Se7en62's '99 Montero Gen 2.5 Overland Build & Adventures

[Se7en62]

Sunday morning my wife and I bled the brakes and then hit the road. Here in Texas we have off-road parks due to the lack of public property, so we headed out to a location called Hidden Falls in Liberty Hill. This place is a about 2400 acres and features a gun range, dozens of trails with various difficulties, camping, and RV spaces. It's a pretty cool private facility and the cost is fairly low so a lot of folks from the Austin area frequent it. I've been out here before in in Jeeps, but this was the first time I'd taken the Pajj out.



I realized right when we arrived that my 4H wasn't engaging, but later found that it was my driver's side manual hub that wasn't engaging the CV axle. Regardless, my 4HLc and 4LLc both engaged a psuedo-locked 3WD...maybe? Maybe 2WD locked? We went ahead and headed onto the main trail that connects all the others. I went straight to the back and hit a Level 3 which was just a deeply rutted up creek bed that ran up a steep hill. Then we turned onto another trail and head up to one of the obstacles there. No issues all day and then we drove home without issue.

VIDEO <--CLICK HERE







I'm going to fix that hub Tuesday and then get back out to a different off-road ranch on Sunday to have another shakedown.

[Se7en62]

I took another cue from anotehr thread here on ADD to add an inline fuel filter to the coolant system's return bypass line. The filter used is an Edelbrock unit with a sintered copper filter element. This is a cheap ($15) and practical precautionary upgrade for these old trucks. My coolant system is as clean as koolaid, but this should catch anything floating around in it.

[Se7en62]

Fixed the hub on Saturday and detailed it. Then on Sunday, we went out to a private ranch near Boerne, TX to do some wheeling. We had a nice and diverse group of trucks: My Pajj, plus a black Lexus GX470 w/ Dobinsons (I think..) and 33's, a black Baja Tacoma with rear locker and 33's, a silver Tacoma with rear locker, and my buddy's well-built WJ with brand new Radflo shocks. We had a blast and everyone did the same lines, except at one point the WJ did a pretty gnarly line through a boulder field that no one else attempted. Regardless, the trip was awesome and the 'Rocket' did really well. It was about a 2-hour drive to the ranch, we did 5-hours of wheeling, and 2-hours home without an issue in about 82° weather.

VIDEO: LIFTING A WHEEL CLIMBING SOFT SOIL














Adventure Driven Design shipped by 3-Piece Skid Plate Combo last week, so we should be all plated up by mid-week next week. There was only one thing I could do...

[Crumb]

Thanks for sharing, i know it's extra work to post on multiple forums. We appreciate it.

[Se7en62]

Thanks for sharing, i know it's extra work to post on multiple forums. We appreciate it.

No problem! I enjoy sharing your dedication to the marquee. It's also a lot of fun to educate people on the history and capability of these things, since there just aren't a whole lot in proper use. Maybe these threads will motivate a few more folks to pick up a Pajero/Montero (or four) and save another from the crusher.

Honestly, after getting my hands on this and learning about it I've become totally attached to it. The whole thing including the Dakar history, as well as ADD's contribution and commitment to create a domestic aftermarket where there hasn't been one for so long. Right when one is needed most...

[Se7en62]

Anyhow, I had time to take some pics while it was nice and shiny right before we pulled onto the ranch to go wheeling. I spent hours detailing it Saturday, primarily because I wanted to establish a baseline of cleanliness that I could maintain easier after each outing or road-trip. This is also a really good opportunity to inspect everything up close inside and out: door jams, door seals, latches, hinges, window trim, carpet, tie-downs, door trim, etc.

With lines like these, who would want to buy a Land Cruiser for 4-5x the price? This example is in excellent shape outside of having some paint fade from a sunny Southern California life. Now that i own it, it has gained a couple of Texas pinstripes from our Cedar Trees, but nothing that I can't live with as character marks or buff out eventually.

[MrGalantguy]

Gorgeous Montero...cleans up very well!!

[Se7en62]

Gorgeous Montero...cleans up very well!!

Thanks! I spent hours cleaning it, just to take it wheeling and get it filthy again. That said, it's nice as hell on the inside while it does work on the outside. 

Two of the three ADD Skid Plates arrived on Friday, but I don't want to install them until I can do all of them this weekend. So, I had nothing better to do on Saturday. After a few hours at the gun range with some buddy's of mine, I strapped down my gear and headed back to Hidden Falls. This place is only about 12 miles from Best of the West Gun Range, so I couldn't resist. I wasn't able to get many pictures since I was wheeling alone this time. However, I did run across a nice an accessible patch of Bluebonnet (State Flower of Texas) on my way home. These flowers are finicky and don't always bloom in the same fields, but this time of year our roadways are all lined in these vibrant blue flowers. They'll stick around through April so I'll try and find some larger fields to show y'all.

[jaccox]

Beautiful truck and pics man. I just got back from my maiden voyage on the X3's and I'm really happy with how they performed. They wrap around rocks like its nothing and the lugs on the sidewall will pick up a small animal if you're not careful. They aren't terribly loud for their aggressive tread pattern. And I slung them around switchbacks in the Appalachian Mtns for an entire week and never felt like I had too little of contact on the asphalt.

