1991 Mistubishi Montero Build

[spencevans]

Reading about this I almost wish I had gotten a Montero instead of a Pathfinder. Almost

Pathfinders are cool little rigs, it's unfortunate Nissan went away from the body on frame construction on them.

The more I hang around the Montero's, the more appreciate them. I really appreciate there compatibility with Jeep and Toyota drive train parts. Also you can't beat their durability. While they are very utilitairian, I can see why these things won the Dakar Rally so many times.

 

[spencevans]

I bought another goodie for the Montero today. I purchased a set of manual locking hubs. I am not sure if anyone even considers manual hubs an upgrade anymore, but I perfer them because they reduce wear on the front end components, they are more reliable, and the slightly improve MPG's. The down side is I have to get off my but to engage them but I could probably use the exercise. These are brand new Aisin hubs from Mitsubishi. Here's some eye candy.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Sexy, what did those set you back?

 

[sixstringsteve]

man, those look identical to toyota hubs. I'm starting to dig these mitsubishis more and more.

 

[spencevans]

Sexy, what did those set you back?

The OEM hubs set me back $155. For the most part Mitsubishi OEM parts are very reasonable and often cheaper than the local autoparts stores, the exception being the ring and pinions that cost $1200 a set from the dealer

Luckily I did not have to pay full price for the R&P's, I located my 5.29's from another member off 4x4 wire.:greg:

 

[Rot Box]

Awesome! I'm really liking this build keep us posted.

I've never heard of the suspension seats before lol. Great price on the hubs too btw I was expecting you to say $400+. Replacing auto hubs with manual is always an upgrade

 

[spencevans]

Not only are the OEM Aisin hubs cheaper than the aftermarket hubs like Superwinch and Rugged Ridge, they are all metal. The Rugged Ridge and Superwinch hubs contain plastic pieces which is less than desirable to me.

 

[Rot Box]

Aisin hubs are as good as it gets imo. It is rare to see them break and a stock axle shaft typically gives out long before they do. I'm pretty confident that you'll never have an issue with one

 

[spencevans]

Between the heavy rains this week I got a chance to jack up the front end and inspect the components. The idler arm was shot, but everything else was in great shape. Best part is, I was able to locate a complete rebuilt idler arm with bracket for $12 from Rockauto.com

I love that these things are so cheap to fix.

 

[SAMI]

I liking this build. What are early year Montero guys doing for snorkels? I noticed that they are not available from Safari; any other brands out there available? Custom? WHat are you planning to do?

 

[spencevans]

I liking this build. What are early year Montero guys doing for snorkels? I noticed that they are not available from Safari; any other brands out there available? Custom? WHat are you planning to do?

There are 3 different options available for the 1983-91 Montero's.

Safari Snorkel
# SS20HF
$350


Airflow Snorkel
buy it on ebay for about $200 shipping included, this is a fiberglass snorkel and it does not come with the plumbing from the snorkel to the air box.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mitsubishi-Pajero-Montero-Shogun-L047-049-82-91-Snorkel-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem4154141005QQitemZ280583475205QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories


Pajero Snorkel
buy it on ebay for about $205 shipping included, this snorkel is made from the same material as the Safari Snorkels, I think these are the best bang for the buck because it is a complete kit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mitsubishi-Pajero-Montero-Shogun-L047-049-82-91-Snorkel-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3a65773918QQitemZ250810415384QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[SAMI]

Awesome. I looked in ARB's online catalog and didn't see the Safari snorkel listed. Thanks for returning my PM, I may give you a call in the next day or two.

 

[spencevans]

Awesome. I looked in ARB's online catalog and didn't see the Safari snorkel listed. Thanks for returning my PM, I may give you a call in the next day or two.

Sounds good, I look forward to chatting.

Personally I went with a 1991 Montero because I absolutely love the old school safari look. I love the boxy body but I sacrificed many features that came on the 95-96 Montero's. I was not in need of seating for 7, a factory rear locker, larger axles, 4 wheel disc brakes, an additional 80hp, option of fulltime 4wd, or leather interior that come standard on many 95-96 models.

