I spend a lot of time online following links and leads for Gearbox Magazine. The pursuit of different models, automotive pursuits, and geographic locations has me scouring forums all over the world. In these virtual travels, I’ve met some amazing people – people I may, sadly, never meet in person – but to whom I feel a connection. You might imagine how excited I was when I found a local Mitsubishi owner I didn’t know who was open to being interviewed and invited me to a BBQ this past weekend…
Arizona Montero Owners BBQ
I reached out to a handful of Mitsubishi truck owners over on Pirate4x4 last Friday. By Saturday morning, I had a couple responses from individuals willing to be interviewed for Mitsubishi Gearbox Magazine. (I’m trying to get a little more truck coverage in the mix.) One of those respondents was Adam. That’s his later gen 2 Montero (DSMers might call it 2Gb) behind the fallen tree branch in the picture above. It’s the same truck pictured below and just as soon as Adam finishes his rock sliders, he’ll be getting interviewed and there will be story on Mitsubishi Gearbox.
I felt right at home.
Years ago, when az2gnt was just a handful of guys with 2GNT DSMs, this was how we rolled. Regular get-togethers where hot dogs and cold beers were the order of the day. I totally picked up on this vibe while hanging out and getting to know this group of off-roaders. Each Montero was tougher than the next and everyone was sharing stories in the driveway. I instantly felt right at home. The vehicles might be different, but the sense of brotherhood, of community, stays the same.
Understanding
Pictured above, in the foreground, is Kevin’s Monty. A body lift, 33s and generous applications of blunt force to the sheetmetal out on the trail (peer pressure) set this carbureted, four-cylinder, leaf-spring-equipped gen 1 Montero apart from the rest. His Monty is a little rough around the edges, but that’s because he uses it. Have you ever tried driving up a waterfall? I didn’t think so.
The white Montero in the background belongs to Clay, our host for the evening. It used to be black. No. He didn’t decide to paint it white. He rolled it on the trail and demolished the body. Still – he drove it home. This group came together one Saturday morning to replace the body on his chassis.
Similarities
I know a lot of DSM and Galant owners who have more than one Mitsubishi project. This group was no different. Adam has another Montero, Kevin has one, Clay sold his, then bought it from the guy who bought it from the guy he sold it to. They plan trips, trail runs, expeditions. We talked about camping, crawling, and communications off-grid. The things we do when we do what we do with the Mitsubishis.
A thousand words
I intend to interview every one of these guys in the future. What’s more, I will make a point of going off-roading with them as a group at some point this year and I’ll get pictures and video and hopefully be able to convey the sense of purpose and value I felt getting to know them last night.
This is the purpose of Gearbox Magazine – to bring people together around their vehicles. Last night I met a group of people I didn’t know even existed – in my own hometown – and they made me feel welcome. We talked trucks, trails, and turbos. The machines might be different, the pursuits might be different, but at our core, we are all brothers and sisters. We have so much to learn from each other. I hope I can make what happened for me last night happen for Gearbox readers around the world tomorrow.
In the glovebox:
Working Credo
