...but one more interesting than an Evo
This should be a fun project, and since I've trying to figure out how to add a 4WD back into my life for a while, it came along at the right time.
1991 Montero RS 4-door, one owner from Genoa, mostly garaged from the looks of the paint, certainly off-road almost never. 180k miles, blown head gasket. Runs very smooth, starts on the first turn. Auto tranny, shifts great, 4WD works great, as do the auto hubs. The 3.0 V6 has enough oomph, the EFI eliminates dealing with carbs.
Everything feels tight - the steering, doors, running gear, etc. The body is 98% straight, with a couple of dings on the rear hatch and the hint of a push on one door that I didn't see until I got it in the right light. Glass is good, windshield is recent. All electric windows and locks work fine. It has AC, a tranny cooler, and a power-steering cooler.
Owner gave to a buddy with a wrecking yard, was going to crush it for the scrap money (!). My brother found it and worked a deal for $350. Couldn't pass that up. We saved it literally the day before the crusher showed up.
The idea is to get a good rebuilt motor, replace anything that doesn't look serviceable, and turn it into an expedition/vacation vehicle. Since my brother works at a 4WD fab shop, it should be fun for us.
Pie-in-the-sky build-out plans include:
One-of front and rear bumpers, trim but functional
Front electric winch
Skid plates
Side slider bars
Quarter-panel exo tube frames
Upper body exo tube frame with rack mount points
Full-length aluminum top rack tray
Interior and exterior mods for tool storage, extra battery, air system
If I am able to put just a part of the 4WD budget into this that I was planning for a newer vehicle, it should work out nicely. Especially if I can set aside time for it.....
Starting with a clean, tight, and non-abused shell and running gear is half the 4WD battle, after messing with it some today and evaluating the condition I think I am good to go. It really looks like it lived in the garage and only came out for winter driving around town for the vast majority of its life.
This also gets back to the argument about staying with vehicles you can work on yourself.....and we aren't afraid to cut and weld on it....