One of the worst things about settling on a project is wondering whether there’s not something better out there. As I get near the finish line on acquiring my Japanese 4×4 project, the Dodge Raider / Mitsubishi Montero twins give me some pause as I love their funky short wheelbase looks and brawny looks. This 1987 example here on eBay looks quite nice, with some tasteful mods to give it a more purposeful look and encourage occasional off-road jaunts.
The seller notes that the Raider maintains excellent cosmetics for its age, with no evidence of bondo or rust to report. The chassis is said to be sound as well, and it looks like the black plastic bumpers still show some luster. I don’t believe the wheels are factory as they appear wider than stock but look quite good. Nothing to complain about as it relates to glass or lenses, either.
The interior is probably the biggest surprise, as these were not necessarily built with high-quality materials inside. All looks good, with no major issues to report. Seat fabric and door panels look excellent, as does the instrument binnacle and corresponding auxiliary gauge cluster on top of the center stack with the oh-so-cool altimeter. I actually just grabbed one of these out of a local salvage yard in case my forthcoming project needs to know when it’s about to tip over.
The 2.6L four-cylinder is said to run well, and the seller mentions it retains its original carb setup. The Raider has been used for trips back and forth to Washington, D.C. with no issue, and the seller has replaced the belts and hoses at some point in the not too distant path. The engine bay looks quite clean, although I hate those tacky radiator caps. These are hard to find in any condition, particularly in nicely preserved condition like this one.
Sorry to be that guy, but I think you meant Inclinometer. Very cool little rig.
What I remember about these is that they didn’t sell in either version.
The only thing that gave me pause for a moment was one of the underside pics in the eBay posting. Did anyone else notice the wasp’s nest on the frame?
Yep. How did they not notice?
The inclinometer was a pretty novel idea, even though, most were never needed on the super slab. I think these were the nicest of the Asian 4×4’s, right size, lots of headroom, bulletproof mechanicals,,,EXCEPT, like all, were terrible rusters. Lord help you with replacement parts.
My buddy Stax had a red one. We called it the red devil. Ran great, we enjoyed it all through the 90s. It still sits on an edge of his driveway in Virginia. We keep threatening to get it back on the road, but time and families are ifpn the way. For a decent price, this one is a catch.