Catatonic Comanche

Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss, Willy. I lost my father when I was twelve years of age and just lost my mother back in March of this year. My father has been gone so long that it is difficult to reflect on how devastating that was, but watching my mother die a slow and agonizing death and being there when it happened; there is not a day that goes by that I fail to remember that horrible day that she passed away. My MJ was given to me as a gift from my mother back in 1999 for general hauling and chores. My reason for spending so much more capital on the restoration than the Jeep's Blue-Book value is because my mother bought it for me. My restoration of my MJ is a dedication to her. I will never part with it. It is so true that Comanches come and go while loved ones remain irreplacable, but working on my MJ helps to keep my mind off of dwelling on depressing times. It might be worth your while to begin an improvement or upgrade on your MJ and dedicate that upgrade in Roscoe's honor. :wrench: Again, please accept my condolences. V/R Paul

Ahem... Oh, the year was 1998, "How I wish you'd never bought it now!" When a score of men were turned quite green By the rustiest MJ you've ever seen God damn them all! "Oh, Catatonic" cried the town, "How I wish you'd never bought it now!" For twenty brave men, all masochists who would fix for him, his rusty jewel God damn them all! This motley crew was a sickening sight "How I wish you'd never bought it now!" There was caveman Dave with his hands in welds He'd did cast-iron steel 'till he staggered and lagged, God damn them all! Well we hadn't been there but a week or two, "How I wish you'd never bought it now!" When a voice said, "Gimme some rust to brew" and Steeleyed-Stan hove into view God damn them all! Now Steeleyed Stan was a welding man "How I wish you'd never bought it now!", He was eight feet tall and four feet wide and said, "pass that torch or I'll tan your hide!" God damn them all! Stan torched his hand and pitched on his side! "How I wish you'd never bought it now!", Paul was smashed with a lung full of rust and his breath coughed out much sanded dust! God damn them all! So here I lie on me' 23rd beer "How I wish I'd never bought it now!", It's been ten years since I felt this way on the night before my wedding day! God damn them all! They were told this Jeep was worth it's weight in gold, they'd feel no pain...shed no tears! But its a foolish man who shows no dismay at the sight of CC's rusty MJ! Just kidding...wouldn't trade 'er for the world! :cheers: Paul

Just as you state, my MJ is just as much a victim if not moreso to Rustorius (the demon of metal decay)!!! The major campaign againt Rustorius has been launched in my arena! Now you must nuke him in your arena! No quarter shall be given nor taken! DEATH TO RUSTORIUS!!! :beerhead: Paul

My God...a new super-biologic mutation might be emerging upon this already powerful cancerous MJ killer! Please say it isn't so! D@mn RUST!!! :beerhead: Paul

...just a parts-order update: DANA-44 being painted rear-disk conversion kit ordered 4.5" Motion Kit on order 1996 full-power XJ doors are on the way The current status is that all of the rust and body issues are currently being handled and that remains the most important issue to address at this time. More updates and pix will follow as this progresses... :cheers: Paul

This was the exact causr of my floor rust...not only from rust at the seal of the windshield, but also at the seal of the rear slider. The answer is that you have to get all of the rust either sanded or converted or it will return. It cannot be sealed as rust by any amount of silicone, sealant, etc. Going to a pro was not a bad idea considering the importance of a rust-free seal around the windows. Good luck in your campaign against rust. Sometimes I feel that the Comanche Club is a secondary support website for MJ cancer (rust) victims! :beerhead: Paul

I think I know the answer to this one, but wanted confirmation from the experts! Are 1996 4-Door XJ frontal doors a direct bolt-on without striker mods, etc.? I believe they are, but wanted to be certain. Thanks! :beerhead: Paul

...and the added windows remind me of port-holes! Argh mateys! Captain Jack Sparrow hath Spake...hehehe! :cheers: Paul

...he probably had a dream, but could not afford to maintain that dream. But it was a noble effort! :beerhead: Paul

Actually, I prefer the lighter color door panels as the old MJ interiors were made up of the lighter grey. The darker grey would not match the older MJ interior IMO. I had to return to the pull/pay salvage yard to acquire the strikers from the XJ that supplied my doors. The air bags had been deployed and there were beer cans on the floor...sad. :brows: :beerhead: Paul

No...I am not. You are one of the few to profess the simplicity of this swap. I am glad that this is "easy" for you. V/R Paul

Those are great pics! So there is a slight bit of rubbing? An auto-upholstry shop could probably remedy that with a little nick/tuck job. I used 97-01 door moulding to replace my old moulding. The 97-01 moulding is thicker and now I have to use a bit mor force to get the door all the way shut than before... :cheers: V/R Paul

