<WOB> in praise of a good car

["Tony Sims" <simstony@domain.elided>]

My '88 Montero (or Pajero everywhere except the US) is due for a trip to the
DEQ for a sniff before I can get new tags, and since it has been running a
little fussy lately I decided to replace a few things that hadn't been in a
while.  Plugs, cap and rotor all were last replaced in early 1999, and so I
started with those.  This is the 4th time these items have been replaced.
Afterward it still had an intermittent miss, and in poking around under the
hood I noticed one of the plug leads was arcing, so I replaced them.  They
dated from 1997 per the receipt I found in the file, this makes the 3rd set.
Now it's running strong again.

Looking at the file was a bit of a surprise, mostly for what it doesn't have
-- much content.  This truck has been very reliable and inexpensive to
operate.  The list of "major" repairs is 4 items long -- a fuel pump
(mechanical) at about 115,000 miles, and I rebuilt the carb at the same time
since it had to come off to get the fuel pump out & in.  At about 138,000 the
exhaust manifold developed a crack and I replaced it.  A few months later I
replaced the bushings in the steering idler.  That's it.

It now has 153,xxx miles.  It's still got the original exhaust and shocks
(although the shocks are starting to show their age).  The engine, Mitsu's
ubiquitous 2.6L SOHC 4 cyl, has never been opened.  It puffs a little blue oil
smoke on startup, which just makes me confident that oil is still making it to
the top of the head with no problem.  It burns about a quart every 1,500
miles, a little more if you ask it to pull a trailer.  The 4 speed OD
automatic trans is on it's 3rd fluid change -- probably a bit longer than the
recommended interval there, but it's not complaining.  The engine oil gets
changed about every 5,000 miles.  The coolant has been replaced twice (that's
probably one for the "to-do" list).  Oil pressure is still 30 pounds at idle
and the temp guage never passes the middle.  It's on its 3rd set of tires, 3rd
set of front brake pads and 2nd set of rear shoes.  The A/C will still keep
the cabin cool on a 95 degree day.  It gets 15 mpg, except maybe downhill with
a tailwind, when it still gets 15 mpg but goes much faster.  The only leak on
the entire car is from the headlight washer bottle -- the pump seeps water
around the impeller shaft seal.

Hands down, this is the most reliable and economical (cost per mile) vehicle I
have ever owned.  I raise my beer in it's general direction -- Hurrah!

Tony
Portland, OR
2 red cars
1 white car
1 blue car
1 Sahara sled
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