ThatJeepGuy

So while flipping through Marketplace i came across this jewel of a farm truck. Worked the deal a bit and landed at $400. 2 words - Bucket Seats! The bonus was the fact that the 4.0 4x4 drivetrain has less than 100k miles! Really though the initial buy was Just for the bucket seats but besides the little things here and there i plan to save for other projects I'm also going to have the factory sliding rear glass pulled out and installed in the orange truck. Topper wasn't part of the original purchase but was on the way so i figured perfect opportunity to travel safely with the topper. Early S10 short bed topper was $50. Forgive me though as i didn't take any pictures of the inside of the truck before removing the seats. It was a complete grey interior though with a felt-less headliner and the rear carpet trim still intact- though i don't have a need for that anymore still a nice find nonetheless. If the broken exterior view didn't make it obvious enough - its pretty rust down there! Driver seat mount was rusting away. Front side has most the damage and one tab on the rear also needed some love. I used the passenger seat bracket as my reference and simply reversed the templates i made to apply in the driver side setup. Passenger pictured Left, mock-up drivers bracket on the right. Almost forgot the notch for the return spring! The bracket originally had compression rivet and a hard to spot rosette weld securing it to the slider base. I ground the heads off the compression rivets but kept the body as an alignment pin for my new bracket. Welded the rivet body flush with the seat bracket and then added a 5/16's hole to either side to rosette weld in place as well. hit it with 2 coats of rustoleum black engine enamel - this has been my go to paint lately. It sticks well and holds its color good enough for my needs. lack of lighting - my apologies! Gonna have to start looking for a center console setup now that its wide open there. Also nabbed the grey seat belts and buckles - Thank goodness no more Red/Burgundy interior!!

Love the sidewinder shifter. There was a ratchet shifter in my orange truck when I got it home, the winters is absolutely preffered. The side to side for each gate takes a little getting used too but no hesitations on going this route again. Are you going to integrate the LS with the factory cluster, custom gauges, dual computer setup and retain factory cluster, holley terminator setup? Also are you going to retain the older body or go to newer body and dash setup?

Finally got my molle panel design installed and i'm very happy with the outcome! Kinetic rope in a universal mag pouch and then my soft shackle and snatch block in the small pouch to the right. Plenty of room for more gear etc that i won't have to worry about sliding around under the seat

Final install! (12) nutserts used in total and only 4 of the 6 PAL nuts to secure the sides. Top cross trim panel installed over top With the seat installed back in place the access is fair. Wouldn't even know its back there. Final design/cut needs some adjustments but overall i'm very happy with how this turned out!!

I've come to appreciate a topper for my pickup(s). Especially if you get snow where you live. Depending on what your up too, clearing the snow off your vehicle is one thing but then also clearing it from your bed is another, no thanks! I typically remove the topper(s) during the summer and then re-install them for late fall and winter.

Year 2008. Local guy was going through divorce and wife was gutting him/his belongings. This truck was originally his dad's and only had a sale sign in the window for a short while before it was pulled. Didnt intend on selling but didnt want her to take it. Other people in the group I was hanging out with were talking big games for going and buying it but no one ever made a move. So I stopped by one day after work And left a note in garage door stating I'd like to buy it and my #. Called the next day and we made the deal for $500. Guy was pretty excited to hear I wanted to use it for a wheeling vehicle. This is from early last summer but 15 years later this truck is iconic for me in representing struggle and progression. A lot of life has happened in those years and this truck has always occupied my time in some way and I'm grateful for it. I've had multiple other MJs over the years but none of which can compare to the sentimental value this one holds

Tractor supply is a very good point, the size of those bolts gave me flashbacks to replacing factory control arm bolts with grade 8 hardware from ACE hardware, unfortunately the only place that carried 9/16's bolts long enough for the job charged by the piece. My thoughts exactly as well on why bolts instead of just welds?

^^That's a lot of holes and hardware holy smokes! Especially at grade 8, you'd prolly have $100 in hardware there today! Really though there are a number of other vendors with MJ sliders. Google just that "Jeep Comanche rock slider" and ignore the jcwhitney, jeggs, Summit racing links/adds as those are more than likely the side step or running board type. Stinky fab racing I'm pretty sure is still making them?

Grand Rapids MI area. This being a potential project that won't exactly have a great resale value once it's done, given the amount of work going into it, it's pretty safe to say if it's metal it's gonna be scrapped vs given away. Something in return $ wise towards this project is better than nothing.

This one has an automatic. This is my thoughts but with just about anything, actions speak louder than words and I'm sure there are those out there that might advocate saving some things but unless someone is willing to go out of their own way for it then in my opinion the value really isn't there.