[Se7en62]

Beautiful truck and pics man. I just got back from my maiden voyage on the X3's and I'm really happy with how they performed. They wrap around rocks like its nothing and the lugs on the sidewall will pick up a small animal if you're not careful. They aren't terribly loud for their aggressive tread pattern. And I slung them around switchbacks in the Appalachian Mtns for an entire week and never felt like I had too little of contact on the asphalt.

Nice! Yeah, I love mine. They've been doing really well on the highway up to 80mph or so and like you said, they aren't too loud at all. Definitely less noisy than my Destination MT's. These X3's are also wearing very nicely and look close to new when they're clean. In the sharp rocks, down to 20-25psi they really deform and grip amazingly well. July  and 3,000 miles, with 350 miles of trails is coming soon though and I don't expect these X3's to have a single problem across TX, NM, or CO.

[Se7en62]

I've been a bit quiet, while my wife and I celebrated our 6th Anniversary over last weekend. L.I.V.I.N. :cool:

Two out of three skid plates have arrived. The last one, the mid-plate is shipping tomorrow, so those will all go in next weekend. I've also been working on sourcing some OEM CV axles, so I can rebuild them and swap them out for mine while I rebuild the set I have so I have a set of good spares. Aside from that, I've been researching batteries for weeks and have concluded that the ($$$) X2Power Group 31 AGM is going to be my next large purchase for this project. Following that I'll also get the electrical system sorted and to do that I started contemplating requirements with this to help visualize what I'm doing. - Now the system will NOT include (2) X2Power's at first, as I have a perfectly good flooded battery up front that's only a year old. The rest of this, I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on (thanks to Amazon) so if anything seems out of place please let me know and you might possibly save me a headache and some money.



As hinted at above: Another task I'm working on is upgrading from my ARB 37qt to a Snomaster 42qt. That upgrade should happen next week and I'm really excited about it.

Last but not least, is actually the next most important task at hand and that is the compiling of roof rack materials. I ordered a set of Surco GM100 5-1/2" Gutter Mounts today and will order another set tonight, for a total of ( mounts. The rest will just be round tubing and light and accessory tabs and mounts, then we can fabricate it and get the RTT mounted. --- Oh! I also picked up brand new ARB 4.5" awning for the rear for $80 from my buddy so that's a bit of a bonus. Cheers!

[Se7en62]

Gutter Mounts have been ordered...I found (2) sets on Amazon that were in "Used" condition for half-price, so I'll just refurb them if needed and replace the hardware with Grade 8 stuff. I should be able to get the rack pretty well designed this week.

In other news: We scored this nearly-brand-new Dometic CFX-95DZW Dual Zone Fridge/Freezer w/ Wi-Fi for $600! It was used at a local outdoor supplier's store as a demo for a couple months but that's brand new in my book. I had made some measurements prior to buying it and even though I figured it would be too big, I wanted to double check just to be sure. Turns out it fits PERFECTLY in the cargo area with the 2nd row seats still in place! - Now I'm selling my brand new (never used) ARB 37qt fridge (locals only.)







I have some pondering to do to figure out the layout for the rear drawer system and storage. I'm thinking the fridge will live on the left on a slide with a cutting board underneath on another slide. Then on the right, I'll build a pair of stacked drawers: One for recovery gear storage; One for dry-goods. Behind the lower drawer will live the auxiliary battery and on the right-side outer wall, the Renogy Wanderer PWM Solar Controller. - Then I'll do a box over the top of the fridge to store our pair of travel duffel bags. Then there will still be space on the sides for other smaller gear, like my Viair 88p Air Pump, tire repair, etc.

The backseats, I plan to remove and replace with a platform for my dog. She's a 100 lb Akbash that likes to stand while we drive, so she will get her own space and be separated from the cargo by a cargo net barrier. Since the back seat is set a bit higher on the rise in the floorboard, this should also create small storage spaces in the footwells of the rear seat area. I think this will be a good spot for tool rolls and other stuff I can access while parked or camped. - The fire extinguisher is likely to be mounted to the front seat, as well as my IFAK.

[Crumb]

What's an IFAK?

 Also post pics of your dog!

[Davis_664]

What's an IFAK?

Individual First Aid Kit

[Se7en62]

What's an IFAK?

 Also post pics of your dog!

An IFAK is just an "Individual First Aid Kit," but it's typically more combat or heavy-trauma oriented. Mine is packed with sting/bite/cut treatment, chest seals for through-n-through gun shot wounds to the torso, and Quikclot for heavy blood loss. Then I have tourniquets stashed in a couple quick to access spots. All my IFAK is lacking is an Epipen. I also have an Xterra's first aid pouch that has a SAM splint, knife, various tapes, etc. to treat a twisted ankle or a broken bone.

As requested: Here's our 18-month old Beyza (similar to "Beyaz" which means white in Turkish.) She's an AKC Registered Turkish Akbash Dog and her grandparents are both from Turkey. These aren't real common in the US, especially in the role of a companion dog as they are normally reserved for the duties of a herd guardian. She's about 100 lbs, stands about 6' when she is on her back feet, but is as sweet as they come. These dogs are extremely intelligent and behave autonomously. In her mind, we are her herd and she must protect us, but without panicking the herd. Anytime we stop and she is off the leash, she will automatically set a perimeter of about 50-100m in every direction and watch it from whatever high-ground is available. Then every 15-30 minutes or so, she'll get up and patrol that perimeter...all day and all night. Since we camp in Mountain Lion and Coyote territory, we do lock her in the backseat at night (when we had the Jeep.)