neohic

Lots of dead links but HERE is an old build thread on it.

I had a '95 for a while but it belonged to my parents before me. It was their first Jeep and they got it in 2001... lots of memories with that Jeep. They drove it for a while, I replaced dana 35 number one, and over time it developed the typical electrical issues common to any "older" vehicle. They replaced it with a Liberty (that they now regret) in 2011 and since my wife and I were in need to a good vehicle they passed the title along to me for keeping up on the maintenance over the years... and because it needed more still. I went through and replaced just about every sensor under the hood, put a radiator in it, brakes, tires, another dana 35, then another radiator, and then traded it off in February of 2014. The thing is, my parents got it with just about 90k miles on it. By the time I got it, the Jeep had 170k on it. When I traded it away it had earned 215k miles and still felt just as strong as I remember it years ago. It pulled trailer loads of gravel and lumber, took us on road trips, hardly ever broke down (and when it did it was always a simple fix), and kept doing everything looking good with all those plastic panels even though every time I crawled under it I would cringe a little bit more at the sight of more and more rust. I wouldn't hesitate to get another first generation Grand if the need were to ever arise again.

So everybody knows how MJOTM works, right? Every month another member is selected... I have some fun writing some stuff about them... the rest of the group agrees... positive comments and praise ensues. To be honest, I truly love being able to do this! I get to be the first to know who gets the spotlight, I get to be the first to say congratulations, and before all that I get to be the one to start the secret of who's next. This month is special though. This month was a first for me that I was able to tell the member right to his face! I was somewhat hoping for a big shock but in return was a very casual "hu... well I guess I better get the truck done then". To be fair, this is typically the part where I build up suspense before saying who gets the title of MJOTM for the month. I kind of already did that but there's usually a story or something special that I've noticed about the member. Instead he gets the same casual build up that I got in response. This month's MJOTM is my good buddy... YEAR/MODEL ● 1988 Jeep Comanche Pioneer ENGINE/PERFORMANCE ● Stock 4.0 with 220k Airaid filter DRIVETRAIN ● NV3550/231 with Hack N Tap SYE and custom made HD rear driveshaft Novak Cable shifter for transfer case Sleeved HP30 with 4.56 gears and ARB air locker Rear Chrysler 8.25 with Disc brakes, 4.56 gears and ARB locker COOLING ● Open cooling ELECTRICAL/IGNITION ● Stock SUSPENSION/STEERING ● 3.5 Iron Rock Offroad coils IRO double shear track bar WJ adjustable control arms (4) Crown HD steering 3.5 Hell Creek Suspension leafs INTERIOR ● Replaced creme colored interior with a complete black interior and also put in a brand new headliner. BRAKES ● WJ master booster ZJ rear discs Drilled and slotted rotors on the front LIGHTING ● Rampage Headlights EXTERIOR ● ARB Bull Bar with Warn M8000 97+ mirrors Cut fenders Custom HD rear bumper Rock rails (soon) WHEELS/TIRES ● Wheels and tires are factory OE JK Rubicon wheels with a BFG Mud Terrain Spidertrax wheel spacers MISCELLANEOUS ● Tool box CB radio FULL BUILD THREAD HERE Remember That One Time?... Tell Us Your Best MJ Story ● Well... Pertaining to this truck.. I found the truck on Craigslist when I was living out in Casper, Wyoming working in '08. It was located in Cheyenne, WY. I drove down there in a snow storm to go take a look. I pulled into the address and the owner was no where to be found. This extremely cranky guy come out of no where and started chewing my @$$ for trespassing and they where not 'open' on the weekend. Apparently it was a junkyard but there was no signs or anything.. Strange. Anyway I told him why I was there and he pointed me to where the truck was. I literally had to dig a snow tunnel to get to it because the snow drift was over the truck.... Didn't know what to make of it but decided if I could get the right deal I'd buy it. Drove back home to Casper and called the owner. Agreed on a price and set a time to meet back up the next weekend. I can't remember the exact purchase price but it was $700 or $800. Something came up during the week and I wasn't able to pay the full amount. The owner let me take the truck with a promise of a check in the mail. Normally I guess you tape your title in the back window till you get plates.. In this case it was taping the bill of sale/check agreement in the back window. Talk about goofy! Drove the truck home the 200 or so miles and used something like 3 quarts of oil. It was blowing out of the RMS something fierce. I drove it to work a few times in nice weather due the wipers not working but other then that, it just sat. Well after a month or two I moved back to MN and I was forced to leave the truck due to no way of getting it home. Thankfully I had a buddy that worked for a trucking outfit and his boss owed me a favor. He picked the truck up in Casper and hauled it to a different location in Wyoming at some guys farm. It sat there for 3 months till he was back out there again. One afternoon I got the call that my Jeep was home. Fixed the rear main and drove it all over. Used as a DD for awhile till I started working on it. (See Wyomanche build thread.) That brings us to today. There have been many ideas that went through my head about which way I should or shouldn't go with this build. I'm happy with the direction I choose which is what I would call a resto mod. Mostly all factory jeep parts where used. Parts from XJs, ZJs, TJs, JKs, WJs...... Of course other. MJs.. As it stands now, this is how the truck will stay. See how it does traveling and wheeling out west.. Maybe a LS swap in the future. CC is Awesome!... Why Do You Think So? ● Been said time and time again.. Folks on this site are genuine, dedicated, thoughtful, helpful and best of all for the most part respectful to everyone. (On or off the forum). This is THE resource for anything Comanche. Period. Nothing else even comes close. When I started this project, I didn't know much at all about nothing... I remember researching CC way back then (08) to take on that RMS project laying in the dirt! I have also met a few Individuals in person and found them to have the same welcoming persona then that is portrayed on the forum. Even tho CC membership stretches around the world, it still has the tight knit group feeling about it. Thanks CC for being there! ●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●● So getting back to the casualness of the response, I think it went down exactly how it should've. Austin, I think you are definitely one of those guys who knows that they've got an awesome truck, has the kindness to help those in need, and the support to keep others interested in this hobby. Anybody here ever make a trade or do business with him?... I bet he went way out of his way to make sure that you got what you wanted for less than you were expecting to pay, right? Locally, I'd call him an important member on MN forums... and not only for being a half way home for Jeeps! Austin, a huge congratulations for being our MJOTM for February. You are very deserving and I very much wish we had more like you! -Ben This post has been promoted to an article

