This one should be original.. right?
Hi Mirrorman,
Indeed this one is much better than the first one.
This is the Mountaineer and not the Bruiser, but only some details change between the two models.
This one seems to be in good condition and is a good base if you want to make a shelf queen out of it.
All parts seem to be present, except the mirror, and in good condition. In general the rear UJS is a good indicator on the use of the car and these ones are not too worn.
Chassis wise everything seems to be in its place but in some places you can notice the loss of the factory protective layer. This is easily repaired for a shelf queen with a wire brush followed by a coat or two of clear lacquer.
A good cleaning and lubrication is a must.
Mechanically, I don't know if you'll keep the bronze bushings of the axles and the transmission, but in any case I recommend disassembling and greasing these components.
As for the bodywork, some work is also necessary to make it shine when it will be on your shelf without doing any major work as I didn't identify any breakage. But good luck finding a set of original Mountaineer stickers... You can always use the ones from the re-re and take care to keep the little "mountaineer" on the hood. (This one doesn't exist in the re-re stickers)
Be careful with the cleaning of the rims because the chrome layer tends to disappear if you rub with too much enthusiasm as well as with the rollbar.
Certainly these components exist on the re-re but the chrome color is not the same.
Otherwise I think this one is an excellent base for your restoration.
Price-wise, in Europe at least, these examples sell for around 400-550€.
Manotas
