With the Xterra leaving the corral I've been on the hunt for something to replace it. The Xterra left big shoes to fill, as I really enjoyed that rig. It had tons of space, loads of power, was super comfy, and looked sharp.. New requirements/priorities was roomy (2 dogs), automatic tranny (Jacey's thing, not mine), 4x4, I preferred 4 doors, and a budget of around $2-3k; that price range narrows the field greatly. I looked hard into 1st & 2nd gen 4runners, FJ80 LC's, and Monteros. I kept coming back to the Monteros for the amount of usable space inside, their rumored reliability, 4 doors, possible 7 seats, limited slip and factory air locker options, and the prices are right on these things. 1st gen 4runners, I just couldn't do 2 doors amd the interiors don't seem as big as Monteros or FJ80's. 2nd gen 4runners are plagued with 3.0 motors and mega rust. FJ80's are a bit above my targeted price range, and I didn't want to wait another 2-4 months to be in the right range to pick up a decent '91-94ish 80 series.
Anyways, Spence had answered a lot of my questions about Monteros and helped send sale ads my way. I had narrowed down to te 2nd gen Montero and was waiting for the right one to pop up. Spence called me out of the blue and offered his '91 at a price that was too good to pass up. His rig is a clean California specimen that has been kept in very nice shape and boasts a rebuilt motor along with numerous new parts under the hood. Spence called me on Tuesday, Jacey and I drove it that night and bought the next day.
Here's the truck cleaned up a bit the second day I've had it; it's no beauty queen but it'll follow through on what we need in a 4x4 for now:
Anyways, Spence had answered a lot of my questions about Monteros and helped send sale ads my way. I had narrowed down to te 2nd gen Montero and was waiting for the right one to pop up. Spence called me out of the blue and offered his '91 at a price that was too good to pass up. His rig is a clean California specimen that has been kept in very nice shape and boasts a rebuilt motor along with numerous new parts under the hood. Spence called me on Tuesday, Jacey and I drove it that night and bought the next day.
Here's the truck cleaned up a bit the second day I've had it; it's no beauty queen but it'll follow through on what we need in a 4x4 for now:
Last edited:
