1991 Mistubishi Montero Build

[spencevans]

I have recently purchased a new project. I do not plan to go as extreme as I did with my Mitsubishi Turbo Diesel Pickup http://www.rme4x4.com/showthread.php?t=64474 .

My plans are to build an expedition rig and daily driver. The 1991 Montero was the last year for the first generation Montero's. I have always been a huge fan of the boxy styling of these rigs. I purchased this rig out of southern California because I wanted a rust free ride. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention it just recently had a $5600 engine installed.:greg:


What I have to work with:

-1991 Mitsubishi Montero LS (LS was top of the line)

-3.0 V6 engine rated for 139 hp and 172 ft lbs torque.

-Aisin Warner A44DL 4 speed automatic transmission (Did you know this is same tranny that was Toyota vehicle so this tranny with bolt right up to NP231 and other jeep and toyota t-cases. So, bolting up a doubler or an Atlas would not be a big deal.)

-KM120 Transfer Case (2.85 and 3.15 crawler gears are available from Mark4wd.com)

-9" coil sprung, solid rear axle with LSD and 4.62 gears (ARB and Mitsubishi both have air lockers available for this axle, most 1992-2001 Montero were fitted with a rear locker which is a direct bolt-in third member.)

-8" independent suspension front axle with double A-arms, torsion bars and Aisin auto-locking hubs. (ARB makes a locker for this axle. Gearing solutions are available for both front and rear axles if needed through Mitsubishi.)

-4 wheel disc brakes

-Front suspension seats from the factory

-31x10.50R15 BFG KO's

-Power Sunroof, windows, A/C, inclinometer, new tires etc.

-Roof Rack

-No Rust


My Plans:

-Airflow Snorkel

-Rear axle swap from a 1995 Montero SR (this will upgrade the rear to a locking differential and disc brakes.)

-2.85 Crawler gears for the TCase

-Front heated seats

-New leather for all the seats and new carpet

-Aisin manual locking hubs

-Ladder for the rear door

-ARB Bullbar and Warn M8000 Winch

-Custom drawer system

-33" tires and 5.29 gears(maybe)

Here she is, she has the extremely rare 2 tone paint job and rare alloy wheels.

 

[spencevans]

So, project Montero is off to a good start. I love the retro looks of this rig. For some reason there are no Montero build on RME even though they make amazing off road rigs. The Montero runs and drives strong, especially the motor and transmission. I have been experiencing some very slight shimmying from 45-50mph, and I have a suspicion it's some of the bushings in the front end. Hopefully the weather is nice on Saturday so I can address this issue.

I also need to take care of an issue I have with the roof rack, I can't deploy my Roof Top Tent because the roof rack towers stick up too high. I plan to cut off the towers with a cutoff wheel and weld in some new cross bars at the appropriate distances so the tent is mounted properly.

For the most part I am very happy with my new budget build. This thing is as solid as a rock. I plan to drive it for a few years and get the most out of it, which won't be hard.

This little tower needs to go so the tent can deploy:greg:

 

[Stephen]

I always liked the Montero. Under appreciated for sure.

 

[Rot Box]

Cool Can't wait to see more!

 

[sixstringsteve]

very cool!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

A clean Mitsubishi for sure, I'm excited to see the build progress

 

[Greg]

Looks great, even more so with the Mombasa RTT up there!

 

[phatfoto]

Love the look of the older Pajero/Montero. The 3.0 V6 in those sadly, don't have much of an aftermarket, but can make some power and torque.

 

[spencevans]

Looks great, even more so with the Mombasa RTT up there!

Yeah, and who would have thought I could find a vehicle to match that ugly camel colored tent.:greg:

 

[spencevans]

Love the look of the older Pajero/Montero. The 3.0 V6 in those sadly, don't have much of an aftermarket, but can make some power and torque.

There is a pretty good aftermarket for the 3.0 and there are many swaps that are pretty straight forward. Currently the motor moves the vehicle similar to an FJ80. I think this is in large part due to the 4.63 gearing and the amazing Aisin transmissions in these rigs.

Aftermarket parts for the 3.0 include Supercharger kits, Turbo Kits, Headers,Performance Cams, Forged steel ConRods, Performance Heads etc. Personally I wouldn't even bother building up a 3.0 (6g72), I would just swap in a a 215 hp MItsubishi 3.5L (6g74) or even better yet swap in a 300 hp Mitsubishi 3.0 VR4 (6g72TT) out of a Mitsubishi 3000 or Dodge Stealth. A twin turbo Montero would be awsome but finding a donor car maybe a little difficult because the twin turbo 3000 GT's are highly desirable

To my knowledge most Mitsubishi engines come in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged or even a twin turbocharged high performance version.

