Montero to Pajero Conversion

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

Hi All!

 

I'd been thinking about doing a Pajero setup Pumpkin project for the last couple of years but when a pretty good looking Montero Wheelie came up on eBay I thought I'd chuck in a bid and, to my surprise, I won. Like most of my projects this is how it starts. I wasn't expecting to win it but I did. Auction pics...

 

Doesn't look bad, huh? Anyway, I test fitted a Pumpkin shell and I just didn't like the way it all lined up, it just didn't look right to me, so I decided to stick with this shell and do a Pajero conversion. I have a set of vintage Ranger wheels with vintage alloy wheel covers that I'd kept aside for the "Pajero Setup" Pumpkin project and a brand new White CW01 chassis that I'd bought for a Lunchbox project that my wallet had decided not to allow me to do. This project was now on!

About 30mins later...

The Hornet rear end that I was using, along with the Mini CVA shock, made the back sit awkwardly so I knew that I'd need to get the Grasshopper rear end as I'd originally thought I would need to do but thought I could get away with not doing to save myself some pennies. Needless to say, I go through a lot of 'umm'ing and 'ahh'ing as I do my projects, and this project is no exception. I'm also trying to build a custom Grasshopper and a custom Midnight Pumpkin which could use the parts from a Grasshopper kit so, after doing the aforementioned 'umm'ing and 'ahh'ing for about a month, I scraped up as much moolah as I could, searched around for the best price I could find, and ordered a kit. It arrived fast, literally the day after I ordered it, so I got to changing the rear end.

This...

... plus this...

... opened up to this...

... and with some new bearings, new spacer, and new gearbox halves...

... it ended up like this!

 

I then ran into a new problem. Dampers. I thought the touring car size, the Mini CVAs, would be the right size for this model. It isn't, well, not for the rear. I need the Super Mini CVA, M-Chassis size, it seems. Kinda figures that that size is the only one I don't have spares of.

 

This morning, however, I was looking around online for a set and saw that AMPro had released a lengthened damper end to use the Hornet rear shocks on the Pajero. I'd completely forgotten that that was an option for the rear and I actually had a spare pair of Hornet dampers to hand. Even better is the fact that I'd recently been designing stuff to be printed via Shapeways and, amongst the parts I'd made AND had printed, was a long damper end for the Hornet damper. Excitedly I pulled out the printed parts and the Hornet dampers and this happened...

Pretty much a prefect fit! (or, at least, I think so.  ) It did mean that the rear chassis brace I'd made & fitted was now completely redundant but that also meant that I could remove it and use the rear battery mounting point as it was designed. The front chassis brace is still in place and, despite not being aluminium, actually makes the front end so much stiffer than I thought it would.

Now I just need some front dampers, fit and ESC and Radio Gear, and I'll have a runner. I intend to strip and repaint the bodyshell at a later date, hopefully during the Summer, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. In the end I'm kinda pleased with this project thus far.

 

I'm still awaiting a Shapeways order so this project still has some changes to go but I think it looks good so far. Not really sure if I'll stick with the whitewall tyres. I'd painted them for another project (another one that my wallet decided to stop me from doing) and I'm not sure if it goes with this one. I'm thinking of peeling the paint off and just doing the lettering. I don't know though.

 

What do y'all think of my project so far? Any suggestions about paint, wheels and/or upgrades?

Edited May 24, 2016 by VagabondStarJXF
spelling etc. corrections

[Pintopower 1456]

So I am cracking up reading this. The tires look great on it with all the white bits. Oh and I had the same issue on my Pajero with the rear shocks so I made the exact same mounts you did!

The springs were a bit soft so I made adjustable shock collars. 

I did go a bit nuts on the printing, the car has a complete set of light lenses I made that make the whole truck light up at night:

Parking and head lights are one bulb( the parking light uses fiber optics) and the signal is another

The rear has 3 bulbs per bucket, per side:

I am looking forward too see more of the build!

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

Nice. Love your work. I've been eyeing up the lens/light buckets you've made but I'm not sure if I want to fit lights yet. What front damper setup do you use?

[whahooo 465]

Hello, 

 

i`m back and i want to finish my Pajero Project.

I see that you use Hornetshocks in the Back.

 

What frontshocks do you use?

[VagabondStarJXF 350]

I was using touring car shocks on the front but this project has gotten side-lined a bit while I try to finish up some other projects. It has been mostly disassembled since I changed out the white chassis for a red one and changed out the prototype 'pumpkin' chassis brace for a new 'montero' one. Besides radio gear, it's in need of front arms, I'm thinking of getting another AMPro set like the set on my Pumpkin project, and the body is in the middle of having its paint stripped. I'm also looking at redesigning the wheels because I like the old alloy wheel covers but I don't like the way the deeper dish is on the front, it just looks odd to me, so the other pieces of the 3 piece wheels need to be redesigned to accommodate the reversal. That's another job on the 'To Do' list. It's a long list so I don't know when this project will get done.

Good luck on your project. Please post up pics. I'd love to see how yours turns out.