Mitsubishi Mighty Max

[Monochrome]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]You're in Brazil, and you're looking at cars? Forget that shit. Get out and see the city and people.

Anyway, that little 2D Pajero is awesome. They even offer it with the 3.8 MIVEC down there. I so wish we had that up here.[/quote]

Yeah we were going to the beach but some stuff came up. Just got back from a 10k run with my father in law. Pulled a Frode and got a tour of the neighborhood.

Oh I saw a new (2015) ford ranger during our run too.

[DCIV]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Kinda. I'm thinking it'd make a tough little truck to take the running gear from a Montero, and couple it with a 3.8L MIVEC built out of a hybrid of Endeavor, Eclipse and Montero parts [/quote]

Any supercharged 3.8 mivec's from factory?


Coop

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Steve...

Dunno if there's anything on here you can use, but I thought I'd toss it out there.

http://row52.com/Vehicle/Index/JA4GJ41S7LJ014134[/quote]
Nothing I can recall ATM. Been a bit preoccupied.
[quote=""Jeff V.""]I'm wondering just how much of the Montero driveline could be carried over. Get an air locker and the whole drivetrain from a 96-ish Montero SR. It'd probably do nicely in a little toy truck that weighs a lot less.[/quote]
Exactly where I am headed with it. Imagine the fun in a 3k lbs mini truck?
[quote=""Monochrome""]Yeah we were going to the beach but some stuff came up. Just got back from a 10k run with my father in law. Pulled a Frode and got a tour of the neighborhood.

Oh I saw a new (2015) ford ranger during our run too.[/quote]
Glad to see you made it out on vacation too. Like you I've been seeing a ton of L200's and tritons. Very much still alive. I would even argue more so than Toyota.

[stealthee]

When I worked for the bedliner manufacturer our two biggest consumers were Mitsubishi and Nissan. Mitsubishi Chile was buying from 530 to 1060 liners a month at one time. I think they bought over 7000 liners one year.

[Jeff V.]

Yeah, I can't buy one right now anyway. I need to get rid of a couple other cars. The lack of choices is not encouraging though.

Is there any reason it has to be a V6 to start with? If my plan is to scrap it for a frankenstein 3.8L anyway, maybe I could start with the 4 cylinder as a donor frame?

[DCIV]

That's why I was asking about the trans. Lots of 4cyl out there. We need to find out.


Coop

[Jeff V.]

I know the trans won't fit. It's the same bell housing issue between the DSM and 3S.

I had actually looked into Mighty Max / D50 bell housings for a RWD 3S conversion. The bell housing can be removed from the trans. Finding the bell housing by itself will probably be just as hard as finding a whole V6 truck.

[ChargerX3]

You can do the 4 cylinder but these now become your obstacle:

-need a v6 trans. Only came on 1st gen monteros and MM. Also only came in 4x4 so you need to have already purchased a 4 cyl 4x4 model from 87-89 I think, or get all the running gear to install on your 2wd.
-stronger 9" axle on the 4x4. 8.5" isn't bad although less gear choices.
-stronger suspension
-get a 90 or newer for FI
-motor mounts. Just get the right ones. Should drop in.

[Jeff V.]

Do you know how much of this carries over from the Montero/Raider?

Like if you found a smashed V6 4x4 Raider, could the driveline be transplanted into a 4cyl Max recipient?

I really wish I could go get that junkyard Raider I found. It'd be worth it for the driveline alone.

[DCIV]

Yup. Just need to hold out for a v6 it seems. Heck, even drop in the mivec first and drive around some while you look for the drivetrain upgrade as well.

Coop

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""Jeff V.""]Do you know how much of this carries over from the Montero/Raider?

Like if you found a smashed V6 4x4 Raider, could the driveline be transplanted into a 4cyl Max recipient?

I really wish I could go get that junkyard Raider I found. It'd be worth it for the driveline alone.[/quote]

I believe so. If you are doing a 4 cyl to a v6 Raider I would start with the trans. Driveshafts might need to come too as I think it's slightly longer. Axles should bolt right up too although you might be able to get away with the ones you already have. Then just get a new wiring harness and Ecu.

[jackhammer]

This thing is pretty cool

[ChargerX3]

[quote=""jackhammer""]This thing is pretty cool

[/quote]

I agree. Saw quite a few of those 2.8L intercooled trucks last week down in NZ. Wanted so bad to just load one up and ship back home with me.

[ChargerX3]

Also finally got time to play on the trucks for the first time in 2 weeks. Pulled the front wheels to see if a rotor/caliper swap would be worthwhile. Turns out the rotors are the same size. Only difference being their thicknesses. Montero is about 1/4" thicker.

The calipers are a bit different though. The MM is a single piston while the montero is a 2 piston. The good is that the bolt holes are identical and the caliper from the montero fits. The bad is that the mm requires dust shield modification due to the larger caliper. I am confident the montero shield would swap over though so mute point. The other bad is that you can't keep the mm rotor on with the new caliper. Doing so causes the far brake pad to slide over dangerously to its sliders end. Any further and it could fall off track. I will need to fit the montero rotors too to be sure but otherwise it should work great.

What I failed to realize is that removal of the rotors was not nearly as easy as most cars. You have to remove the complete spindle which is part of the rotor. Kind of sucks as it also has the 4wd crap tied into it too. Not a fan but will have to tackle this at a later date.

[ChargerX3]

Not much done to the truck this weekend. Had some bad weather but managed to take her out for a spin and fix a few cosmetic items as well as the outdated IAC.

[stealthee]

I was at the mall yesterday and as I was going up the parking lot to leave I saw a little red truck go by. I was just like, "I tink I taw a Mighty Max"

As I got to the end of the row and looked over "I did, I did tee a Mighty Max"

First one I have see out on the road in awhile. Looked to be a 2WD though.

[ChargerX3]

Lol. I do the same every time I see one in a parking lot. Have yet to find one like mine.

[Jeff V.]

Have yet to find one like mine.

Yeah, Coop and I are scouring the country for one and we're not having any luck either

[ChargerX3]

Im a bit surprised they aren't easier to find.

[Jeff V.]

Did a little digging in ASA tonight.

The Max was only available with a 5MT on the V6 models. That 5MT interchanges with the 83-91 Montero (L14x chassis code).

However, the L14x Montero had the option of a 4AT tranny. So it stands to reason that it'd be possible to swap a Montero auto tranny into a Max fairly easily.

I'm guessing a lot more stuff will interchange. What I'd really like to see is what can be retrofitted from newer V4x (91-99) and V7x (00-06) Monteros. The V4x model is a lot easier to find.

My ideal truck would be a Mighty Max body and chassis, driveline gear from a V4x Montero, and then a mix of 3000GT and V7x Montero engine parts.