neohic

Have a seat! Beer is in the fridge.

Call up D&C Extreme out of Colorado Springs. We’ve got a Comanche cage kit that we can piece down to only what you need.

Glad to see this at the top of the list.

Really impressed with the speed you're getting it all done in! Very good work, sir!

... continued... There have been a few good Courier builds over on Pirate, but they've all been pretty crazy. This one has the idea of keeping it very streetable and flying super low under the radar. Bronco stuff under Japan's finest Fords? Couronco.

So there's this guy I work with. He's mostly an early Bronco kind of guy which is pretty cool. Lately he's been wanting to build something a little different and with a plethora of leftover Bronco stuff, all he really needed was a solid platform to start with. What better than a classic Courier?! What better to start than with THREE Couriers?!?! The green truck is a '72, the white one is a '74, and the gray truck is a '76. What's really cool about these trucks is that they were build by Mazda before they were known as Mazda, and there were tons of changes and upgrades through their short lifespan. Notice anything different about the cab on the '76?... because it's 3" longer than the other two! It's also clearly a 4x4 which wasn't available from the factory. See, there was a company out of Springfield, IL that did conversions with early CJ parts. They all got narrow Dana 30s up front, a divorced Dana 20 transfer case, and then lift blocks in the rear to level things out. Pretty cool little trucks!! So here's the plan: use the green truck's frame as a base (because it's in the best shape), the cab from the '76 (because of the extra leg room), and the bed form the '74 (because it's got the best floor) on the outside. Drivetrain? We're going with early Bronco 9" and Dana 44 axles, 4.56 gears, 35" tall tires, a mild 289, SM465, and a Dana 20 with twin sticks. For suspension we're keeping it simple by hanging everything with Wagoneer leaf springs. Being I really don't have much for my own projects going on, I'm super excited about this! This afternoon at work, we decided that he needed a push to get the ball rolling so we pushed the '72 in and started stripping. Went pretty quick too! Within three hours we got it arranged, pulled the bed and cab, suspension, drivetrain, got it outside to finish cleaning the frame, and even managed to clean up the shop before the weekend. How did it go? Just like this...

Oof... it was 60* this afternoon!!

Very cool, Pete!

I kinda miss that truck too. Had one hell of a build thread! What ever happened to the XJ buggy you traded for it?

Happy 2018, Comanche Club!!! I apologize for the late start, but its very much a rocky start for me so far. Sometimes that's just the way it goes. We try and make things work to reach a deadline only to come up just short of what we intended. What better way to introduce this month's MJOTM member though? We're going to start the year with a bit of a project! This month's member had full intentions of getting a huge over hall wrapped up before the 1st of the year... but then a roadblock in the form of a back order stepped in. Problem? Heck no! Still an awesome truck! Still an awesome member! YEAR/MODEL ● 1988 Jeep Comanche Base ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● 94 Cherokee Transplant 4.0l H.O. Motor with upgraded injectors DRIVETRAIN ● AX 15/231 Transfer Case with SYE Trussed Front D44 with a Yukon Locker/ Rear 9" with a Spool(From a 77 Bronco) with 5.13 gears COOLING ● Stock(for now) ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● Upgraded Battery Cables but otherwise stock SUSPENSION/STEERING ● 6 and a half springs up front with 1 ton steering linkages and a custom panhard bar/ Spring over in rear with heavy duty lift shackles INTERIOR ● All grey interior with the bucket seats with the exception of some brown details(from the mud) BRAKES ● 4 wheel large caliper disc brakes LIGHTING ● 2 2x7 Cree LED lights EXTERIOR ● Rebuilt spliced frame painted inside and out(no more rust)/ Army green and Bedliner black body Protofab Front bumper/ custom Rear and a retro fit rollbar WHEELS/TIRES ● 16x8 Basic wheels with 35" General Grabber Red Letters MISCELLANEOUS ● She's still a work in progress but will be ready soon! FULL BUILD THREAD HERE Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● I purchased this to be a daily driver a long time ago(because I was stubborn and wanted something cool), so the best moment was probably putting 3 months of sweat and money into it and then finally taking it out for the first time. I had never driven nor been in a large vehicle before so it was an experience unlike any other(until the death wobble started). It was a first drive I would never forget and to this day, I still get that feeling every time I hop into it. CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● I was brand new to offroading entirely when I purchased this truck. Back then, I didn't know a leaf shackle from a steering knuckle and it was really hard just jumping in to working on it since my only experience was older sports cars. It took some intense research and a lot of questions to really even begin to understand what I was getting into and even now, I still have questions about all kinds of things. But from the very beginning, ComancheClub has always been a wealth of information and resources to steadily piece everything together. Anytime I had a question, even if it seemed a stupid one to those better acquainted with these vehicles, they would still answer it and help me learn how to solve these issues. So why do I think so? Simply because you won't find a better, more engaged, and well meaning community with all of this experience and information at your fingertips than this. Everyone here really loves these trucks and puts their all into their own and others. I couldn't quite beat the clock to have her finished before the 1st(dang back ordered leaf springs) but here soon I'll have a GIANT update on the truck for the MJOTM nomination on the build page. She will be back and better than ever and I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and a few action shots. Way to go!!! You stated off with a solid base (minus the rust, of course) and then you took the ball and ran with it. There are so many of us here that would look at the rust repair needed on the frame and ran! You tackled it and did a great job with it. The rest of the latest upgrades and updates have been well needed and well done too. A huge tip of the cap on this one!... and hopefully you get your leaf springs soon. -Ben

I think they’re kinda cool but I find myself rolling my eyes every time a customer requests them. For the space they take up along with the mount, I’d rather just use a jerry can mount and have more capacity on reserve.

