CRF136N

Ya, there Illegal here too...all over North America, I believe. Fortunately, there are enough "OEM" HID's out there now to where you kinda blend in, as long as the "color" temp is within OEM range. Of course, it may be a little more obvious on a 22 year old truck to any cop who looks that close, but hey, I rescently purchased this truck used and this is how it came...I had no idea, I will get this fixed right away officer :brows: If he absolutely must give me a ticket, then I will try my luck with the judge...and if the judge doesn't care, then so be it; I'll pay the fine. However, its been my personal experience, and from what I have witnessed from my buddies, as long as they don't stand out as super rich in color, and they are adjusted correctly to where there isn't any oncoming glare, and you don't go and hang out with those whom the cops like to target and nit-pick everything illegal about your vehicle, they will for the most part leave you alone. Of course, I suppose every part of the country is different in how strict they enforce these laws, so I guess I can't speak for all law enforcement. That said, I'm not encouraging anyone to do illegal stuff, I'm just sharing my experiences :chillin: -James

I've actually seen one of these in person before, I had totally forgot about it until I ran across that craigslist one. It inspired me to dig through my stash of pics in the closet. The grill and front bumper are almost kinda cool...Pics were taken in either '96 or '97 (I was like 12 or 13 when I took these pics, just goes to show how young I was when I got the bug :shake: ) Anyway, just thought I would share. Not everyday you see one of these.

I wouldn't want to own it, but its definately different :hmm: http://reno.craigslist.org/ctd/1350503436.html

Harbor Freight ROCKS! :yes: Ya, this afternoon I saw a super clean, all original (pioneer?) white shortbed turning left at the intersection I was waiting to go straight at (while driving my white shortbed :brows: ) Had the intersection not been so busy, I would've maybe hung a right and cut across a lane to follow in persuit to see if he went into the shopping center that was there...but I came to my senses and realized that would not be my best decision :shake: I always see more when I am driving my Subaru for some reason, so its tough to start Comanche talk in a parking lot when I am not driving one as the other people look at you like your some obsessive wierdo freak :doh: Maybe its that they don't share the same passion as we do.?. Hmm, whatever. Someday when their classic little MJ triples in value they may start to "get it" :dunno: -James

OK, so the end result with the HID conversion (for anyone who cares)...I got stuck in Reno after dark, had a 1 hr drive home over a dark and twisty mountain pass to look foreward to. As mentioned, the black headlight housings wern't working for me...so I made the trip over to my local Summit Racing, who is fortunately open until 9pm and purchased some HELLA sealed beam converion headlight housings and swapped them out right there in their parking lot...MUCH better now ($99 later :( ) :thumbsup: All the following pics were taken at the same location, around the same time of the night, under the same conditions (all on low beam, cars parked on the left moved from night to night though), and with the same camera...unfortunately that camera was my cell phone so some of the pics are fuzzy, but you'll get the idea... STANDARD WAGNER HALOGEN SEALED BEAM HEADLIGHTS: SYLVANNIA SILVERSTAR PERFORMANCE HEADLIGHTS: 4300k HID HEADLIGHTS WITH BLACK HOUSINGS: THE SAME 4300K HEADLIGHTS WITH THE HELLA HOUSINGS: -James

I proudly display a couple of my personal favorites... If you don't know who these guys are, its worth a look...they are the ones actively fighting to keep our play areas open ;) For what its worth, the Blue Ribbon Coalition is running a promo to new and renewing members; pay the annual $29.00 membership, and get a Rockey Mountain ATV/MC gift card for $25.00...so for $4.00 your helping to keep our trails OPEN! Their website http://www.sharetrails.org/ -James

Managed to find time for the carwash today, cleaned the jeep up a bit and got some daytime shots :clapping: Oh ya, and my new hitch FINALLY came in... and it bolted right on with no resistance; Gotta bust out that heat gun and get rid of that U-haul sticker. Now its down to some minor paint touch up, interrior button-up, new tires and that spray in bed liner and then this project will go from budgeted satisfaction to a flat out money pit...Already thinking crazy thoughts like a roll bar, winch bumper and teflon coated rims :nuts: ...But even if it never goes there, I'm happy with what I got now :yes: -James

