Is it Safe to Buy an old SWB Pajero?

[Ruwan Buddhi]

 

Hi everyone,

I’m considering buying an old short-wheelbase (SWB) Mitsubishi Pajero and wanted to get some advice. I plan to use it for long-distance driving and am looking for a reasonable price. Are there any specific issues I should look out for? How reliable are these older models, and what should I check before making a purchase? Any insights or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

 

[iRage]

Buying a used car is always a huge risk in Sri Lanka. 99% of us Lankans simply do not maintain our cars (cheap running and preventive maintenance, cheap repairs, etc.)., and to add to that, we hide everything just enough to deceive potential buyers of a vehicle's true nature just so they can get a higher price. The older the car is, the worse it becomes because it would have gone through more owners, compounding the problem.

As with any 30-40 year old car you should look for things like rust, electrical issues, poor mechanical and body repair jobs (there will be plenty).

With old 4WDs like the Pajero, Land Cruiser, Trooper, etc...the issue was body swaps. So make sure there is no shady body swap, etc...

There have been quie a few threads talking about purchasing old 4WDs and even the specific model you are looking in to. Please go thgouh these threads, most of the information (if not all) is still valid. 

[Ruwan Buddhi]

  On 7/17/2024 at 11:57 PM, iRage said:

Buying a used car is always a huge risk in Sri Lanka. 99% of us Lankans simply do not maintain our cars (cheap running and preventive maintenance, cheap repairs, etc.)., and to add to that, we hide everything just enough to deceive potential buyers of a vehicle's true nature just so they can get a higher price. The older the car is, the worse it becomes because it would have gone through more owners, compounding the problem.

As with any 30-40 year old car you should look for things like rust, electrical issues, poor mechanical and body repair jobs (there will be plenty).

With old 4WDs like the Pajero, Land Cruiser, Trooper, etc...the issue was body swaps. So make sure there is no shady body swap, etc...

There have been quie a few threads talking about purchasing old 4WDs and even the specific model you are looking in to. Please go thgouh these threads, most of the information (if not all) is still valid. 

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Thanks iRage, I’ll go through those threads before making any decision. 

[matroska]

  On 7/17/2024 at 4:26 PM, Ruwan Buddhi said:

Are there any specific issues I should look out for?

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While I'm not Suv-savvy enough to answer any specific mechanical/technical stuff one thing I'd be vary of is the legality of the vehicle. Maybe not as much as the Mini's BUT  the older pajero's are also susceptible to being driven on CR's of a different car. Make sure the chassis numbers tally with the registration book. I've heard (verify this) that many flat-roof Paj's with auto gears are usually illegally imported as parts (in Sinhala 'Gedi')  and running on the CR of a different Pajero - make sure you do some research and see if the options, etc also tally with the YOM in the book. 

[Ruwan Buddhi]

  On 7/18/2024 at 2:41 AM, matroska said:

While I'm not Suv-savvy enough to answer any specific mechanical/technical stuff one thing I'd be vary of is the legality of the vehicle. Maybe not as much as the Mini's BUT  the older pajero's are also susceptible to being driven on CR's of a different car. Make sure the chassis numbers tally with the registration book. I've heard (verify this) that many flat-roof Paj's with auto gears are usually illegally imported as parts (in Sinhala 'Gedi')  and running on the CR of a different Pajero - make sure you do some research and see if the options, etc also tally with the YOM in the book. 

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Thanks @matroska It’s really hard to find a worthwhile vehicle nowadays