Picked up a new beater to replace my now-long-gone Gen2.5 Montero. I don't have a focused plan for it other than make it live long and be useful for all kinds of use. It'll need to be in no particular order:
1) Unstoppable in weather
2) Travel long distances in relative comfort (both highway and trails)
3) Carry a bike
4) Easy to transition between long and short trips
5) Reliable
6) Stay presentable enough that it doesn't make 'em say Ughhhhhhh for the wrong reason. The bar is fairly low.
The near-er goal is to see how it fits in the current "fleet" of redundant vehicles to see which one goes. Might be this one, who knows. (FZJ80, HDJ81, Diesel 7P Touareg)
I bought this in Edmonton, AB right before the border closed for Covid, 4Wheel Auto did the lion's share of work to get it to where it is at the moment. Cannot recommend these guys enough. It made it across the border the week after New Year's and i drove it home from Portland, OR last week.
Details: 1994 VX Limited Snow Version
Suspension: OME "J" spring lift, 1.5" pucks up front on top. OME panhards/steering links, OME rear arms, Land Cruiser Products rear endlinks, Land Cruiser Products front QDs, Landtank brackets, Metaltech 4x4 caster plates, Metaltech 4x4 extended brake lines
Driveline: Tom Wood DC front driveshaft
Motor: ZEAL power rod, FMIC (Greddy Trust core, crappy piping), Mamba FTE/GTX2867R, 3" custom downpipe/exhaust
Wheel/Tire package: Currently 16x8 +0 Work Deerfields with 285/75r16 Duratracs
Exterior/Armor: ARB winch bullbar, some sort of JDM tyte y0 roof bars, Depo headlights, LX450 corner lights
Other: Long Range America aux tank
Immediate-ish plans:
1) Replace crappy FMIC setup with something not-crappy (PDI, HPD) This also lets me install an oem intake to quite this thing down. The turbo noise is obscene
2) Baseline the truck in terms of cabin seals, switches, etc
3) Usable stereo
4) Swap to the old Montero wheel/tire setup (15x8.5 Enkei HR385 Hurricanes, 35x12.50 Cooper STT Pros)
5) Lighting improvements (Retrofit the Depos with some D2 projectors, mount some Stedi aux lights, convert exterior lights to LED)
6) Rust remediation. Chassis/body underside has already been blasted and POR15'd, but there are some mostly-surface body issues that should be addressed to prevent from worsening. Bottom of doors due to clogged drains, base of fender mirror, rear window frames show a little bubbling, etc
6b) KutSnake flares and rhinoline the lower 2 tone
7) Safari snorkel
8) Rehab weak AC system
9) Rebab rear heater stuff (or remove entirely? Anyone have feedback as to how cabin comfort fares without? I liked using the rear only on the FZJ80 to avoid getting blasted by the sun from the dash vents)
10) LRA fuel gauge isn't working. Break out the switch and gauge separate to have a gauge that doesn't suck.
Less-immediate-ish plans:
1) Roof rack (Prinsu?)
2) Rear bumper (OME?)
3) Bike carrying solution (I can just throw it in the back for now)
4) Possibly swap to bigger turbo. The Mamba is great, it could just stand to have more chill on the highway
5) Gears. We'll see if this is needed. I'm not really into rock crawling, and the truck has more than enough power to pull around 33s. Will test with 35s and also soul-search to see if 37s are in the future. If i do gears, ARB lockers will find their way in "while i'm in here"
6) Satoshi-style grille because the swag life chose me
7) Interior storage solution
Pics because nobody likes words.
As purchased: Disgusting grille/lights/bumper, hammered JAOS lift, some gross MB wheels.
2020-04-30_12-36-09 by concealer404, on Flickr
New stuff installed, blasted and POR15'd.
2022-01-08_01-41-39 by concealer404, on Flickr
2022-01-08_01-41-45 by concealer404, on Flickr
Leaving Canada:
2022-01-08_01-42-10 by concealer404, on Flickr
Tearing it apart in Portland so i could see to get home (and stand to look at it without getting vomit on my shirt)
2022-03-17_04-06-23 by concealer404, on Flickr
As was leaving Portland:
2022-03-17_04-05-59 by concealer404, on Flickr
Home, after a bath, with a grille, and Lexus corners:
2022-03-17_04-02-03 by concealer404, on Flickr
2022-03-17_04-02-23 by concealer404, on Flickr
And that's where we stand today.
