Gjeep

At first I thought this was an R/C MJ, as the flares are kinda nuts... But I see these taillights are available on both Etsy and eBay. Not so much a fan of the American flag version, but having the flexibility of including amber (especially for European MJs where it's required at the rear) is nice. Good first effort on this. I don't think the lenses look quite right yet, but different. And not sure what the little turquoise piece is for. Possibly locks it all together? I've never been a fan of the 3 section factory taillights; always thought a smoother design would have looked better on the MJ. https://www.etsy.com/listing/4521337669/jeep-comanche-mj-taillights?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_-electronics_and_accessories&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwornRBhCrARIsAON5exF-mKh0CTGcAtxvi8vty8SPhAFOb1cPe8k6as2unxzM97M4QIIFppgaAjyOEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_21500569338_164907277163_707558291657_aud-2545588685997:pla-315906365651_c__4521337669_12768591&utm_custom2=21500569338&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21500569338&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRLj7PteAPUDdUbbRjBQcpQ9O&gclid=Cj0KCQjwornRBhCrARIsAON5exF-mKh0CTGcAtxvi8vty8SPhAFOb1cPe8k6as2unxzM97M4QIIFppgaAjyOEALw_wcB

Jeep did it a couple different ways over the years. As mentioned, a blank cover attached to the dashboard overlay and also, but less common a full pod that was screwed in (similar to the at left fog/ cargo light pod) but with an adhesive blank cover (this was more commonly found on Renix era plain Jane XJs).

There was a car show in town recently, so I set out to get the name of a good powder coat shop. I had gotten lots of thumbs-up on an in-town shop over the past year, but the guys whose restorations were top notch at this show universally said – don’t go there, go to Outlaw powder coating (little ways away). And so it is. The MJ’s bumpers will be dropped off this week. I decided that the factory black trim taillights just didn’t look right with my graphics. Majority of the lines on the lights are vertical while my graphic breaks are vertical. Going with solid red lights. Also, with the MJ having a clear theme of silver and black, I’m thinking there is a good chance I’m going to run Marchal black fog light covers over the white. Will see. Just finished polishing the custom Buick GNX billet center cap sleeves (difference before to after) and then will modify the Nissan Titan center cap to fit atop the sleeve and finish it off with a domed logo’d ‘Jeep’ emblem. Instead of a having white logo, I went with silver & black to keep with the theme. Lastly, the alternate grille is just about ready for paint. Finished it off with 1000 grit this morning/ ready for black trim paint. I think the grille to go with will be a modified all black setup. Got the screw inserts back side permapoxied into place and flat top screws will be used to fasten the mesh insert into place.

Power still runs to that connector even with out the blower motor installed. The dividers of the connector melt essentially connecting (typically) 3 of the 5 wires.

Don't know you're truck but only time I've smelled burning plastic in an MJ and XJ was the HVAC control connector to fan speed selection. Both Jeeps were over 200K at the time.

Those are the ever so rare Marchal DRIVING lights (typically what was run on the factory rollbar).

Graphics are finito. I decided to do modify the original design a bit for those with a keen eye. The bedside stripes were run so they now tuck under the rear flares versus stopping 1/2” prior to the flare. (There were just too many starts and stops visually on the flanks.) And the top of the bed looked naked as compared to the nose-end of the truck, so added vinyl on the side lengths and tailgate ridge. Also, the tailgate blackout as I envisioned it just wouldn’t work because of the stamped ‘Jeep’ lettering. The ‘e’ cut-out/ recessed areas are too small for the lettering to look proper. Thanks to 3M cut tape, I went with a different design that looks more fitting with the rest of the graphics. Excited about the finished look – slightly modern with a nod to the MJ’s of an era gone by and its variety of vinyl visuals. Next step is getting the 15x8.5 Vectors wrapped with 31” BFG’s.

What about JP LIFE

My opinion is to replace all components so you know your starting point and it's reliable.

HO era has temp sensor/sender back of block just like renix era. This changed/ disappeared OBD2 XJs.

That's not the original steering column -- especially as a stick. I don't see the toggle lever to release the ignition cylinder into the position the key can be removed. Unless I just don't see it. I don't think that's an MJ XJ column.

Hard to say but yes its not right. And you’ve got the dashboard support studs through the column support? And this is where the column sits? Have you looked at you subframe and firewall and no damage/ pushed in? And the end is properly seated in the steering shaft? Maybe its not a true jeep xj/ mj column? I would at this point measure the length to a certain point and ask a CC member to measure a column they don’t have installed and see if its a match. If your comanche was a column shift, I’d have a column for you free of charge.

Yep dash is mounted up like it should be, but that the bolt in firewall is clearly the problem. At least from the photo I see that steering column flange looks to be bent -- and that steering column flange metal may be thicker than the firewall metal. You might flex the firewall sheet metal before you bend the column flange. Try, but it fire wall starts flexing, remove the bolt on the steering shaft engine side and the one remaining interior firewall bolt, unplug electrical and pull the steering column/bend the flange back to shape. Possibly the nutsert threads on the firewall the column mounts into are stripped? You'll have the remaining bolt for reference, but I believe it's an M10. If the threads on the fire wall are stripped, you'll need a longer bolt and flange nut for engine side (and a helper to hold that nut) to mount it back up.

That is way off. And how does it look at the firewall it's bolted to? Also, I tried zooming in on one of your pics but couldn't see -- can you take pic of where dashboard bolts to kick panels.

Can you attach a pic of the situation.