I made a few telephone calls today to various businesses who claimed to be in the auto-electric industry. Most shrugged-off how difficult it would be to accomodate a power source for the 97+ power doors. Some said "no...won't touch it" and others said "how much $$$ are you willing to spend", but one business that has been established for over 40 years, said "sure...we can get you what you need...shouldn't be too difficult to do...all we need is the year, make and model of the replacement power doors and we'll do the rest"! I said, "dude...you're hired! :beerhead: I have found my business to do the job! Johnny, I would greatly appreciate an image or two of the inside of your doors/interior! V/R Paul

"Going up" is the EASIEST part compared to the electric upgrades that you have made, Johnny! There remains endless ways to raise a Jeep at any cost! I can only long to keep up...that is one beautiful rig! :cheers: V/R Paul

Thank you for the input, Johnny. Your upgrade is totally awesome! I truly envy what you have accomplished. In the meantime, I have to figure out how I am going to achieve the same results! I know of no Jeep Magazine editors who are willing to knock upon my door to ask me for permission to upgrade my Comanche for an article they are writing, but perhaps I could bribe an auto-electrican to figure out the entire mess for me! Maybe with enough cash and a wiring diagram, some drunken auto-electrician might be willing to give it a shot at creating the same results for yours truly! You really do have an awesome MJ setup and remain an inspiration for my own MJ goals! At the end of the day, "It's a great day to be alive!" :cheers: V/R Paul

I have seen other threads mentioning this upgrade with a vast array of bits and pieces. I have 2 1997 (power) front doors out of a 4-door XJ on the way. What additional parts, harness parts, etc. will I need and what hardware mods will I need to make everything work? Thanks for your advice. I hope it is not too difficult... :cheers: Paul

Just curious...how did the wiring work out on the 97+ upgrade, i.e., harness wiring, etc.? Was it an instant "plug & play" or did you experience difficulty with the installation? The modernization that you have done merely by changing the doors is really pretty cool! :cheers: V/R Paul

Thank God for the SUCK-ishness of my "Rhino" spray-on bedliner that was applied by Ziebart of Fairfax, Virginia! I will now spread my personal experience amongst the lot of you! My bodyshop that witnessed the lousy job that Ziebart did on the bed of my MJ was quite amazad that the Rhino warranty which was supposed to be 'all that' was no longer even a factor after only a few years of peeling and fading that had advanced so severely. This is very much laughable and the Rhino/Ziebart connection sucks in my opinion! A spray-on liner that could be easily peeled away was something that my bodyshop had never witnessed befoire. Ziebart/Rhino never sanded the surface and the result was a peelable spray-on bedliner, but because the easily peelable bedliner was not appropriately installed, I now have the option to paint my MJ another color! Rhino by Ziebart of Fairfax, Virginia sucks! :beerhead: Paul

...simply a work of art! :cheers: V/R Paul

Yes, I know that it means parting out the front of a 97+ Cherokee and stacking it on to the frame of a Comanche, but someone PLEASE describe in detail the new parts that exchange the old! From what I have seen, it appears that the grill, fenders and hood are exchanged. Is that it or are more/less parts involved? I greatly appreciate the input of those who have pioneered the info... V/R Paul

Nice starter-rig, Mike, Please keep me posted concerning your progress. I for one, am very interested in all MJ projects. V/R :cheers: Paul

Nice paint job, Shane! Thanks for sharing... V/R :cheers: Paul

Some of those who have been around here for a good period of time might remember me. My MJ has been "catatonic" and I have been "cataonic", but the spirit never went away! I hereby share these "before" images with my fellow MJ brethren! I have many plans...more to come! V/R Paul

DANA-44s are larger in diameter than 35s. Wider U-bolt hardware is required. My 1992 MJ OEM DANA-35 U-bolt plates are universal containing eight holes...four for the smaller-diameter DANA 35 which are in use and four empty holes for the DANA 44 option. The OEM plates are rusted to hell and I would rather go with some heavy aftermarket replacements. V/R :cheers: Paul

CW, You definitely got me on that technicality! Let me now rephrase my original comment: I am hereby fully aware that the RE 4.5" suspension kit is meant for XJs and that the rear AAL is NOT MEANT FOR USE in MJ spring-packs...hehehe! 8) I have no intention of using any RE suspension parts on the rear of my MJ and was only initially interested in the frontal RE suspension parts. Had I purchased the RE kit, I was planning on ditching the AALs in the trashcan and using Motion's 4.5" spring-packs for the rear. I was not certain if it would cost more to order the entire RE XJ suspenion kit including the XJ AALs or if ordering only the frontal suspension parts individually (minus the AALs) might even be more costly in the end. Sometimes package deals are like that. Whether the AALs can be used with MJ spring-packs or not, I haven't a clue, but it is good to know that there is a use for them in the MJ world as you identified. Thanks for the clarification on that. At the end of the day, I have no interest in any RE suspension solutions for the rear of my MJ. Brent, Is that a Proto Fab winch bumper that you are sporting? It is a work of art! :cheers: Paul