1) Unstoppable in weather
2) Travel long distances in relative comfort (both highway and trails)
3) Carry a bike
4) Easy to transition between long and short trips
5) Reliable
6) Stay presentable enough that it doesn't make 'em say Ughhhhhhh for the wrong reason. The bar is fairly low.
The near-er goal is to see how it fits in the current "fleet" of redundant vehicles to see which one goes. Might be this one, who knows. (FZJ80, HDJ81, Diesel 7P Touareg)
I bought this in Edmonton, AB right before the border closed for Covid, 4Wheel Auto did the lion's share of work to get it to where it is at the moment. Cannot recommend these guys enough. It made it across the border the week after New Year's and i drove it home from Portland, OR last week.
Details: 1994 VX Limited Snow Version
Suspension: OME "J" spring lift, 1.5" pucks up front on top. OME panhards/steering links, OME rear arms, Land Cruiser Products rear endlinks, Land Cruiser Products front QDs, Landtank brackets, Metaltech 4x4 caster plates, Metaltech 4x4 extended brake lines
Driveline: Tom Wood DC front driveshaft
Motor: ZEAL power rod, FMIC (Greddy Trust core, crappy piping), Mamba FTE/GTX2867R, 3" custom downpipe/exhaust
Wheel/Tire package: Currently 16x8 +0 Work Deerfields with 285/75r16 Duratracs
Exterior/Armor: ARB winch bullbar, some sort of JDM tyte y0 roof bars, Depo headlights, LX450 corner lights
Other: Long Range America aux tank
Immediate-ish plans:
1) Replace crappy FMIC setup with something not-crappy (PDI, HPD) This also lets me install an oem intake to quite this thing down. The turbo noise is obscene
2) Baseline the truck in terms of cabin seals, switches, etc
3) Usable stereo
4) Swap to the old Montero wheel/tire setup (15x8.5 Enkei HR385 Hurricanes, 35x12.50 Cooper STT Pros)
5) Lighting improvements (Retrofit the Depos with some D2 projectors, mount some Stedi aux lights, convert exterior lights to LED)
6) Rust remediation. Chassis/body underside has already been blasted and POR15'd, but there are some mostly-surface body issues that should be addressed to prevent from worsening. Bottom of doors due to clogged drains, base of fender mirror, rear window frames show a little bubbling, etc
6b) KutSnake flares and rhinoline the lower 2 tone
7) Safari snorkel
8) Rehab weak AC system
9) Rebab rear heater stuff (or remove entirely? Anyone have feedback as to how cabin comfort fares without? I liked using the rear only on the FZJ80 to avoid getting blasted by the sun from the dash vents)
10) LRA fuel gauge isn't working. Break out the switch and gauge separate to have a gauge that doesn't suck.
Less-immediate-ish plans:
1) Roof rack (Prinsu?)
2) Rear bumper (OME?)
3) Bike carrying solution (I can just throw it in the back for now)
4) Possibly swap to bigger turbo. The Mamba is great, it could just stand to have more chill on the highway
5) Gears. We'll see if this is needed. I'm not really into rock crawling, and the truck has more than enough power to pull around 33s. Will test with 35s and also soul-search to see if 37s are in the future. If i do gears, ARB lockers will find their way in "while i'm in here"
6) Satoshi-style grille because the swag life chose me
7) Interior storage solution
Pics because nobody likes words.
As purchased: Disgusting grille/lights/bumper, hammered JAOS lift, some gross MB wheels.
2020-04-30_12-36-09 by concealer404, on Flickr
New stuff installed, blasted and POR15'd.
2022-01-08_01-41-39 by concealer404, on Flickr
2022-01-08_01-41-45 by concealer404, on Flickr
Leaving Canada:
2022-01-08_01-42-10 by concealer404, on Flickr
Tearing it apart in Portland so i could see to get home (and stand to look at it without getting vomit on my shirt)
2022-03-17_04-06-23 by concealer404, on Flickr
As was leaving Portland:
2022-03-17_04-05-59 by concealer404, on Flickr
Home, after a bath, with a grille, and Lexus corners:
2022-03-17_04-02-03 by concealer404, on Flickr
2022-03-17_04-02-23 by concealer404, on Flickr
And that's where we stand today.
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