JZLAJeep

OK that's funny!

It happened again, another XJ followed us home over the weekend. I'm a sucker for 4.0 with AX-15 and this was at a price that couldn't be refused. Had to make a 4 hour drive to northeast Oregon, but the drive was gorgeous and we came home with a Jeep! This makes 4 at the house though (2 XJs, MJ, CJ-7), which is a problem... '96 model year, Cherokee Sport, optioned like my '95 2-door, 235.5K miles, straight body, dirty but otherwise good upholstery, factory radio/cassette. Cruise works, AC works as much as we can tell in October. Needs some TLC and a deep cleaning of the interior. PO had a Thule box on the roof, but took it off, but left the rack/bracket with no key for it. Will have to decide what to do about that. Seller said he parked it and it didn't start when he came back, pulled a code (since it's a '96) that said alternator. Instead of fixing it he just listed it for sale. We took a battery (borrowed from the MJ) and a new alternator from Amazon and went on a road trip. Hooked up the battery and the Jeep started right up. Took it for a spin, saw the voltage dropping so parked, put the new alternator in and it was ready to drive it home! Now that we have it, need to decide what to do with it. Could become the 15 year-old's to drive next year if he helps with it. If not, maybe need to find it a home with someone that appreciates a Manual XJ. Needs (Identified so far): Clutch Oil filter housing o-ring Badly needs an oil change Straighten transmission brace (shouldn't look like an upside down V and the transmission sounds like it rattles when turned on/off) Ignition cylinder and steering column surround (works, but ugly - someone tried to steal it from PO, but apparently couldn't start it or drive stick...) Door latches Center Console lid (gray) Right front corner turn signal indicator Dome light covers Headliner is a little saggy, but not horrible (yet) Hub cap (have one that needs some paint) Sport trim (have some) Rear hatch struts Light bulbs all around Tires are mismatched, but OK for now

Making arrangements to get another XJ tomorrow... I'm a sucker for 4.0 with AX-15 and this is at a price I can't pass up... As for the topic of the thread, with what you have budgeted you can end up with a fine Comanche that will be a reliable daily driver. We've gotten by with a lot less.

Oh wow! Mind if I borrow some of these parts?

I'll disagree some. If you call around you can find a mom and pop (mostly pop I guess) shop that will mount and balance tires reasonably. For our expedition I recently bought 5 take-offs from a 4-Runner for $450 and had them installed for another $125. A lot cheaper than any tire shop wanted for 4 new tires.

We have had good success with installing 6-ply light truck tires. Because they are truck tires they last for a long time on the relatively light Comanche. I've also never had a tire go flat, other than the time a valve stem went bad. The tires have always needed to be replaced because of dry rot before the tread wears out. 235/75/15 fit great for stock everything. So that's what I would and do buy. Lately I've been buying used tires that are take offs from people wanting mudders, but any tire shop should be able to get you a good set of LT tires.

A half yard of moist road mix base material just about loaded the Comanche to the bump stops. Looks like it did break an almost new rear shock. Anyone know how to contact Monroe about their warranty? Pro tip: be careful not to hit your big toe with the tamper when placing the material...

I've always liked Bronco IIs too. Some don't like the wrap around rear windows, but I always liked that styling. Saw a High School kid pampering a mint one at a car wash a while back and I had to stop cleaning my vehicle and go drool over his and let him know I appreciated his appreciation for what he had. Alas, I've ended up with Jeeps instead of a Bronco or Bronco II. Have fun with it!

Oh man, you aren't kidding!

The concerning leak was on the '94 XJ, that we've since sold. The MJ doesn't leak any more than the '95 XJ. The '86 CJ is pretty leaky around the windshield though. Buying a rain cover seems like the way to address that for now.

Welp, took about 22 months, but we finally got around to putting flooring into the Comanche. In a rare instance, we decided not to follow @Pete M's advice and we put in the Army surplus flooring that we've had rolled up since Dec. 2022. We are fortunate to have a western pickup so surface rust only that came off with a wire wheel, then POR 15 paint. Wanted to _flatten_ the floor before putting in the flooring so at the suggestion of a family member in the auto body biz, we used some Great Stuff expanding foam around the size braces. Tried out some Amazon Basics sound deadening to cover the foam and further flatten the floor. Wish I'd bought 20 sheets instead of just 10. The finally put the flooring in. The flooring is self-adhesive padded foam from an Army surplus store. It molded better than we had anticipated, but not perfectly. Hopefully it still looks good tomorrow and will be durable. Getting the paper backing off was a little bit of a struggle. Overall pleased with how it turned out. Now we need to put the shifter, transfer case handle, trim, and bench seat, and console back in. Ran out of daylight (and energy).

I've concluded this, each of these vacuum hoses seem to connect above the filter in the air box, so it doesn't matter so much where they connect to the airbox, it's all the same air. I won't be at all offended by someone that knows otherwise, but that's been my conclusion.

Wow! Lots of work! Looks good!

Call me weird, but I like the factory front bumper better than aftermarket bumpers too.

I don't know. We recently did a vacuum hose "delete" on our '89 by putting in an airbox from a HO Cherokee. We had (and still have) some major vacuum leaks so we didn't really lose anything. Right or wrong, we did it. Interestingly, the throttle body hose connection on the HO box was different than on the Renix box so there is a bit of a kink in the flex hose. Here are photos of before (which according to the video is WAY off), after, and a comparison of the boxes.

Not a project per se, but we have family that are potato farmers in Idaho and it has become tradition to go work potato harvest for 2-3 weeks. Here are some photos and a video from the farm.

We were lucky enough to stumble on a 10 slot grille in a junk yard. Yes, they are interchangeable (with the Renix grille at least) if you can find one...

Ouch!

I'd say!

Looks good!

I think we have two extra front bumpers with end caps sitting around if you need more.

Love it and love the full length soft top. We came across a CJ-8 with full hard top this summer in northern Idaho.

When we took ours out to recover, it looked like there was velcro type material near the back edge. I wonder if something like that would help without taking the risk of sending some self tappers through the roof.

Nicely done! That's a lot of work! Is the "normal" gas filler door just a dummy door to nothing now? Looks cool like it has dual tanks.

Looks great! What material did you use to smooth the floor?