The one inside the radiator? :hmm: I never put an auxiliary cooler in but I really should. Since I'm here, plans are for sure in the works for new bumpers front and rear. Gathering up materials to start with the rear since I know what I want it to look like. Going back to something similar to what I made for it years ago. Still unsure about the front. Trying to think up something that doesn't look so cookie-cutter. Might change up a few other exterior features too like the adolescent light bar... rack?... cage?... thing.

Only temporary. I've got a line on a good set of used 33" Kevlar MTRs.

On another note, I got the new fender skins painted and shot some bedliner on the flares... not that I really need them with the 31s though. :shake:

Well, the Ape got a bit of a down grade today. Trying to figure out the wobble that it has and decided to swap wheels/tires with the Eliminator. No more wobble!... but it's on 31s probably for the rest of winter. On the other hand, it's a real hot rod with the 4.56s!

Hu... well I'll be... :dunno: Looks like the truck is in good hands now. Good luck with the build! :thumbsup:

Hmm... I distinctly remember the tailgate being the worst looking panel on the truck... if it's the same truck, anyhow. Does the truck look like it's had a respray? Do you know the history of the truck as far as where it came from?

:rock on:

Where did you find that one? Looks awfully familiar. :hmm: Did it happen to not have a tailgate? I looked at a '90 a couple years ago that was in just about the same shape and the guy selling it had plans of putting a diesel (I think) in it. Edit... just saw your wanted ad for the tailgate. I think I know your truck... I think I was the guy who took your tailgate too. :rotf:

I'm in a similar situation right now only I've sold my long box roll bar. Had it all snug in the back of the Ape as I was planning on just driving it across town. Shipping ended up not working out for that location so the next closest for Greyhound is 45 miles north of me. Not wanting to take it on a road trip just yet, I had to get creative... and then I even surprised myself. I see your Cherokee, and I raise you a Focus hatchback... :D ... well, almost, anyhow. :shake: It'll make the 45 miles fine, but I was so close to getting the thing to fit that I almost forgot that I had to take it out too! Ah well... I think that if it were for a short box it would've fit. The opening for the hatch needed to be just a little bit taller! I think this is the bench mark for future "will the roll bar fit" threads. :laughin:

Makes me miss my old ZJ but mine had WAY more miles than that. These things have a nice, cushy ride to them... enjoy it!

That looks great!... should've painted the t-case shifter mount black though. :peek:

Uploaded everything on Facebook over to Photobucket. I really don't like 'bucket, but it's never let me down on killing links. They're uploaded... now just need the time to edit every since post. So, again... :ack:

http://comancheclub.com/topic/38295-pfc-88-buffalo-hump/?hl=buffalo

'86 2.5s had v-belts... for the most part. Not a big deal if it's got a serpentine. Something to keep in mind is that if it ever overheats, pull the water pump to see if it's turning in the proper direction. V-belts and serpentine water pumps run in opposite direction from each other. Cool truck otherwise! Looks like a great start. :thumbsup:

Looks good, dude! That swap looks all too familiar. :thumbsup:

I don't know, Don. You can put a turd in that silk purse and on the outside it looks nice... too bad it's still a turd on the inside. :laughin:

I know... I know... busy, busy... Edit: Working on a mega upload now. :ack:

I'd love to build this kind of stuff for a living!... the reality is that I'm by no means set up for production. Having a ton of fun building stuff that I'd never dream of putting on my Eliminator though. I'd need to be paying way closer attention to what I'm doing too. So many measurements are right off the thumb. :roll:

As for the Jeep, another day was spent in the shop. For how proud of myself I was yesterday for getting the bends where I wanted them on the first try, I ended up cutting the pipe to change some stuff. Meh... not a big deal. Just added some time for making some splices and cleaning them up. Anyhow... Obligatory close up of a weld... They ended up being not quite 4" from the body. I'm thinking they'll end up black with bedliner over the actual flare. The top edge pulled a lot more than I was figuring so I'll need to figure out a filler... probably some kind of gasket or something. I dunno... I'll figure it out when the times comes. Now it makes the rear quarter sure look like garbage! :laughin:

I'll take some action pictures tomorrow. :thumbsup: Okie doke... HERE'S HOW I DID IT.

To continue on with the bender, here's how to make them work pretty good... Clean out all of the excess paint out of the dye. When I first opened mine, it looked as though the guy running the paint line that day was getting paid by how many gallons he put down. Make up an extension shoe for the rollers. This will create some friction along with putting more even pressure as to not put dimples in the material. See, the problem with these things is that the rollers don't allow for any pressure on the dye letting the material pull up and out... thus why they are commonly refereed to as "kinkers". Lastly to make sure that the material won't pull out by making up a hard stop over the dye. Pictures are pretty self explanatory as to what I did there. On a side note, 1", 1 5/8", and 2" tubing will fit nicely with the supplied dyes however you need to make sure that you're using a heavy wall thickness.