meljr

We didn't want to mess with someone else's project, so I just peeked through the hood louvers. It looks like a Chevy small block.

Its all steel and drove in under it's own power. My friend's father is going to strip it down to the frame, powder coat the frame, paint it and put it all back together. Should be interesting.

Kind of cold this weekend so I didn't get much done. We needed more floor space for projects coming into the shop, so we set the topper on the truck for the first time since paint: Also mounted a Warn M8000 in the front bumper, but I am not happy with the relationship of the fairlead to the the hole in the winch plate. Also, mounting the control box and lights could be problematical. I guess I need to clean my camera lens also: -meljr

Kind of cold this weekend so I didn't get much done. We needed more floor space for projects coming into the shop, so we set the topper on the truck for the first time since paint: Also mounted a Warn M8000 in the front bumper, but I am not happy with the relationship of the fairlead to the the hole in the winch plate. Also, mounting the control box and lights could be problematical. I guess I need to clean my camera lens also: -meljr

That argent grey AEV wheel is my favorite. -meljr

Hey, it's got a headliner! That ought to be worth something... Well, I think it is about time for my meds. -meljr

Saturday: Got the ARB Safari Snorkel about half installed. Need to finish airbox modification and this will be really sealed. Also picked up some Cherokee 2 door bucket seat frames. Kinda nasty, but they should be rebuildable with a little elbow grease.

Saturday: Got the ARB Safari Snorkel about half installed. Need to finish airbox modification and this will be really sealed. Also picked up some Cherokee 2 door bucket seat frames. Kinda nasty, but they should be rebuildable with a little elbow grease.

johnr, Thanks for taking the time to post that reply and the pictures really help. -meljr

Like the title says, I would very much appreciate any links to sources for cab carpet or vinyl flooring. I actually think replacement vinyl might be the way to go. My old vinyl covering was so nasty that I can't re-use it, but since it is wet and muddy here in Oregon most of the time, maybe I should just replace the vinyl. At any rate, I would like to benefit from your experiences and I could really use some references to a supplier you have dealt with and trust. Thanks, -meljr

After what seemed like months of making no progress at all, it is all coming back together rather quickly and phase I should be done in a week or so. Here is what happened over the last couple of days: Friday - POR-15 spray in bed liner kit installed with one-time spray gun. Glad I bought an extra can of liner: Saturday - Got the armor on: OR-FAB front bumper (still deciding on which winch to get): Saturday - Hanson rear bumper (both bumpers pretty much lined up and bolted on without issue) Saturday - Rocky Road Super Sliders Whats left: Reassemble and hang the doors. Replace flooring (carpet or mat?), interior trim and seat. Install ARB Snorkel.

After what seemed like months of making no progress at all, it is all coming back together rather quickly and phase I should be done in a week or so. Here is what happened over the last couple of days: Friday - POR-15 spray in bed liner kit installed with one-time spray gun. Glad I bought an extra can of liner: Saturday - Got the armor on: OR-FAB front bumper (still deciding on which winch to get): Saturday - Hanson rear bumper (both bumpers pretty much lined up and bolted on without issue) Saturday - Rocky Road Super Sliders Whats left: Reassemble and hang the doors. Replace flooring (carpet or mat?), interior trim and seat. Install ARB Snorkel.

I prefer the brighter colors, but grey, nicely done, does look classy. We just resprayed my MJ and because I was changing the doors (wanted opening wind vents and power), the jams were not a problem as the doors were off the truck anyway. Plus, since I treated the floors with POR-15 and haven't decided on carpet or vinyl covering, we were able to shoot color on the floor for UV protection, which turned out better than expected. I'll be interested in seeing how yours comes out. -meljr

The hole is for an ARB snorkel that I will be putting on when we start putting the Comanche back together. Stay tuned. -meljr

John is the man. I'm renting some shop space from him. Maybe we'll catch up to you on a trail run this year. He's really starting on some serious upgrades to his XJ now that my Comanche is almost done.

Got the color on the MJ and canopy. It's an Audi medium blue metallic pearl...

Got the color on the MJ and canopy. It's an Audi medium blue metallic pearl...

Well, after months of planning, dis-assembly and ordering parts, the Comanche is getting painted and put back together. It finally got warm enough this weekend to paint (70F in the shop today with the natural gas space heater). Here are some pictures of the last three days progress. Friday: Finished trimming the front fenders for new OR-FAB winch bumper and ARB snorkel. Saturday: Treated minor rust in repaired floor pans with POR-15: Saturday: Final prep for paint. Sunday: First coat of sealer. Painting the canopy to match. Final color will be medium blue pearl metallic with yellow or orange pin stripes.

That looks very impressive. Nice job.

I've never done this on a MJ, but I am thinking of a GM small block swap into my 89 Comanche if the 4.0 doesn't stop acting up, so I've researched what can reasonably be done in this area. Your firewall on an 88 will probably not be a problem and you shouldn't need a BFH, but the motor mounts will almost certainly not work. However, when considering the level of effort to do any swap, replacing motor mounts should not be that big a deal. If you have the experience or someone who knows whats involved, go for it. I'd probably just replace the 4 banger and tranny with another for almost the same result with a lot less hassle. -mel

Took the teardrop for a test drive recently behind my JK. And then used the on board air compressor to air up the daily driver.

X2 - especially like the gauges.

This has been listed on the AEV forum for some time now. It appears the owner is getting serious about selling. Even if you could by the camper, or something like it, you couldn't build it for what he's asking. -mel

Picked up the teardrop from the shop after work today and pulled it home to the tree farm. It tows so easily, I had to keep checking the rear view mirror to see if it's still there! Will try camping out in a nearby grove of trees tomorrow night with the dog before taking it out for real to an off-road park next weekend. -mel

This is great information. I have been researching dual batteries for a while now for my other Jeep. Don't know how I missed the JP Magazine piece as I am a subscriber, but reading this forum really pays off! Thanks! -mel