Bornindesert

Another data point for ya. Just bought a rust free 1988 beater DD in Mesa, AZ for $700, was listed for $1,000. It was all stock, mostly all original and mechanically well maintained. 150,000 miles, 4.0L 5sp 4X4 short box. You can check it out in the 88 directory. Also recently have seen some nicer, lifted and decent ones list for $3,000 and were sold in less than a day. All Phoenix CL postings. Looking at a rust free straight short box Comanche bed, tailgate and tail light lenses for $400 later today. Not a steal but I think worth picking up. It's at a towing salvage yard here being broke up for parts.

1988 Sport Truck, 4.0L 5Sp 4x4 Short Bed w/AC pretty much in stock original condition. 2nd owner truck. 151,000 mi. California High Desert - this truck came out of the area surrounding Naval Air Weapons Station at China Lake, in the Mohave Desert. Made its way to Mesa, AZ in 2010. Truck is rust free, but the interior is toast. There are some minor dents in the bed, door and pass fender. Mechanically, in very good condition as PO replaced many items, starter, clutch, radiator...long list of stuff. Don't know if it's going to be the next project or just hold on to it. It actually drives pretty Ok, just nasty inside from all the desert sun. Upside down grill lol! Come to Papa!

I think the answer is yes. If you have a factory crimped hose, cut through the crimp, remove/replace the hose and use a hose clamp.

The hoses for both the heater valve to bottle and tee to bottle are molded. Both the tee and heater valve are smaller in diameter than the bottle connections, which is why the replacement hose is molded, one end bigger than the other. Just be aware when you size up the heater hose you use to replace it, cut to length.

Does the 2WD MJ harness have the connectors to swap in the AW4 tranny TCU? Or, do you need a harness from the donor XJ (with the AW4 tranny)?

Well than I gotta say you are a master with the chop saw and angle grinder - some of the skinny triangular shapes you made for the front winch bumper really caught my attention, same for the bumper mounts - so now the new tool gets the "call to duty" haha! Rock on....

The innovation, design, fab and welding you've accomplished on your MJ is awesome, combined with the wheeling pics makes this a favorite build thread. Love the build break improve mindset. Question I've been meaning to ask you - all of your 1/4" and 3/8" steel plate cuts look etremely straight, square and have almost a polished edge. I've seen cuts like that using a power shear or a plasma table, but they would both be a huge piece of equipment for the average shop. What are you doing to get such great cuts on your fabbed steel?

The POR calls for POR reducer which I didn't have, and clean up with Lacquer thinner which I did have. I didn't want to chance it but probably could have reduced it with the lacquer thinner and have been fine. The paint wasn't super thick, but probably more viscous then I'm used too - thanks!

Thanks Mnkyboy - I'll be spraying epoxy primer next and will reduce the paint, add the hardener and drop the pressure like you suggested. The guy at the paint store told me to shoot the Chassis POR straight out the can. Lesson learned!

Last weekend I shot some POR Chassis paint on the underside of the Comanche Bed. I used a Sata HVLP spray gun with a 1.7 nozzle, 40-50psi at the gun and good clean dry filtered air. Ambient temp around 80F, negligible humidity. This is probably the third or forth time I've used this gun, so still gaining experience with it. The paint went on pretty dry, with some spatter texturing. It was hard to get it to lay down without really slowing up the pattern. I'm no expert when it comes to figuring out why it sprayed so dry, so figured I'd throw it out there for some feedback or suggestions. The prep... Laid down the entire quart, well mixed and no thinner. Was it the tip size, material too thick, too warm out or too dry as in relative humidity? I'm not worried about the coverage as its on the bottom but would like to understand what can cause poor flow in what I'd consider pretty good conditions.

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/3788705678.html Don't see too many this close by - looks like a $1,000 truck to me if it's Arizona rust free...a V6 Auto?

That's the money shot right there! Nice fabrication and attention to detail :thumbsup:

Nothing special, an older Mossberg 500 12 gage with an extra full choke and a newer Remington 870 12 gage that's also set up for turkey heads. Busted up a gang of gobblers last Friday up in Flagstaff. Shot shells were Winchester 3" Double X No. 5, hits em hard at 30 yards. That's my son in the pic, his first spring turkey hunt.

Sweet! nicely done. What's the box on stilts? Assuming it's your AC condensor but it almost looks filtration like...

Well there was that brief period of time not too long back, after i got hooked on Sirius radio that i played the Grateful Dead channel in the shop...glad that's over with. Bands that get no air play in PHX...White Stipes.

Oh yeah...loader and chain always easier than jack and back! All those posts and hardly any squat on your 92's back springs. Your long bed has a strong back !! Looks very stock too...

Thanks Zack, the MJ is now on to it's 3rd "life" in Arizona :thumbsup: as a lifted desert dweller.

Dug out this pic from 2001. The MJ was a money maker and general use farm truck for almost 10 years before being semi retired and moved to Arizona. In the pic is typical load of Alfalfa Hay that I cut, bailed and loaded for customer delivery or auction. The MJ and trailer delivered over 200 loads of hay averaging around 2,700 lbs plus trailer. Awesome setup as many deliveries were to Amish farms with tight barn yards and slippery Indiana mud. This truck in 4wd low could back up anywhere with the load of hay behind it. Truck originally re-manufactured by my Jeep mechanic friends in NJ, as well as the single axle trailer that they fabbed up from steel salvaged at a junk yard in Rahway. Many thanks to my friends Jimmy and Buddy for introducing me to the world of MJs. My son used to ride shotgun in his booster seat heading out to County Line Hay Auction, now he'll be driving it in Arizona when he turns 16 later this year. Glad I hung on to the truck, it would be hard to replace for sure. And yeah that's a 1948 Ford 8N with a NH256 dolly rake just to the left of the hay trailer. I re-built that machine at the same shop that produced the MJ in the pic, before I moved to Indiana. This truck could work hard and bring home the money, and in totally stock configuration! Cheers, George

I've repaired worse floors....when you want to salvage an older truck that's what it takes sometimes. Definitely gives you an appreciation for the work it takes, and skills you gain in fabrication - great pics and progress, keep up the momentum!

Great work and effort documenting this conversion. So far, looks like you're taking a little bit of a different approach than other swaps at the firewall. Can't wait to see more progress - spot weld drill master, Rock on!

I can tell this is gonna be a good build - hooked!

Just worked for me, ran the XJ that I bought last month and confirmed two owner, original owner parents and second owner son, and 57,600 miles. All in Arizona and no accident record. Cool!

Nice job with the body and paint BTW. Must give you a lot of satisfaction knowing its done the right way and without sending it out to a shop.

I was just looking at JCROFFROAD DIY front and rear bumpers. Did you go that direction or get finished ones? Wish I kept the factory roll bar when I sold my Sport truck. Those fat tubes!!

Just did a fluid and filter change this past weekend. Bought the gasket and filter from RockAuto, ATP B112 comes with a gasket. I have a 91 4.0L Auto, and the pics look like my pan but wouldn't go by my eyes. It was pretty easy, actually real easy because I had my son wrenching! I squeezed the trans cooling lines at the snap connected and they came right out. Also, removed the trans line bracket at the trans housing to let the lines swing out of the way. I couldn't get the filler tube to separate from the pan, so I got to the bolt that secures the filler tube and pulled everything down and out. Once you get the pan cleaned up you can take the assy to the vice and work them apart. Going back in I installed the filler tube after them pan went back in.