It all started when I was a wee lad of 17 years. I needed a car and my father said we need a pickup for the vineyard. I being a typical teenager wanted something different. I searched and found an FJ45 Toyota Land Cruiser Pickup (much as you see in the 3rd world today mounted with a .50 caliber machine gun in the back). I bought it for $1000 and sold it 5 years later for the same price when I left undergraduate school. I had owned 2 4x4 since then when my wife insisted we buy a Montero... She loved the look. This was in 1998 and she wanted a 7 person vehicle. I said only if is a manual... And when she gets fixated she searches.
The 1995 model SE was the last manual they made and it came with the 24 valve and she found a lease return in Portland OR 100 miles away from here. 30K miles 15K bucks. We bought it and I came over time to love it. That was the start. Next was the neighbors D50 diesel. It was a 2wd 1983 and it was out in a pasture 'cause he could not start it.
I fixed the glow plugs and gave him 200 bucks for it and it got me back and forth to work at 38 MPG for a year 'til it threw a rod. I was out to sea (I'm a physical Oceanographer) when the '95 Montero met it's doom. My wife drove it back 10 miles to the farm after it's top radiator hose had broken. The engine seized and the block cracked. I really loved the car. Long story but I hauled it to a local mechanic to get it rebuilt. He went out of business but kept the car. 2.5 years later he had it fixed for $4K.
In the mean time I bought 2 D50's (one diesel) and 2 87
Montero's (one with bouncy seats) and now like rxinhed I have parts to share. If anyone needs the top end from a 24v
3000cc 6g72 pay me shipping and it's yours. The 87 D50 diesel is also getting parted out.