The original 58044
Mitsubishi Pajero wheelie model came out in 1984 on a brand new chassis
based on the Grasshopper which was never used again. If this
doesn't look like any Pajero you've ever seen on the street that's
because it is an open bed version used only as a Dakar Rally truck in
1983 and 1984, so these winning trucks would have been fresh in the
minds of fans when the model was released. It was 2011 before this
model was re-released on the much newer CW-01 chassis as 58499
with nothing in common with the original except for the body. The
CW-01 is much taller, wider, and uses vastly larger tires. Even
the name has been changed. The Pajero was always called the
Montero in North America, and now that name made it onto the box for
some reason. It is still a wheelie chassis though so the spirit of
the original has been maintained.The CW-01 is a rear wheel drive chassis with a solid rear axle and independent double wishbone front suspension. The steering system is terrible but that doesn't matter much since the front wheels are rarely on the ground. This chassis is made for wheelies so the gearing is low and the CG is aft. There is a wheelie bar in the back.
I was not enthusiastic about how different this updated looks compared to the original so I made it my mission to replicate the appearance of the 1984 model. This seemed like a simple model of replacing the wheels and tires, but in the end the process was a whole lot more complicated than that. I ended up replacing the shocks, the body lift, some spindles and hubs, and piles of hardware. I was fairly successful though. This looks more or less like an original 1984 model to anyone but an expert.
After all the modifications this thing drives incredibly well. It can hold a wheelie all the way down the driveway and is fast as well after my gearing changes. The CG is high though so it rolls over pretty easily in a corner. This makes it a bit scary to drive since I don't want to destroy that lovely body.
Update: This model was destroyed in the 2022 fire. It has not been replaced.
 Page 1: Assembly |
 Page 2: Upgrades! |
 Page 3: Final Photos |