 

[sixstringsteve]

This is some great info. I'm clueless when it comes to mitsubishis, I just always dismissed them as an unreliable 4x4 cuz I always saw one sitting in my mechanic's shop. I had no clue they had this much aftermarket. I love that it's not just another jeep or toyota.

 

[Stephen]

I had a buddy back in high school who had a '92 lifted with lockers front and rear, lower t-case gears and running 35's. I can't remember where he got all the stuff from, but I know he said a lot of it, "Came from Australia". Not sure what that meant, but Australia is kinda the promised land for us non Jeep/Toyota folks, right?

 

[spencevans]

I had a buddy back in high school who had a '92 lifted with lockers front and rear, lower t-case gears and running 35's. I can't remember where he got all the stuff from, but I know he said a lot of it, "Came from Australia". Not sure what that meant, but Australia is kinda the promised land for us non Jeep/Toyota folks, right?

By saying Australia, he probably meant ARB, TJM, JAOS, etc. There are a lot of aftermarket parts available from the land down under. Most Montero's built from 94-99 came with a selectable rear air locker from the factory. Because the wheel wells are so large, a small body lift and a simple torsion bar crank will allow you to run 35" tires. And because Mitsubishi uses such a high quality of steel in it ring gears and CV shafts, I haven ever heard of people breaking from end components. I am sure some one has, but it does not seem to be an issue even with the guys running 37's on there Monteros. Also, most people aren't aware that all Montero's from 89-99 that came equipt with an automatic transmission are compatible with NP231/241 Tcases. It's a direct bolt in application. The rare manual equipt Montero's are not compatible with the New Process cases.

While the Montero is not a fully locked FJ80 or Jeep Rubicon, their offroad ability would challenge any IFS rig like the FJ crusier, 4runner, . They are just fun little boxes to drive and can be had at a fraction of the cost of a Toyota 4runner and Landcruisers.

If you're ever interested in one I would recommend getting a 95-96 Montero SR because they come with the 220hp engine and the rear locker. The SR also came with the automatic Aisin tranny that is compatible with the NP231 and NP241 so that would be a great upgrade. Some of the 97-99 Monteros still came equipt with the rear locker but the engine output was reduced to 205hp.

 

[Kiel]

inclinometer is awesome!

 

[spencevans]

This is some great info. I'm clueless when it comes to mitsubishis, I just always dismissed them as an unreliable 4x4 cuz I always saw one sitting in my mechanic's shop. I had no clue they had this much aftermarket. I love that it's not just another jeep or toyota.

Here are some links with consumer reviews about Montero's. Typically people just go on the net to complain about there vehicles, but that has never been the case with the Montero.

Just click on the reviews for the year you're interested in and read away. Owners can't praise these things enough. For some reason most say it's their favorite vehicle ever, and they praise there reliability even when they have 300K miles on them. The other interesting thing is, experts hate them, but the owners love them which is really odd. But this should come as no surprise, the experts reviewers have always had something against Mitsubishi here in the states. For instance, last year Mitsubishi had the highest initial customer satisfaction of any car company in the US last year, but experts fail to mention thing like this. I recommend putting the expert opinions aside and start listening to our fellow consumers.

http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/default.aspx?make=Mitsubishi&model=Montero#used

 

[Gravy]

There's a good montero build where the guy sas'd it on rockfrogs forum

 

[spencevans]

inclinometer is awesome!

It's gives the kids something to look at, but my favorite feature is the front suspension seat. I liked mine so much I installed a suspension seat on the passenger side for the wifey as well. I love hitting railroad crossings at full speed and letting the seats soak up the bumps.

Does anyone know of an other vehicle that was offered stateside with suspension seats?

 

[spencevans]

I know this thread is not terribly interesting for most of you but I will keep the posts coming for those who are curious.

I purchased some 5.29 ring and pinions today. These gears will allow me to run 34" tires and maintain my powerband. Now I just need to start saving for tires. I also spoke with Kurt a few weeks back about getting a 1" OME lift for my Montero but I am not sure it is needed because the suspension seats soak up all the bumps. The stock suspension seats are amazing not to mention just flat out fun to ride in. I actually find myself speeding up to hit big bumps, but I may still get the OME lift to help reduce the body roll I get with every day driving.

 

[Houndoc]

fun watching your progress!

 

[Stephen]

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