1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
I was looking for a boxy off-roader, thinking late 80s and early 90s as my target shopping years. What I really wanted was a Toyota Land Cruiser from the FJ60-era. But the BAT crowd has priced those above what they should be worth (in my opinion). So I turned to the lesser-loved Izusu Trooper and Mitsubishi Montero. I shopped around a little bit and found this 1991 long-wheelbase RS model, which would’ve been considered fully loaded for the time.
I was smitten right away due to the color scheme. Add in that it has the larger 3.0-liter V6 and five-speed manual and I was sold. Actually, add in my surprise at discovering these could be had with a “bouncy seat”, and I was really in. The driver’s seat can be unlocked and rides up and down, softening your off-road adventure.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
So far it’s been great! Most things are easy to reach under the hood. Parts common to other cars are easy to find. But Montero-specific items are becoming harder, which is tough. And I’ve been growing quite tired of the lifter tick that apparently happens on every 6G72 Mitsubishi engine in the world. It’s solvable, but I don’t have the time to deal with it just yet and you sort of grow numb to it. Still, I’d like to get that sorted sooner rather than later.
But this car is going to stick around for awhile. Usually I get automotive ADD and want to jump to something new. I still want something new, but I’m going to keep this one regardless. My daughter (who will be 5 in July) has informed me that she wants it.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
I haven’t had it long enough for truly fond memories. But the first time I took it to the dirt was great. Unlocking that bouncy seat and heading out on a trail are a great experience. With the tires and low-end grunt (relatively speaking), I usually don’t need to engage 4WD at all. I haven’t pushed it hard enough to need that, minus one or two runs through a muddy section. And when I did need it, it was an absolute tank.
I’d say another fond memory is an ice-cream run with my daughter. Letting her sit up on the square hood while we both enjoyed desert as the sun set. That’s a pretty good one.
4. Why do you love cars?
Because they are very large keys to adventures grand and small. If you have a car in your driveway or garage, you can literally set off and do almost anything. Go see amazing sights. Reconnect with long lost friends. Escape with others or by yourself. Or if you have a project on jack stands, your adventure involves traversing mechanical puzzles to unlock combustion secrets.
Some of my favorite adventures are car based… be they long road trips across the country, ripping through the sands of Baja, or even stretching out the range on a modern electric vehicle to see what it can truly do. Cars are romanticized escapism, and I love them for that.
Ed.: Jeff is the co-founder of Hooniverse and helped launch the careers of a thousand automotive journalists.
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If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
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