hash=item51b7cc39e6&vxp=mtr

4. You can see the side mirrors have been pushed by the wind from being on the highway, causing me unable to see who's behind me. Are there other side mirror options? I'm also considering getting this -

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WRX-STI-5-P...991|Model:Montero&hash=item35d3235ca5&vxp=mtr


5. The left driver's side turn signal lens is broken and I'm a bit concerned about water getting inside it so are there different options for the turn signals? Smoked ones, maybe?

 

[mapper]

Congratulations! Sounds like you just need a few things from a JY. There is a pretty solid Gen 1 in a yard near me and I may be going back there this weekend. If you want I can pick up a corner marker and headlight surrounds, if they are in good shape. I think the grill might not be worth the cost of packaging and shipping. In the mean time, I wouldn't worry much about water getting in that corner marker as anything that gets in will drain right out. Eventually you'll find a good used piece and in the meantime all that matters is that is passes any safety inspection that may be required for licensing.

Edit: Those corner lights/headlights you linked to on Ebay are for a gen 2, not a gen 1. And they are charging $99 shipping! :Wow1:

 

[TheFullMonty]

Mapper, I'd LOVE to get those parts from you if they're still on there! I'm not worried about fading since I can just repaint them. I'm not sure about the grille. That single long white panel looks pretty light so I doubt shipping would cost much for it but it might get bent up. Oh, I also need a driver's side seat belt buckle. It's a little split up and I have to attempt buckling it several times before it finally goes in. Definitely a safety issue that needs to be addressed quickly.

It's already passed inspection, tags and insurance is on it. It's only liability insurance because they say it's too old to get full coverage but I had to get quick insurance so I could drive it. I'm going to do some shopping around to see if any insurance will do full coverage since this is my only current car at the moment. If I wreck it, I'd be out a car and money.

Yeah, I saw that shipping and gave up on those. I drove it to my family's house last night and the headlights are really weak. I could barely see the road so that's another safety issue to address. I'm thinking about getting these HIDs off eBay. My color scheme will be black and white so the headlights tie into that. What are your thoughts?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-Round-Sem...991|Model:Montero&hash=item3399825943&vxp=mtr