So I'll be picking up an 86 XJ this weekend. My intention with this one is to 95OBD1/96OBD2 swap it, now I'm not looking for any advice in that dept as I've done this swap before and I'm very well aware of the various body differences and other challenges that come with this endeavor. The thing I'm unsure of is weather or not the engine and Trans are worth selling or not. In the past I've defaulted to removing these old drivetrains as a whole and scrapping it nearly immediately! I'm not a huge fan of the 2.8L at all so I don't care to put any time into making it run. However this 86XJ only has 85k original miles and though it's been sitting for 6+years I'm struck with curiosity if it holds more value than scrap weight for those purists out there. Or even any other part of this jeeps original engine bay, harness or trans/tcase for that matter. Things have absolutely changed in the last 10+ years since I did this last. Soo if you have any suggestions on desirable parts that are key to this 86 feel free to let me know. In no way am I seeking top dollar hoarder pricing on anything; more soo pricing that's worth saving parts from the trash or scrap bin.

With little success at finding others detailed success I have proceeded with my own approach to making the TJ gas tank fit in place of the spare tire under the bed. I haven't taken any photos yet but what i can say soo far is that this setup is definitely NOT exactly a "meant to be" fitment as much as other will claim it to be. To be clear, JCR offroads approach for their shortbed MJ was to remove the rear half of the factory X-brace between the frame rails. If i remember correctly they shared a "frenched crossmember" to cap the rear most section of the frame rails. What i'm shooting for is to leave the X-brace alone and instead trim away the bed material hidden behind the bumper. If I'm successful i'll share a little more of a how to modification thread on how i pulled it off. Perhaps FINALLY putting the Whodunnit question to bed!

Soo I finally swung into action and moved my battery back up to the engine bay over the weekend. Currently what it setup in the bed of this truck is a fuel cell, the battery which is to the right of the fuel cell at the far side of the bed. Then also the Trans cooler and this massive 37" spare tire! My intentions here is to free up the space and by the end of this ideally only having a spare tire remaining. Engine bay is fairly empty minus the 6.0L engine but there isn't much else for extras. This made this transition soo much easier! Forgive the wire nest over the blower motor, this is old accessory wiring that will also get changed in time! This was only a little tricky, with a barnes4wd optima battery mount I was able to mount the new tray securely to the fenderwell/wheelwell and still clear the coolant hoses and hood. Gm pcm got shifted a bit closer to the blower motor with ease though I need to make another bracket to support the low side but for now this will do. The wiring is still a little bit of a mess but with a new 2 gauge power wire to the starter, 2 gauge ground wire to the engine block and shorter 4 gauge lead to the alternator this truck came right back to life! Still need to rewire a few things like the cooling fans, blower motor and accessory lighting but I was running out of daylight and didn't want to open up too much of the wiring just yet. I also started the process of fitting a TJ gas tank into the rear spare tire area under the bed but managed no pictures to show progress. Removing that fuel cell from the bed is a big goal of mine for this incentive of free bed space. What I can say thus far is the fitment is not as direct as many might think! While I am completely aware of the approach JCR offroad took to their application of the tank, my approach with leaving the factory "X" brace and clearing metal form the rear of the bed is turning into a subtle adventure of how little can I remove and still make for functional fitment! I promise to take pictures and better document the progress as I get a little more into this task. For now though that's what I got to share

All good, i forgive you this time Definitely appreciate the link and while the details are very thorough and pictures are fantastic! that was to mount the tank in the factory location and not in place of the factory spare tire location

As far as I know yes absolutely interchangable between manual and auto. Shift indicator will drop and lock right in.

For context, my MJ is LS swapped thus why I already have a fuel cell in the bed. Factory gas tank location with any configuration of tank isn't in my interests. As it stands now, I have the new to me TJ tank setup with a fuel pressure regulator bypass and aftermarket fuel pump retrofitted to the TJ sending unit. I do appreciate the chip ins

I'm familiar with both the steel and plastic xj tanks from either year range 96- and 97+. Their overall size alone doesn't work for the area of the factory spare. I'm aware of the level of creativity and options for other setups/locations but for the purpose of my trucks build - specifically the factory spare tire location and also a TJ gas tank is what I'm looking for insight on others potential process of doing so. Currently have a fuel cell in the bed of my truck and while it works as is, I absolutely want an empty pickup bed and this fuel cell takes up too much space for my needs.

Fwiw you can use just about any container, size and shape you'd like if the factory one isn't doing it for you athletically- just soo long as it will hold enough coolant to maintain the cooling systems proper level. You can also mount it wherever you'd like too, lengthen or shorten the hose as needed.

Alright so I've been searching all over and while it's not hard to find the mention and conversation about swapping a TJ gas tank into the rear spare tire space on a short bed MJ, is it just me or is there next to No write up or picture dump of the swap itself? I'm aware of the JCR MJ build where this was done but outside of that I'm striking out on finding more details from anyone whos done it themselves. Any hints or thread links would be appreciated.

Thanks! Me as well! I'm feeling confident in its mounting setup to not bouncing or flex much. I'll have more hands on feel for the needs of storage this summer when i start driving it again but for now I ordered a 10"x10" *magazine pouch/bag* to use for my kinetic rope. Then also a 5"x8" messenger pouch for clevis and tree saver strap. The rifle case idea is looking like will have to be a custom deal; adding molle straps to a cheapo soft case - this will come later this year when we get back to Deer hunting season. I'll be adding storage attachments as i need them so if/when i come across something new, i'll update this with its weight and off course More Pictures!

