Well the other shoe dropped.
Blown head gasket and the transmission needs replacement...
I'm $2500 into this project with $2500-3000 more to go at best. I need your help making the decision. Do I put a bullet in it and lose the $2000 or so I have in it or pay $5000 to give my daughter a 22 year old SUV with a new engine, transmission and brakes? Please vote yes or no.

Keep it single choice
	Yes
	No
Votes accepted starting: 01/07/10 01:51 PM
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I have an engine that was rebuilt 80,000 miles ago. I'd give you more info, I left you a message.

Tough one.

IMHO it depends on how badly you or your daughter likes the Monty. The reality is, she may prefer a tacoma pickup or a ford explorer to the montero so even if you get it back into pristine shape you may have been better off just finding something different that she would have been happier to drive.

HTH.

I know of another poster that has a 4 cyl SWB with a lot of rust. It's a stick but it apparantly has a good motor.

Kevin

A. Blown head gasket is less than $500 to fix diy with a new head, and you may not need one.

B. It has yet to be determined if your tranny is bad, or if you just have a bad electrical circuit to the o/d valve, which is easy and cheap to fix.

As already said, this can be very subjective depending upon your attachment and effort you've already put into it. You already said how much you put into it, if it were me I wouldnt let all that $ go to waste. Yes putting another $2k doesn't make financial sense since you'd only get maybe $2k back out of it, but it's a loss either way at this point financially.

If the body/frame is sound - just realize there are plenty of other Montero's out there running around with severe rust cancer issues that still have a good drivetrain ready for a swap.

The 87 Raider I jsut got for free came from Florida, but broke down at the side of the expressway with a thrown connecting rod.

I got a free short block from MontyMcV so far in Cleveland, and all I really have into it is $95 for a tow (getting reimbursed from insurance co eventually) and about 5hrs. of driving around for the title/keys, collecting the truck itself and the shortblock from MontyMcV in Cleveland.

She may only be worth 1k when i'm done, but she's got a rust free body being from FL and there's the satisfaction of making something from nothing.

You could also do what most of us do... buy another rig for parts, or buy another for the driver and use what you have for parts.

Post us some pics of what you're dealing with - we can give you a more informed opinion then!

Good luck!

Jim

I think most of us gen1 owners go into these knowing we will never get back the money we dump into these, so it does come down to whether or not she likes the rig. For me, I like it, so I have put about 8k into it thus far (wheels, tires, engine, exhaust, ect). do a search on cars\trucks that cost around the amount of money you would spend if you were to have the work done. for me, it was around the 4k range initially and I came to the conclussion that for 4k, I have a new engine\trans in a rig that I like vs a high milage rig where i just don't know what the future may bring.

Yup, if she likes it...
i would be surprised if she did since its slow, not that great MPG, small, old,

With that said, I love mine! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The u-pull it in bradenton, fl has a complete 2.6(since i saw it last) , but the chances of it being there from a blown head gasket/cracked head are high so that may not help

I still don't believe the tranny is toast...

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

I would like to add that most Gen Is are seasoned by now.

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Most are seasoned, this one apepars to be a bit over done.

This project started out with bad brakes.

Then a bad tranny.

And now the engine is bad? And all of this happened over how many weeks?

Curious how many miles you were able to drive it and who did you buy it from? I'm assuming you did not have the vehicle checked out before hand? Also curious what symptoms the motor has.

I hope your not pulling out legs on this. Actually let me take that back, I hope your kidding. If your not kidding that that has to be the worst lemon ever.

Kevin