1999 w 206k miles

[Rdorazil]

Im looking at a 1999 Montero w 206k miles on the clock. It would be an every day vehicle. My question is, am I crazy or would you not hesitate to pick it up. Comes w maintenance records garage kept Texas vehicle in great shape.

 

[Salonika]

Are you looking to spend time working on it yourself?

 

[nwoods]

My family members and myself daily'd a 1998 for 4 years. Its a great vehicle, and it kinda feels like you are "getting away with something" when you can buy such a decent vehicle so inexpensively. The expression "Drive it like you stole it" definitely fits. They are very durable vehicles, though a bit bouncy and light compared to beasts of the freeway today. Hitting a drainage swale or speed bump without slowing down is supremely satisfying, particularly if you were used to driving a sedan or low slung car.

The only challenge is in the mechanical question. If its running, its likely to keep running. If its not running all that great, you are on the edge of a financial cliff. Actually, its not terribly expensive to fix, but it takes time and that means your daily is off the street. That is the expensive part.

Edit: Gas mileage is not a thing to worry about. If you care about MPG, keep looking

 

[Rdorazil]

Thanks for the info, Ive always wanted one. I would be working on it, what are some of the common fail points that I should look out for/prepare for?

 

[plh]

Thanks for the info, Ive always wanted one. I would be working on it, what are some of the common fail points that I should look out for/prepare for?

Its 21 years old - nearly anything can fail. Timing belt, tensioner water pump replacement records? If any one if these fail the engine is basically toasted, PM schedule is 60K miles. Everything rubber at this point needs to be replaced. hoses, bushings, seals...

The good thing is price of entry is relatively cheap & durable when maintained, bad thing is - being they are cheap, prior owners didn't spend $ to keep maintenance updated.

 

[nwoods]

Jeez man, you sound like my grandma when I ask her how she's feeling.

They have surprisingly few true Achilles' heels that result from poor engineering. It's not like those ZF or Ford transmissions which are effectively guaranteed to fail no matter what you do. Most of these things that went to the junkyard were the result of owner neglect not a shortcoming in the machine.

The OE alarm is often a pain in the neck but if you have any business at all owning an old car you'll be competent at wiring and it is trivially easy to bypass it or install a new remote (recommend Avital 3100 it's reliable, simple and affordable) . The circuit on which that starter interrupt/alarm/remote exists is analog and easy to trace.

For some reason a lot of people struggle with the coolant system on these things. It's possible you will need to replace the radiator or have yours re-cored if somebody didn't do a good job with that, is running hose water instead of distilled, etc. - the heater core is unfortunately a huge pain in the neck to replace and there are no shortcuts on it (many have tried..) - so if you get sweet coolant smells in the cabin you got some work ahead of you. For many people that's the actual worst job there is to do on these vehicles. I'd rather remove the engine than replace the heater core, in terms of how much work it is.

The valve guide seals age and that leads to oil consumption and failed catalytic converters and poor mpg as a result of the oil caking up inside the exhaust system and oxygen sensors. Running heavier weight oil will not fix this and may make it worse. The only way to actually fix it is replace the valve guide seals and run the specified 10w30 oil. If you need to buy some time before digging into the seals you can try to clean some of the varnish and gack off the old seals to help them seal a little better by giving it a fresh oil change & replacing one quart of oil with Marvel. This will thin the oil out a little (like.. 5w25...) and dislodge just about any crusty crap that's in contact with the oil and mobilize it to the pan or the filter. Your next drain will probably be gross if it's been neglected in there but subsequent intervals will be considerably less gross. Like I said if you have leaky valve guide seals this may buy you some time by removing the crust around the seals & those little springs that hold them tight, but ultimately if the seals have not been done they need to be done and that's probably the 2nd hardest job on these vehicles.

The steering kingpin bushings wear out with age, well all of the steering linkages wear out ultimately. These trucks handle very tight and nimble when you have it all dialed in so if the steering is at all sloppy or vague there's something worn out down there. Most of it is easy to replace.

The front axle disconnect is vacuum actuated like most vehicles which have 4wd and spindles... and like most vehicles of that sort the vacuum hoses are rubber and two decades plus an oil leak above them can destroy them. The solenoids can fail, the actuator diaphragm can fail (though it rarely does).. when it fails all the way that just leaves your front axle locked in like as if you were in AWD but you don't want to drive around in 2wd at highway speeds like that because the front ring and pinion will be running on the back side of the gear teeth and this generates significant heat, damaging the oil and seals and the plastic breather nip. When the vacuum bits fail partially it leads to a "grinding gears" sound while you drive, which is the sound of your disconnect clutch and the bearings in your front axle being transformed into glitter. It is no bueno. You want to fix that. It is easy and cheap to fix properly if you get it early.

 

[Salonika]

I would never use my Montero as a daily driver. It’s too old for that. I’d drive it across the country on vacation though without question. All my miles are for fun now, or light work....I’m never going to rack up commuter miles with it. Buy it. Make sure timing belt job is current, drive it, and start fixing it. They become a hobby if you love the truck, you’ll always have something to tinker with. Sort of like a boat. But you better have a #2 vehicle to drive while the Montero is laid up for service.

 

[normal_dave]

My Gen 3, '02 Montero Limited is my daily driver. It has 209K miles. I also work out of it from time to time, I do sales/service/install work with janitorial chemical dispensers. When the weekend comes, I offload my part boxes, and reload camping/outdoor gear. Many would say "get another daily driver", but I really like traveling, even reveling in rainy downpour days with the AWD capability, and sure footed-ness. FWIW, I have a backup vehicle.

If you are willing and able to do most of your own maintenance, and your candidate vehicle has an impressive maintenance record, then I say "game on". I have said before these are not for the "faint of heart", since you will likely encounter a punch list of catch up items that Montero owners who are not "in the know", seem to overlook. Cam O-rings, front cam seals, timing belt/water pump, coolant pipe O-rings, valve seals, valve cover gaskets, etc., often are needed to bring your Monty "up to speed". Once done, however, I have found mine to be ultimately reliable, and easy to maintain.

Don't get it for good gas mileage, get it because you really want the capability the vehicle offers, and you are able to do/learn the maintenance, otherwise, you will need a local competent mechanic that speaks "fluent Mitsubishi", and relatively deep pockets. Parts cost not terrible, labor is the killer.

Are you able to share more about your target car without "losing" it to another buyer?
Edit: I tracked down your 1999 in Texas. I noticed it was originally listed in a forum for $ 8K, now on C/list for 24 days $6K. It seems that older Montero's that are highly desirable get snapped up right away. Ones that sell slowly leave me with a question mark about condition or price.

For a daily driver, I think everyone should have what I have. (Ha Ha). Let me direct your attention here:
2002 Montero Limited
Newer car, great road manners, comfort, (arguably less off road capable due to independent suspension/articulation). Land Cruiser-like luxury and comfort at a bargain basement price. Lower miles, much lower price. I say much more car for the dollar.

2001 (Gen 3) Montero

Article recently shared on the forum has a reasonable outlook:
Montero Best Buy Classic