neohic

:clapping: That's always the best part. Working away at something to turn a key and hear everything come together. A big congratulations!

Lots of good opinions here. I've got about a dozen helmets and I like them all for one reason or another whether it be their flexibility, to how ridged it is, even for how they sit on my head in a given welding application. I've got Miller Elites, a Speedglas 9100XX, I love my three Jackson Nexgens (two in standard Jackson helmets and the other in their lightweight Shadow helmet), a few Lincolns from their checkered past a couple years ago when they introduced the Vista (which I really don't care for) along with their most recent 3350 (which I very much enjoy), a few more Jacksons with EQC lenses, and a bunch of fixed shade lenses in Jackson hoods. My most versatile is probably the Miller Elite just because of the cost to buy matched with the cost of replacement cover lenses. My second favorite and most used are the Jackson Nexgens. They're a little more with the initial cost, but they use standard size cover lenses that can be bought at any fleet supply or hardware store if you're in a pinch and just need to get one. If I were to recommend a helmet to someone, I'd definitely steer them towards a Jackson Nexgen, Miller Elite, or a Lincoln 3350.

For future reference, would the computer know if the air bag was there and throw any goofy codes... or worse... turn on any lights?

40k+ btus? Really? :eek: Been looking at a bunch of online garage heater calculators and finding around 15k on propane once everything is insulated.

Quite the soapbox you've got there, and I see where you're coming from... but I'm not going to be that guy with the city. My neighbor is that guy and it's every project that he wants to do that the city is constantly crawling up his @$$ with every inspection and every permit. I've got a lot of plans for my property and I want to keep things as smooth as possible in the future. Not saying that I'm a kiss-@$$ when it comes to the city and that's the reason why I hooked up to sewer, but the noisy wheel always gets the grease. With that, my system needed an update sooner than later on top of the requirement of hooking up. My tank wasn't dug in deep enough for today's standards, and it's too small for the size of the house. Granted, it's just the wife and I living there so it'd probably be fine, but I'm always trying to think about the next guy. If I'm going to front the cash to dig up my old tank, replace it with bigger, plumb it, work in a new lift station, have it all inspected, and then deal with redoing my yard, I'd just assume let the city take care of where my $#!& goes. I'm at the end of the line in the system too so I doubt that I'd ever have to deal with any back-ups. I know that there's fine print and I know that there's always a way out, but when I would've had to spend much more to update everything on the property and then maintain it myself in the future, I just don't see the logic. Been thinking about infrared heaters last night and this morning. Figuring my stall is 14'x28' with a 10' ceiling, how big of a heating unit would one figure on looking into? Thanks for all the help from everyone on this too!

:thumbsup:

5000 watt max, 220v. Another issue I've been thinking about. The roof above the garage stall is right at a valley that fills with snow. Nope. No natural gas. Us and our few neighbors are all required to hook up to city sewer before November, but otherwise no utilities where I'm at. Getting the impression I should hold off with anything until I insulate. If I were to crank up the heat before going out, I'd just assume keep the kerosene heater for and tough out another season.

Nope... no insulation for this year. :( I heard that electric heaters are cheap enough to run when they're on a thermostat and are just maintaining a constant temp. :dunno: Trying to stay away from anything that runs on a fuel gas if I can. The house is on LP and it already gets filled and refilled enough.

This. Really late in the season for me to be thinking about wood for the same reason of getting, cutting, and storing it all just to have to baby-sit everything later on. I agree that it'd be great for a smaller space though just because of the radiance of the stove as I'm working with a 14'x28' space. With that, I like the idea of heating with something relatively clean that doesn't need to be vented through the roof either. I know that's what dampers are for in a wood stove, but there's always that small amount of efficiency that you loose.

I know... I know... Haven't forgotten about the interior. I talked to Rob about that recently too. He says he's waiting on a completed trailer to move everything at once if he gets there before I do. Been trying to figure out a good time to head over in that direction as well. :thumbsup: I thought about building a small wood burner, but I really want to keep everything off the floor that doesn't need to be there.