Insulation was a “spare no expense” type situation. Went with closed cell in the walls and ceiling. With all the reinforcement in the roof, the ceiling joists all got 2x6s sistered in. Now THAT is a well insulated roof! You know how on a windy day older houses creek and moan? Not this one!

We’ve been living here for just over a month now, Pete. And Don, the ceiling has been done for a while now too. Made sure to get everything done that doesn’t include moving the furniture out to finish. Need to wrap the collar ties yet, but that’ll be done after winter.

Update time! I've been kind of daily driving this truck for a few months now. Being that we moved up the mountain but I still work down in Colorado Springs, my wife and I have been car pooling. Fridays I'm all by myself though so I go ripping down in this thing! Haven't really done much with it since it was built besides rebuilding the rear axle. I knew it was bad when I was in the process of playing musical parts. After driving it for a while, I quickly decided that the locker in the rear had to go. It was awesome in the Cherokee!... not so much without all the weight over the axle. We had a factory limited slip on the shelf at work so that got thrown in. New bearings, seals, the LSD, gears... this axle is completely new. Buddy of mine back in Minnesota wants to try and do an overland trip out here next summer. Been thinking a ton about setting this thing up for that along with the Comansion trailer. Another trip it'll probably see is a Colorado Springs to Moab with no pavement which is also being planned for next summer. Stay tuned for much more to come.

As a kicker, one of the neighbors down the road came up with a bit of a gift for us in the form of a postcard. See, starting in 1947, our entire street was a hunting lodge resort. The few remaining original cabins are mostly in disrepair. Some are still lived in, others are definitely not inhabitable. Ours is one of the few that have been updated but still keep most of the look of how it did. ... kinda cool, anyhow.

... and then as of tonight: We love it! Think about it this way... one can only be in one room at a time, right? I think we're making to most of our space. Hopefully in the spring I'll be breaking ground on my next shop.

Bit of an update, I suppose. We've been out of our apartment for a few months now but we ran into the giant snag of where to stay between leaving there and moving up to the house. My relatives east of Colorado Springs have been amazing with opening their doors for us and giving us a place to stay while working things out. The house had a huge hang up with framing in the ceiling and getting everyone involved on board with what was going on. Apparently a vaulted ceiling is uncharted waters for the inspectors in the county so an engineer was required to keep the project moving forward. Weeks later... we were moving forward again. Framing was done. Drywall was up and textured. The bathroom was well on its way. Unfortunately, we were still a couple months away from moving in though. After getting the project up and rolling again, we ran into a bunch more issues with what seemed with every step along the way. Seems as though this little house was just too content with staying a bare shell! It was definitely an uphill battle, and we still aren't completely done. As of now I'm calling it done enough for now. Couple odds and ends to wrap up in the kitchen, then after winter I'll start on trim. Until then, we're finally living comfortably in our MASSIVE 478 square foot mountain chalet! To recap, here's where we started with some super old pictures:

Pre morning commute conditions.

What is it that doesn’t fit right? Just curious.

... over on Pirate4x4: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/2261513-90s-throw-back-manche-build.html Wow... just wow! Have a look through the thread. Really too bad he started with such a good MJ, but the fab work is absolutely outstanding.

If the clear coat is going, then I can relate. Years ago, I took some aircraft stripper (tires removed) and let the soak until I could just peal the old clear off. A quick scrub and a light scotch bright pad later and they were ready for new gloss clear. Still look great!

You bought it used? Let me know if you’re serious about linking the rear. A rear MJ kit has been on my radar for a while now.

Wow!... did you know we've just made it through yet another year of Comanche of the Month? I've been a bit distant over the past few months and Automan has taken the reins of this recurring thread. Thanks again, Rob! As for December, we're back to business as usual with a real classy way to finish up the year. Not that I've done it every December, but I really like it when the truck matches the seasonal colors. Again... back on track! Have a look at... YEAR/MODEL ● 1987 Pioneer ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● 4.0L Renix with a 44 series flowmaster DRIVETRAIN ● AW4/NP231 Dana30/ Dana 35 COOLING ● FFDynamics Radiator/closed cooling ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● cruiser54's tips on cleaning grounds and c101 connector SUSPENSION/STEERING ● Rough country 4.5" lift with add a leafs and extended leaf hangers. WJ stock trackbar and Alloy USA ball joints INTERIOR ● Bench seat, 96' XJ dash and door panels from a Country edition with power BRAKES ● Stock LIGHTING ● Stock EXTERIOR ● ARB bumper, weatherguard toolbox WHEELS/TIRES ● 16" TJ Rubicon Moab's , 265/75r16 bfgoodrich KM2's MISCELLANEOUS ● Warn M8000 winch, I stripped it down and painted it with Hot Rod Kustoms Olive Drab Green FULL BUILD THREAD Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● I bought my Comanche without a bed. I searched high and low for a rust free 6' bed in western New York. I eventually found one a little over an hour away. After I got it home and started to prep it for paint. I found that it was originally the same white, with baby blue metallic two tone. This is the same paint I found when I stripped my Comanche. Come to find out, this is the bed that came off of it! What's the odd's. CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● Comanche Club has been my number one place for information, ideas, motivation, and parts that I needed for my build. The write ups and build threads have helped me a lot during my build. Comanche Club is awesome! Way to go, Steve! If anyone notices, the build thread started back in 2012. Not that it's all that long ago, but it does go to show that these things don't just happen sometimes! You've done an awesome job thus far and I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't wait to see what happens next on it. Everything about about it seems well thought out and done super well with an amazing attention to detail. Congratulations to you and thanks for being such an easy choice to wrap up 2017 right! -Ben

Dang! Been a minute or so since an update! Welcome back. Still diggin the truck.