My most recent build (Slippery Slope) has the Crown variant of the 97+ XJ door seals. Bought them new. I've barely driven the truck since installed, but throughout the build process of approx 9 months they/ve broken themselves in -- I guess from sitting with the doors closed. I did need to adjust the strikers slightly and driver door because I wanted perfect fit/ no slamming and proper break-in. My 97+ XJ Mopar seals on my other MJ build (Son of Stink) are much firmer/ give less. I don't need to slam the door, but a firmer close than the other MJ. That MJ too has sat for the most part so not a ton of open/close door action. The Crown's are great for daily drivers. I have them in my 3 daughters XJ's and no issues/ leaks/ slamming after first 6-8 months of use.

I peeled off the driver side graphics related to my other Comanche build and finished laying out the Chief graphics that go with this project build. Finito. (Photo a bit pixilated for some reason.) When I got to installing the new step bumper driver corner there was a noticeable (over 1/4”) wider gap body to corner on the passenger side. Since there’s no ability to adjust the bumper itself, I cheated. Added 1/4” thick stainless steel washers. When I did that, I needed to re-drill the bumper topside holes that retain the 2 bumper corner push pins. The gaps are the same now. Success.

If you look at my builds I found a good amplifier for the MJ. Nothing crazy. Slippery Slope project probably best. You can see some of the wiring; and the creativity around it. Feel free to DM if questions.

The stock units sound hollow as they are not amplified and typically running through stock speakers. Add an amplifier, good speakers, and a sub of any size in an MJ and you'll be cookin'. I love the look of my stock radio with all the modern trimmings. Sounds great

Sad to say after 124 years of wheel service about 6 months after I got my spare wheel widened Stockton Wheel Service went out of business. From what the owner said, that whole area of town (all the historical industrial) was being leveled for progress. Very neat place.

Yep, this is the other MJ still with test graphics driver side. (Need to pull these and finish the factory Chief stripes soon enough.) For now though she serves as a good representation of how the stroker MJ will look when graphics are installed. Below are the wheel options… the two 15x8 steelie options are on a 31” BFG, while the Vector is 15x7 variant mounted on a 30” tire. The 15x8.5 Vector will have an inch more depth front side (and will also be on a 31” tire). Opinions? To me the winner is once again the Vector wheel on the MJ with a Jeep logo’d center cap. Close second to me is the black Mopar steelie with stainless trim ring and NOS Jeep flat center. I do like the early MJ/ XJ rallye wheel I widened, but think it’s too conservative for the graphics.

I agree on the honeycomb. No way to get it to look quite right.

Mother’s Day weekend didn’t afford me the time I was hoping for to finish up the graphics, so I focused on some other crazy… This grille has taken about half the time to modify as the full knock-out stainless steel mesh I did a couple years back. The raw cuts of factory vertical slats removed were done using a Dremel wheel, followed by a flat 1/2” X-acto blade to trim as close to the plastic framing as possible, then Permatex Plastic Welder/ various grits of nail files on all those spots to ensure they were good and smooth. Knocked it all out in about 30 hrs. Half inch honeycomb black (not bent to backside shape of grille yet)… Quarter inch stainless steel square mesh (not bent to backside yet)… Quarter inch black square mesh (not bent yet)… Rims… I’m all over the place currently. I still have the factory Jeep rallye’s that Stockton Wheel widened to 15x8 a while back. And the matte black Mopar 60’s era 15x8’s. But these American Racing Vectors look right on my other MJ (Chief). I’m tempted to go with these again as era appropriate – but the 15x8.5 option this time. Close to an inch more 'dish'. I’ll put one of each wheel on a 31” tire and mount it up to see what looks best with the graphics. Only way to do it. The options that fall by the wayside will be saved for another project.

It's been done. Seen it back in late '90's. Guy on NAXJA. He had opted out of parking brake all together. More or less bolted right in with XJ seat tracks. Remember he also swapped MJ AW4 column shift (you have air bag column so need to decide what you want to do with that. Your seats are different than first gen, but could swear I've seen on ebay/web new seat tracks to work with older seats that you can probably use. I'd search for that. Regarding the ebrake, I see you have AX15 so yes, I'd bolt in a later MJ foot brake as earlier ones had self-release issue. MJ cable will be plenty long for XJ even if use SB MJ ebake cable.

Getting there on the graphics... I didn’t have as much time as I hoped to this weekend. Finished the hood and a bit of the driver side. Looking forward to posting completed pics soon! The wife will be headed to a mother/ daughter college Mother’s Day weekend event this Friday through Sunday and there will be my window to get back to it. Here's where she currently stands (and as an FYI, those are scab wheels/tires and flares. The good stuff gets put on later). In the meantime, I was inspired with another modified grille idea to compliment the Comanche’s new stripes. This grilles metamorphosis is much easier than the full knock-out/mesh grille build I did a couple years back. I still need to trim around the grille mounting ‘boxes’ and then do a light plastic-fill at the trim locations, sand, and paint. Will see which grille I end up going with. Having options is good. Finally, the topside of the Warn solenoid box has been empty for several years. The domed M8000 sticker that came on it hazed over couple months after I installed it and looked real bad. Not sure why that happened. That empty spot has been nagging at me ever since. Yes, I have the Warn emblem front side I had done but needed something back on top. Jeep had a decal many moons back (I believe for CJ or SJ factory winch installs) that inspired me. Here’s the rectangular original (not a fan of the glossy finish) and the tribute I made below for my solenoid box. Will get it produced in either a domed emblem or a high heat friendly decal. Many of the under the hood stickers I have had done online is through uPrinting or StickerApp. I create the artwork and they produce the decal in the appropriate spec based on location/ temp/ etc.