The cold is coming. As much as I hate to say it, winter is just around the corner up here in the north country. This will be the third winter in our current house and each year I've changed something in an attempt to make life more livable in the cold garage. Here's what I've done so far: 2011-12: Not much... we just moved in a couple months before winter and I just toughed it out. No insulation. Barely any light. Picked up a kerosene heater towards the end of the season and that helped. It was noisy but it was some heat, however the kerosene really irritated my eyes. 2012-13: This was after my big renovation and the garage was split up from an original, single garage and the newly built garage. This helped with heating as I now had a door to section off the single stall that I wanted to heat. I still only had a kerosene heater. Still loud, but it still did the job. Slightly better than the previous winter. 2013-14: Here's where I'm at. I'd really like to not use the kerosene heater in a desperate attempt to save myself from itchy eyes and the loud noise. While I want to insulate before the cold, I really don't see it happening. On the up side, I recently finished the ceiling so I think that'll help actually keep the heat in the garage. I think I want to try something new again. I've been looking around at online reviews for small suspended electric heaters like these: What I understand is that they're good for sustaining temperature, but if you want to warm up an area you need to plan ahead and turn up the thermostat the night before. I found a couple reviews from a couple guys in MN too. One guy has an uninsulated, double garage and he says that it works okay. The other also has an uninsulated, double garage but he uses two on either side of the garage and couldn't be happier. I'm hoping that someone here uses a similar heater and talks me into getting one this week... because the one pictured above is on sale. Obviously, having the entire space insulated would be ideal, but I'm looking for something that'd at least be better than previous years but would also work well long term as insulating the garage will probably happen sometime this coming year. What about not leaving it on all the time? Anybody know how fast these take to heat up a single stall garage? I think I'd even be happy enough this year if it would sustain above freezing but still use the kerosene heater for that blast of heat and then put it away again. Thoughts? Good idea to try? Just throwing money away? Figured I'd trust the professionals at everything ever that CC holds. Thanks everyone! ... and sorry for the long post with only one, little picture.

Looks amazing as always!... but why is this picture mirrored? :hmm:

There's a new one. I like that the side of the box says "90 Jepp Comanche". So... while most have issues spelling Comanche, these guys have issues with Jeep. :thwak:

Agreed.

Yeah... but I'd sell it a heartbeat to put towards this one!

Naw... he has a bottom dollar in mind that I already asked about. He's got a price in mind but that's totally between him and a serious buyer.