I have had a lot of people ask me what to look for and I always say the same thing, drive as many of these things as possible because many of them have not been properly maintained. A 1989-91 should drive about the same as a 1995-96 because the share the same suspension and the power to weight ratio is about the same. The main thing you want to look for is proper maintenance and does everything work like it should. There is not a weak component on the 1989-2000 Montero's. And like I said before, the Montero comes with the strongest and most reliable IFS ever put into a midsized SUV. The IFS is indestructible even with 37" tires.

 

[spencevans]

I swapped out my first generation generation steering wheel for a steering wheel from a 1985 Mitsubishi Pickup steering wheel. These steering wheels can be found in 84-86 Mitsubishi SP and SPX pickups.

The main benifits for running the Mitsubishi Pickup steering wheel are:

1. It is smaller in diameter and it provides more thigh room than the OEM wheel. I also no longer feel like I am driving a school bus. Being 6'8" I need all the leg room I can get

2. The square lines seem to compliment the interior.

3. The design and location of the spokes make it easier to see the stalks, switches, gauges and key cylinder.

4. The wheel is thicker than the OEM wheel

You see how much smaller Pickup wheel is than the Montero wheel. You can also see how obstructive the OEM Montero steering wheel is the the view of the gauges, switches, stalks etc.

 

[spencevans]

Roof Top Tent

Last summer I purchase Greg's old first gen Mombasa roof top tent. More recently I purchased a 1991 Mitsubishi Montero which came with a gutter mount roof rack. While the roof rack was great, the mount stuck up too far which would not all the the tent to deploy of the side of the vehicle. The rack also lacked proper spacing for the mounting brackets to mount to the tent properly. In addition to the rack, several repairs need to be made to the tent and the ladder. Here are some pictures and descriptions of the project. Lastly a big thanks to Larry for being a good buddy and helping me.

Here is 1 of 4 mounting brackets that needed to be cut off so the tent could deploy off the side of the vehicle properly.

Installing the load/mounting bars in the proper locations before they are welded in to place

Greg stated the tent had been dropped at one time which result in the plastic lining on the bottom of the tent to crack. We repaired this crack with some high end silicone.

I purchased some quick release pins to make removing the tent a little easier.

Here you can see how the ladder hangs out about 4" from the side of the tent, you can also see the quick disconnects and where we fixed the cracking with the silicone.

With the tent now back on the vehicle we are now able to deploy the tent, It's an added bonus that it matches the vehicle

A pic of my 4 year old in front of his new penthouse.

A pic of Larry's very very rare 1987 Ford Ranger turbo diesel 4x4. Besides the Stacks, 6" lift, 33" tires and 4.56 gears its all stock, including the turbo diesel engine.

All and all I am very happy with the tent, like Greg said the first gen Mombasa is a beginner tent. The tent needs a few small pin holes repaired and the ladder still needs to be fixed so it does not stick out the side. This seems to be a common issue with the first gen tents. Another item, the first gen Mombasa is lacking when it comes to padding. For children it is adequate, but I will need pack my Exped air mattress for some extra comfort. The air mattress will also keep me much warmer from cold air flowing under the tent.

 

[OREGON85]

So, that ranger has the same 2.3L Mitsubishi as your pickup? How do those things do for power?

 

[spencevans]

So, that ranger has the same 2.3L Mitsubishi as your pickup? How do those things do for power?

Yeah the Ranger uses the same Mitsubishi 2.3 turbo diesel as my 85 Mitsubishi pickup. When tuned properly the engine make solid torque. Stock they make around 86 hp and 136 ft lbs of torque which is very adequate for a truck this size. The engine can be easily modified to make 40-50 ft lbs more torque.

 

[Stephen]

Any updates, Spence? This is my favorite build going on right now.

 

[spencevans]

Any updates, Spence? This is my favorite build going on right now.

Now that I am finally moved in to my new home in Farmington, I can get back to working on the Montero. I got a price quote from Kurt on a 2" OME lift. I also have looked at adding a 1" body lift and some BFG KO 33x9.50x15's. But first I need to add swap in my 5.29 gears. Here's a pic with the family up by Old Ephriam's grave.

 

[mesha]

This is a super cool build. I love the look of these older box style rigs.