OK, first off I HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES in this posting, 13 I think, so any of those still stuck in dial up or whatever, be aware. I have painted my fender flares, installed my lift and installed my HID headlights. -Fender flares turned out GREAT! -The lift is incredible! So the XJ donor supposadely had a 3.5" lift, the front of which is what I transferred to the MJ and then got the Hell Creek 3" lift spring packs for the rear...Dunno what happened, but the rear sat about 2" higher than the front after the install (maybe they sent me the 4.5" packs on accident :dunno: ), so I happened to have some 2" front coil spacers lying around and installed them...in doing so, I removed some .5" rubber like spacers at the top of the springs. Unloaded the truck now sits .5" higher in the rear, and with my usual load (my 300lb dirtbike & gear) it sits .5" lower in the rear. (I still need to put my 8.25 rear end under it, so it that may lower the rear a hair due to the larger axle dia.) Anyway, I am SUPER happy with the outcome of this lift. Also (FYI) the Hell Creek leaf packs ride incredibly smooth, I had expected them to be stiff. Definately a quality product. So, all said and done, I have no clue what size lift I have on my truck now, but I like it! I definately need bigger tires now though (current ones are 30x9.5) -The HID upgrade was a dissapointment. I think the HID's are good, but I am sure its the black housings that are screwing me up as the light can't get the reflection it would from a chrome housing, so I am going to order some chrome housings and see. Pics of the lift: truck is not on a 100% level surface, so the rear appears a bit higher than it really is...it was the only light I could find to take the pics in. And now the HID upgrade... And the ignitor ballast and harness install locations: (RT side inner fender, LT side under hood latch, next to air intake) My MJ next to my co-workers xj: -James

So, I am currently in search mode myself. I would stay away from the body shops as they seem to not use the best stuff...just go and ask to see a sample of their work, and you'll understand why. In my area, there are a few small shops that specialize in this, they are reasonably priced and tend to do quality work. Aside from those options, that leaves the big two "Rhino liner" and "Line-x". The upside is these guys have a hell of a reputation, and nationwide lifetime warranty, so should you damage the liner, you can get it fixed no matter where in the country you live, furthermore the warranty transfers if you ever sold your truck. The downside is they are EXPENSIVE. They want between $550-$700 to do an over the rail in my MJ :nuts: where as the one of the local guys that has done one for me in the past wants $450. One thing worth a shot is to go onto Rhino linings website as they are (or at least were) doing a promotion where you filled out a quick survey and could get a $25, $50, $100 credit or a FREE spray in liner...I got the $25.00 one :fs1: , as with most who take the survey I am sure, but its worth a try :dunno: One last point, if your truck has been repainted, expect resistance as they are wierd about doing anything on a re-paint, especially on an older truck. Good luck. -James

Oh ya, and you can use the 4-door switch pod on the drivers door. The bottom two meant for the xj rear doors will just be there, dead. They don't effect anything...in fact I pulled the little chrome switch caps off as they just snap on, so I don't have to hunt for the right one when driving in the dark. -James

NO, hang on...I have done this conversion 3 times now, and its SUPER EASY!!!! I would actually prefer this over drilling out the rivets holding the window crap in place and re-installing them. -Leave the power doors in tact and bolt them on. -Get the ONE single wiring harness that goes from the drivers door, under the carpet to the passengers door and install it in the comanche -On the drivers side, there are two power wires (one purple, the other red, if I remember correctly), both going to the fuse box. EVERY late 80's to at least 1990 MJ/XJ fuse box has the holes that these wires plug into; just pay attention to where they come out of on the donor fuse box and it will be a no-brainer. One is for the windows, the other is the locks. PLUG THEM IN. Install the relays/fuses, whatever came out of the donor. -----IF I remember correctly, you don't need to mess with a fuse for the locks, as it plugs in somewhere near the top left corner of the fuse box and it piggybacks off another fuse, like the stereo. The window wire plugs in a big hole near the bottom right, and a relay goes there somehow, possibly its a big silver one at the bottom of the fusebox...its been a while----- Plug the wiring harness into the doors. (I don't remember, but I think there may be a ground wire...no biggie, if so ground it) DONE. You now have power windows and locks. There will be an unused connector on the passengers side, that goes to the rear door of the xj, just flop it out of the way. Really, its a simple setup. Power wires from the fuse box, to (and through) the drivers door, and go to the passengers door. Thats it. Just pretend all the other wires don't exist, they are really insignificant as many of them are for the rear door that doesn't exist. If something goes wrong, you replace the one wiring warness. Good luck -James

If all else fails, I think I still have ALL the (good) wiring I took out of my '87 MJ 4.0 5-spd (peugot) 2wd base model from when I did the HO conversion; I was planning on just sending it to the JY with the donor...As long as the shipping is covered, I will gladly send it off if it will work. PM me if interested. That said, I suppose I still got a lot of stuff from the conversion, free for the taking +shipping if anyone is interested. Dunno if its worth my time to post a classifieds ad as there is too much random stuff to list, but pm me with what your looking for & I'll see if its still avail. (kinda became a community take what you want parts car amongst my jeeping buddies, so I dunno what all is left, but nobody seemed too desparate for anything :dunno: ) -James

I know its not really "real world", but its a good resource... http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm Hope this helps a bit -James

I did extensive research and these projectors seem to be the only option avail in black; that said, there are two different "projector" style headlight conversions...this being the cheaper one (like $40 bux on this website for the housings) and the other being a full HID kit which has fully custom housings that stick way out for maximum effectiveness, but expect to pay about $900 bux for that kit. Last night I ordered the cheaper housings from: http://www.xtralights.com/index.asp?Pag ... tegory=204 I also ordered a 4300k Bi-xenon HID kit from Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HID-CONV ... ccessories They should both be here by weeks end; I'll take plenty of pics of installation and I'll borrow my buddies xj to do a side-by-side comparison of stock vs. black projector w/halogen bulbs and stock vs black projector w/HID. I should also have my rear lift components and trailer hitch reciever by then too :banana: Jeep will be closer to DONE!!! I painted and installed my fender flares; WOW...I like it WAY BETTER now :yes: Check back later in the week. -James