And we're back! Its been a while and I'm sorry for the delay! Tonight i brushed the dust off and finally test fitted the side and bottom tabs. They both got a little trimming but all fits really well. The adjustability incorporated in both the molle panel and these side tabs were Critical! I think they could use a little more length overall to the "slot" but As-Is its looking good to me! No Rivnuts/Nutzerts just yet, i'm holding out for a final finished product to fully install the panel. Overall changes to be made are the bottom mounting points of the panel needed to be clearanced to allow the L bracket to mount flush with the panel itself. The amount of material in length on the Z tabs for the sides got shaved down. There was excess material outside of the mounting tabs that was interfering with the interior trim panel. I'm going to coordinate with my Plasma table guy hopefully soon for the changes and to get another panel cut out __________________

Quite the transformation, good work! i aspire to turn my Orange 87 into an overland capable rig and am always keeping an eye out for a potential deal on a rooftop tent. Keep us updated even on the little things!

You'll be seeing a pm from me shortly, updating to a blade fuse box that actually looks like it belongs there is very appealing. I would rather solder the old plugs onto a new wire harness than trying to adapt some amazon special fuse blocks between the firewall and under dash harness. Onto a little progress today! I got a little time in the garage today and made fairly quick work of capping this bed crossmember. Even flap disc'd the weld smooth for a very clean finished look. This has gotten me thinking about potentially wire wheeling the underside of this bed clean and then coating it with some POR15 or bedliner. We'll see how ambitious i get this next week/weekend. just a little angle shot to show tank ground clearance which I'm really happy with. Still considering mounting setup and i've got a few ideas now after tinkering with some scraps. I'll dive into that a little more once i've gotten something mocked up as its a little hard to explain without some materials on hand.

So there's a number of pictures for this one Taking a little break on the wire harness while i do a bit more research into adapting the donor trucks harness for the LS swap. This also got me thinking about the fuel system and its components and what that should be looking like. Now to start i was ditching the original gas tank right out the gate, it was a side saddle tank and i absolutely planned to setup a tank where a factory spare tire would be no matter what. While an S10 tank is fairly common for FSJ tank swaps in this swap i wanted something different. I got this steel ford bronco tank from my coworker for free and while its got a 20g capacity, its lacking in a catch tray in the tank. Now i know that could be changed but its had me re-considering tank options. I also happen to have a couple of these 96 and older XJ steel gas tanks which arent the 20 gallons that ford bronco tank was BUT they do have a catch tray to help keep that fuel pump fed. I also happen to know a person or two running this setup with some mods to accommodate the LS engines fuel needs. With some test fitting i was liking the fitment, the tank is butted right up to the bottom of the truck bed. My plan is to fab up a gas tank cradle that mounts to the frame - this will also incorporate a gas tank skid. Now the bottom of this bed could use some trimming. I could gain some ground clearance for the tank if i just cut out some of this bed crossmember and then cap off the remainder. After mulling this over with some buddies of mine i got the confidence to go ahead and cut this up! And its gone! Took out 1.5" of material With some 2x4's in place to represent the space i have to work with under this bed i got a start on positioning the gas tank and also ideas on how i'm going to mount the tank in place. Now for the goodies! This pump adapts to the jeeps sending unit with ease Add to that some steel braided fuel lines and an assortment of AN fittings. Also pictured is the common Corvette fuel filter/regulator that basically completes the system, Now i just have to get busy with it!

So ealier this week Soo lately there hasn't been much going on, just poking around here and there. Pulled the airbox and blower motor assy off the firewall and dissected the heater core to find a leaky unit. Cleaned them up and tested both blower motors (factory and the one on the A/C unit) and all is well surprisingly. With the cooler temps it hasn't been ideal to raptor line the floors soo holding off on them for now, Instead i put my attention towards this wiring ordeal I'm up against. Below is a trimmed down wire harness from my donor truck. Only the essentials. After plugging in every connector for the engine and laying out the donor wire I actually got motivated to tackle some of the factory harness. Engine bay harness was up and the old wire loom had to go! Also wanted to clean up the wires and inspect them for cracks or damage. Dirty stuff! no more old wire looms and clean clean clean wires! Pinned out the firewall connector and labeled Everything! Snuck the Dakota digital cluster into place (loose fit) for a moment. I'm digging it for sure! Pulled the under dash harness onto the table and was going to start working through inspecting all the wires and i hit a little wall on decision. To keep this factory fuse block or ditch it in favor of a universal unit that doesn't use the tube style fuses. Lastly for the night I started reading through the setup manuals and noticed the dakota digital cluster requires the use of their supplied sensors for coolant and oil pressure. Now this is my only gripe - with the design of their hex body and 11/16 wrench in required - also an adapter as well BUT at the back of the block it turns out there is ZERO room for a combo wrench and because of the sensor plug is bigger than the hex itself it means a socket isn't going to cut it either! So i re-installed the factory sensor for now and I'm planning on buying another oil cooler bypass that is tapped for for a fitting/sensor.