Yup... true story. I was waiting until I had the whole story put together before saying anything, but I've known about the whereabouts of this truck for almost a month now. Here's what I know: This is Tommy Archer's 1988 Racetruck Challenge truck that went on to win at Lime Rock. Tommy sold the truck to Dom Papa and sat in Papa's dealership showroom among other such beautiful, low millage examples of Dodge, Chrysler, and AMC automotive history. It changed hands in the early '90s... it was moved to the showroom floor... battery disconnected... and it went for a long nap. Not sure what prompted Papa to sell it off, but here's where Dean Cusano enters the picture as the new owner this past July. Dean has both this and Tommy's Cavalier from the same season. He didn't want the truck to continue to sit though. The truck needed a new bladder in the fuel cell, tires (which it could still use as Dean just mounted a set that he had on hand), a change of all fluids, replaced the cracked front spoiler with another that Papa had on hand, and a bigger seat as Tommy is kind of a skinny dude. Since then, he's been having a blast with it! He's been showing it everywhere he can along with the slalom event in the Papa's Dealership parking lot that was hosted by Dean's South New England Jaguar Club. Here's the twist... he wants to sell it. I've spoke with him about it, and I'm waiting on hearing back from him again on some details and pictures but he's aware of us and the build of my tribute truck. Price? Well, Dean definitely does his research on this stuff and its similar cars that went on to win big trophies that are now selling for big money. He's got friends in the classic car buying/selling business and they've settled that he should expect to see the truck sell for around $15k. Keep this in mind though... this is the real deal that dominated the series that year. The truck is in original paint, has all the original parts that were put there by the Archer Brothers, runs great (and revs like a dirt bike according to Dean), and currently has 4300 miles on the clock. Yup... 4300 MILES!!! I found the truck while trying to get in contact with R.K.. Just like everyone else on my journeys through the recent history of past SCCA Jeeps, Dean has been awesome to talk with. He's been very up front with his information on the truck and with his intentions of the truck. Reason being for selling the truck is to get the Cavalier back to its original glory as well. His plans are to keep the Cavalier for vintage racing circuits and put the money from the truck towards this project. Both in emails and on the phone, Dean is a great guy who appreciates the truck and really wants to see it go to someone who will appreciate is just as much. In most emails, he finishes with "When do you want it?" or "Ready to buy it yet?". Passing stories back and forth, I most enjoyed reading this from him: Best email ever!!! Truth is, I'd love to have the truck. I'm sure many of us here would! For me, it's turned into this obsession that even while building a tribute truck I know it'll never be enough. Sure, I can put my truck on original suspension components and paint the truck so it matches those sleek lines of the Archer trucks from the late '80s and keep piling on body panels that come direct from the Archers and get signatures from the drivers and... sadly, it'll never be enough. Call it my Maltese Falcon. I have this image in my head of an original truck and I just keep chasing that image and finding people with hopes that my truck will someday be this put together time capsule when, really, it'll just be a pile of parts. It won't have any history. It won't have any trophies. It won't have any stories behind it that people will look on it and rave about it when it even comes close to becoming available for purchase. When it is done, I think it'll be a neat truck that people might ask questions about... and those questions will trace back to those trucks with actual history. For me, that's just not enough. I do want this truck... period. Will it happen right now? It's really the worse time ever for me to see something like this come so close to being mine that even the current owner believes that I should be the next caretaker. I love the idea of what I'd do with it though... living so close to the Brainerd track that held the Racetruck Challenge it'd be a real treat to put it right back just as Dean has with Lime Rock, local car shows, twisty back roads and hidden away scenic drives, enjoying it to the point of taking it out and respecting it both casually and easy but also opening it up and pushing it like it was intended to be driven. It'd be bliss everyday to walk out to the garage and see it not on a pedestal but paired with the smell of fuel and noise of the 2.5. This is a passion. To finish, as Rob said, I wanted to wait to pull the trigger on posting anything about this truck until I had the whole story put together. The more I think about it, I was waiting to post because I was waiting for that glimmer of hope that I just might have a real chance of owning it. How selfish is that? This truck needs to be owned by someone who can regularly exercise it as the race truck that it is. More importantly, it needs to be purchased by someone who can afford to do that. Hell, I'd be willing to sell off three or four vehicles from my stables if it'd be a sure shot that I'd get top dollar for them. While that probably won't be me, it makes me take another look at my own creation that while it doesn't have an authentic racing background it does hold my stories of meeting Tommy and chasing parts and the connections from one person to another searching for everything I can absorb concerning the brief history of Jeep Motorsports. A future congratulations to the next future owner. Sometimes knowing where something is and knowing its condition is well enough... unless it's something you really, really want. :D

What a day! What a day! What a day! Remember that one post when I showed the filler panels in my dash for this truck? Then do you also remember that awesome post when I met Tommy Archer? Well... I have a secret that's been really, REALLY difficult to keep quiet. Tommy and Bobby are brothers, so that was almost easy enough for one to pass along to the other. Then I just had to keep digging up other names who would tell me one thing, then another, then another, and so on until I finally reached the last step along the way. Through my latest journey, I've talked with a bunch of great guys who were right there in the thick of things from the good old days of Jeep Motorsports. Want to know my secret? Well... remember this? It's changed a little. Let's build some anticipation... Isn't it beautiful?! That's Bobby Archer, Tommy Archer, and R.K. Smith signing one dash plaque!!! I got another surprise from Mr. Smith in the form of a VHS tape labeled "RK 8mm Transfer 2". I NEED A VCR, BADLY!!! These guys have been awesome to deal with! Besides the face to face with Tommy, I've stayed in contact with him along with Bobby and still John. It was a couple weeks ago that I talked with R.K. on the phone and he was just as pleasant as the rest of the gang. Everybody seems to have great stories of trading paint and winning trophies. Bobby currently owns the old Sterling truck and the truck is still in Texas. We've been comparing some notes on his truck and some details on mine. While I haven't had any time to work on it, the ball is still rolling... now, more than ever, with the help from some real pros!