It matches your truck! :yes: Nice bike. :thumbsup: -James

[quote= Its like the Christmas Eliminator package; one red and the other green :rotfl2: Seriously though, I hope you keep that dark green, its is a great color on that truck :yes: Thats a bitchin truck you got :thumbsup: -James

So, I usually use a fresh razor blade to gently scrape off any "stuck on" contaminants; I have had really good luck with -something- (brand name forgotten) but its got a big "NO 7" on it, its in a small grey bottle and it smells like crap :ack: I have also heard engine starting fluid works well, but never tried that one. I suppose SOS pads would be worth a shot too. The last chrome XJ bumper I tried to clean up was a lost cause as I never did get it to my liking. If all else fails, I suppose you could also consider a new aftermarket one that they sell on ebay, for like $80-$100 bux w/shipping usually. Just an idea. Good luck. :cheers: James

WOW!!! The wheels, tires and fender flares, NICE and that is an AWESOME color. If I have seen an MJ in that color before, it certainly didn't look as good as that does!!!! That and I dig the winch with the factory front bumper. Anyway, GREAT JOB!!!! -Damn I like that color on that truck with the chrome rims-

:hmm: Jeep in overall rough shape (not for that price though!); door pin switches are missing; spare tire missing; passenger door switches missing...this is going to be something really stupidly obvious, isn't it?...or is it a trick question to get everyone else to note anything they see before you go check it out so you don't miss anything? :rotfl2: Aight, I give up. :wall: -James

Quick photochop...I suck at this, so its best best I got :shake: IF I were to put those black projectors in...(I'm sure it would look better than this, lol)

Sooo, I got bored and decided to try something a little different. I see too many XJ's running around here with the clear signal lenses. I had a bunch of "spray tint" left over from when I darkened the obnoxious taillights on my Subaru...I also had some extra front end lights lying around :idea: :brows: I'm still not 100%, but I think I like it. I will know better when I get my fender flares painted black this weekend and installed...possibly the rockers too. I would also probably get a set of black headlight conversion housings (black reflector housing, the lens is clear to allow light to show through unobstructed). The only ones I can find so far are these "projector" style housings pic'd at bottom; not my first choice, but its an option. I think there are other options avail, I just can't find any yet (something like the HELLA "Black Magic"). Probably going to do a 4300k HID conversion at the same time too; I did this on my Subaru and it was the best upgrade I have ever done to any vehicle. Anyway, so far 1/3 the people that have seen it like it, 1/3 hate it and the other 1/3 are indifferent or want to see more done to the truck before they offer an opinion...any honest opinions would be welcomed.

-James

Welcome to the Northern Nevada desert; pics taken August '08 (Archery Antelope hunting trip)...in the middle of nowhere; HUNDREDS of miles from civilization (literally). Lonely place to get stranded, but such an awesome place to visit to get away from it all...no, I didn't get an Antelope :fs1: (its a tough hunt for Archery) Camp Random windmill :dunno: Yes, there is water in the middle of the desert. Just stumbled across these pics; just thought I'd share :cheers:

I got mine from a LEER dealer, new about 8 years ago...I think they said it was the same one as the Isuzu pickups took in the same year range. Depending on where your located & if your interested, I MAY be willing to part with mine.?. I'm near Reno, NV...PM me if your interested James

Ya, when I got the truck re-painted a few years ago, I was also in debate. I kinda wanted to get away from the OEM Comanche colors, for something a little more unique. I REALLY like that midnight dark blue metallic that GM was using for many years; kinda looks black, but in the sunlight you can see the metallic dark blue...but at the same time, I always wanted a shortbed comanche painted white...but there are so many shades of white. Besides, I preferred a lighter color as its easier to hide any blemishes. One day at my shop, a good customer of ours rolled up to our garage driving his white 2005 GMC Yukon Denali, next to him was a white Ford Expedition; the GMC white suddenly poped out to me as such a crisp, pure, clean white...I just knew that was the color I wanted, so I got the paint code of that Denali and took it into the body shop with the truck and said "this is the color I want." I am happy with my choice :yes: It's just asham they did such a crappy job on the prep of the door jambs and inside of the gas door and they didn't coat the rear fender flares thick enough to make up for debris kickup from the front tires; and just my luck the body shop went out of business, so I can't go back to get them to make it right :fs1: "lifetime warranty"...sounded good. Lesson learned :wall: For a future project though, and I'm not sure what it is about the color, but I could see an MJ looking real nice in mostly stock form with late model Jeep wheels or aftermarket black teflon coated rims, black trim, tinted windows and that Copper color seen on the newer Dodge Dakotas :dunno: If I could afford to keep my LB mj, I would start making that my new project. James