Poll: Scrap gen3 limited? Need your opinion

[normal_dave]

Katzin makes aftermarket quality leather seat kits designed to replace factory cloth or leather interiors. They build the Mopar OEM upgraded leather interiors too. The sky is the limit, on custom options, but I ordered a complete Katzkin kit for our '03 Montero Sport Limited. Front seats, armrest, headrests, rear seats, also included headrests, and fold down armrests. Everything was exact as OEM only better quality leather padding and stitching. They even sent four pieces cut for door panels, but my truck didn't have leather on the doors from the factory. I could have installed the covers myself, but a local street rod interior shop only charged a small fee to install the whole thing, with me dropping off the seats to them. The detail was impressive, it even had the rear seat belt buckle pockets sewn in, like OEM when you fold the seats for flat floor.
katzkin leather
edit: I see the lookup no longer has Mitsubishi, no worries, they should still have the templates, and every order is built from them anyhow. Contact John, tell him what you have, and he'll probably be able to get it done.

I read up on them on the Tacoma forums, took a chance and ordered the kit through the forum member John Huey who is a Katzkin reseller, saved money, supported the little guy. It literally made the truck look and smell brand new inside. I had to detail the rest of it including spray dye some of the fading plastic trim to keep up with the leather. Complete kit, plus install, and my free labor was about $1,100.00 all said and done. Expensive? maybe, but compare that to an upholstery shop trying to copy your OEM stuff. The only "negative" is that the Katzkin leather is so much nicer, and better padded that my wife says the OEM heated seats don't work as well in the winter, can't have everything. When the time comes, I'll scrape the money together again and do the whole shooting match on my Montero. Youtube videos show self install, but you'll need hog ring pliers, and patience. That's why I used the local interior shop, they do it day in and out, had the tools and expertise, and with me pulling the whole interior and dropping it off, made it easy on them.

Here's the katzkin thread in the Tacoma thread:
Katzkin leather Tacoma World

 

[offthepath]

@offthepath im in the same boat as you. I have a 97 f150 with similar miles. I rebuilt its tranny 2 years ago. Cost me $2500 to do everything. Many thought i should just buy a new truck. I drove the new f150 and they are nice but i kept thinking about the car payment. I felt that the rebuild was equal to 5 car payments. In my mind, im ahead financially but i still have an old but reliable truck.

I checked prices on a jeep wrangler unlimited last night. Financing a new or slightly used one would put me at $650 a month for 60 months. ($30-35k). Interest rates are starting to rise - 4% with great credit. I started to get cold feet bc thaat doesnt include tags or insurance.

Monty is starting to look like a better option. I guess i will keep driving it but i will start watching the car market get familiar with what is out there and how much it costs... $5k into montero is 8 months of payments but its probably 3 weekends of work...

Comparing the work to monthly payments is a great way to look at it.

Your right, insurance and registrations are easily over looked. Can you afford a huge bill every year just to put tags on the new car........? I shudder to think what the registration and insurance are on some of these 60-90k diesel truck you see every where.

If I were you, especially with the care you've take of the Montero, I would either pull the engine and take it to a good machine shop or get a quality re-manufactured engine to drop in. Cost you 3-4k. Maybe keep a few thousand in savings just in case the tranny has issues, but I'd bet you get a lot more miles out of it before something else major pops up.

 

[BOPOH]

So.... my 04' tranny died so i did some research and it appears 03-06 tranny's dont live much after 200K. Typically used cost around $700-1000 and most are over 100K miles. Keep in mind it's different tranny than 01-02.

I'm contemplating to part-out my montero and junk it later

 

[coffeegoat]

What changed on the 03-06 transmission? Is it possible to just go back the 01/02 version? I assume it has something to do with the traction control upgrade, but it makes me curious...

 

[BOPOH]

What changed on the 03-06 transmission? Is it possible to just go back the 01/02 version? I assume it has something to do with the traction control upgrade, but it makes me curious...

4spd vs. 5spd

 

[normal_dave]

Hmmm...my '02 Limited has the 5-speed auto V5A51. The XLS of the same era 01-02 had the 4-speed.

This site indicates the NM Limited ('02) and NP (03) had the same 5-speed transmissions?
NM/NP transmissions

Upgraded valve body fits NM onward to NS, so the 5-speeds are the same it would appear.
Upgraded NM valve body

 

[coffeegoat]

Agreed with Normal Dave, one of the distinguishing features of the Limited (01-02) is the 5 speed transmission. There are a few other differences, but that's one of the big ones.

 

[SONICMASD]

To me, the question isn't Cost of Repairing Current Montero vs Cost of much more expensive Vehicle you have to finance.

It's fix this Montero vs get a replacement Gen3. A stock replacement can be had with waay less miles, like 150-200k, for around $2-3k. Then even after you put another $1-1.5k into in preventative maintenance it it will have a whole lot less miles on it than your current rig.

I can understand fixing your rig if you've been really good on replacing things and maintenance like all the rubber suspension bushings, joints, and tie rods + timing belt, coolant system, etc. Because if you're not able to do a lot of the work yourself or know someone who can do it for less than a shop's rates, and the replacement vehicle needs a lot, you might end up spending more on bringing the replacement Montero up to your current vehicle's level. You could easily spend $3k on maintenance at a shop between timing belt, cooling system, tranny drain and fill, brakes, suspension refresh, tires, etc.

For now, I would just keep driving it but be on the lookout for a well maintained, lower mile, Gen 3. Deals can be found if you look hard enough. Check insurance auction sites for Monteros that were in small fender benders because they will be totaled out for almost any damage since replacement fenders and body trim pieces are very hard to find and expensive and the vehicle has such a low blue book value. For reference, a 2003 with 197k just ended up in a local yard this week and it was super clean, no body damage, needed a water pump, but the guy didn't pay his title loan and it got repossessed and then no one bid anything for it at auction so a perfectly fine Montero went straight to the junk yard.

Earlier this year, I saw an immaculate, 1 owner 2004 with 140k sell for $3,800 on craigslist.

Southern California has the most Gen3s I've found so check Craigslist and OfferUp in that area, for the right price it could be worth shipping the car to you.

I hope that helps. I'm not trying to talk you out of fixing your rig but just some perspective.

 

[SONICMASD]

Oh ps - finding replacement trannys can be difficult and expensive. My 03 got a new tranny with 114k put in a few months back by the PO and it cost him $1,000 at a junk yard. BUT they can be found for much less than that still with some sleuthing. In Arizona, I know of one already pulled unit for like $100, another for $400 with transfer case, and one just hit the junk yard last week with 197k on it.