"José Rui Faustino de Sousa" > wrote in
:

> A Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero, Shogun) does not look like the best off
> roader but, well, looks can be deceiving.

Buy one with a locking or limited-slip rear diff and they'll go places
some Land Rovers won't. Go for the 2.8 TD or either of the V6 Mk 2s if
price is a factor. That said, the 3.2 DiD and other newer shaped ones
are starting to come within your range.

FWIW, Diesel Bob rates the 4M40 engine in the 2.8 Pajero highly. That
said, there are a couple of "class defects" you need to be aware of:
1. The crank drive-belt pulley often fails at just over
the 100,000 km mark.
2. The front oil seal of the fuel injector pump often fails
at between 80,000 to 100,000 miles (100,000 to 160,000 km).

New crank drive-belt pulleys can be bought off eBay for about 70 GB
pounds and any competent mechanic can fit. The front oil seal is a bit
more costly and not really a DIY job since the pump should be
recalibrated after the repair. Diesel specialists where I live wanted
between 300 and 600 GB pounds to do the job.

My 1995 2.8 LWB has suffered both class defects but otherwise hasn't
missed a beat in over four years and 100,000 km of ownership.

WRT space inside. If you want to carry one average sized grip for each
of five passengers, you'll need to carry at least some of them on the
roof or on the passengers' laps since there's very little space behind
the rear seats of a SWB Pajero. However, the wheelbase of a LWB isn't
massively more than that of the SWB. The extra length of a LWB comes
mainly from a longer rear overhang (and hence it has a shallower
departure angle). But then the LWB can accommodate 7 passengers or 5
plus loads of luggage.

HTH,

Geoff