Big ammo box?

Have you ever had one of those moments where you totally overlooked something and not had a clue how you could do such a thing? Think “elephant in the room” type of overlooked. The kind of overlooking that makes you shake your head because it’s staring you in the face and screaming for attention. I’m talking about a member and just one of his beautiful trucks that turned out just gorgeous and then somehow was… well… overlooked. Long overdue case in point… earl*t's '89 Eliminator!!! MODEL AND YEAR: 1989 Jeep Comanche Eliminator ENGINE & PERFORMANCE: Stock 4.0 DRIVETRAIN: Stock COOLING: Stock ELECTRICAL & IGNITION: Stock STEERING: Stock SUSPENSION: 3' Lift INTERIOR: Custom upholstery BRAKES: 95'-96' Booster and Master cylinder LIGHTING: Stock WHEELS/TIRES: 17" AEV, BFG Long Trail MISCELLANEOUS: Monochromatic theme with Dover gray metallic paint; cowl induction hood; custom roll pan; replaced front glass, swapped rear slider for one piece glass and fixed wing windows replacing functional units; swapped to NEW chrome grill, headlight surround, and associated trim http://comancheclub....-89-eliminator/ Best MJ story: This summer I attended the Bantam Jeep Festival having entered the "Show and Shine" event. Upon arrival, I drove the quarter mile or so from the highway to the staging area among the sea of incoming Wranglers. I was enthusiastically greeted by a young man directing traffic. He was smiling ear to ear, gave me the thumbs-up, and said, "It looks like it just rolled off the assembly line". If he could have seen my face in the rearview mirror, he would have seen me grinning from ear to ear as well. Before arriving at the designated location, I heard the "exact" words a second time from another course worker. I was awarded no trophies that day, but those accolades alone meant more than any dust collector could. My Comanche was received precisely as I had intended. What owner loves best about CC: A friend of mine jokingly referred to us (CC) as a "cult"... I suppose we are a passionate lot. Our genre attracts an amazingly diverse group of talented and creative individuals. Not only have we witnessed, but we've also been a contributing force behind the great revival of a long forgotten classic. Well, at least the Comanche is a classic in our eyes. One would be hard pressed to find the collective knowledge base and hands on experience contained in the Comanche Club family. I especially appreciate the well intended suggestions and opinions directed toward making our projects safe and reliable. Of paramount importance is the effort invested in keeping this site wholesome. Visitors quickly recognize the integrity represented here. The characters, quick wit, and animated smileys combine to add comedic relief. Comanche Club is the best entertainment money can't buy. In the immortal words of our founding father, "Jeep on". ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● Tom, what can be said here other than that your Eliminator turned out stunning! Can’t believe how this truck wasn’t put in the spotlight sooner. By taking the original idea of the Eliminator package of an upgraded interior and the 4.0, you’ve taking it to an entirely new, higher level while keeping the soul of original truck. Even the first picture you posted of the truck looked great and well enough that most guys would leave it alone. Oh, no! Not Tom! You took something amazing and turned it into something outstanding. Hats off to you, sir! -Ben This post has been promoted to an article

Now that it's coming together, I think I'm finally taking more of a liking to the color. It's still a rattle can paint job, and not all that outstanding of one at that. Lots of smoke and mirrors when it comes to taking a picture of this thing... especially from 20' away! :yes:

Another day of work on the hybrid mutt! The front end finally got hung. Took some real patience to get everything all lined up well enough. Even after a few hours of trying to get body lines close, the hood is still a little sticky and there's more of a gap on the left side than there is the right. Oh well... I know that this truck has been hit. The left bumper mount is a little wrinkled but I went in to put the air box in and it hits the radiator. Had to put some spacers (washers) behind the four studs along the top of the header panel to get a decent front gap too. The frame is square, but I wish I would've taken a closer look at things before I put it all together. Anyhow... here's some fun pictures:

That blue interior... totally full of win!!!

Didn't you already strip your '92 for the swap though? :hmm:

Bump. Updates? Please?