'88 MJ Restification (lots of pictures):

[JeffK]

 

Got this in the mail yesterday, picked it up from mfpdm for $10

[DodgeFan01]

It's good to see that I'm not the only one having those fuse box issues. I lost my dome lights about a year ago to cracked fittings and now my break lights and dash lights are acting up on me. You'll have to keep us updated if you find a somewhat easy fix without having to replace the whole thing.

[freakjeep93]

 

 

lucky we don't even have u pull scrapyards round here............. and thanks for the info but i won't be workin on the comanche for awhile ....to close tp having my 81 chev done

[BlueXJ]

Just found this thread tonight. Sounds very near to what I am going to need to do. Just picked up my MJ a couple weeks ago and the floor on the passenger side is a Fred Flintstone Yabba Dabba Doo type floor. (Non existant) the crossmember is the only thing upon which to rest your feet.

Looking to replace my peugot BA10/5 which is in pieces with an early AX15. Wanted to replace the bell as well to get the later style external slave but can't find one so gonna use the old type internal throwout bearing type.

Mine is 2WD and may remain as such until next summer. I have everything to make it 4WD except a front driveshaft. Will need to re-gear to get everything to match. Upholstery looks in as bad a shape as yours but I have a good buddy who owns an upholstery shop so may get most of the work done by him. I want to retain the bench but have some XJ buckets if needed.

Continue with your project and I will be following it closely as you have inspired me to keep working on mine.

[JeffK]

Just found this thread tonight. Sounds very near to what I am going to need to do. Just picked up my MJ a couple weeks ago and the floor on the passenger side is a Fred Flintstone Yabba Dabba Doo type floor. (Non existant) the crossmember is the only thing upon which to rest your feet.

Looking to replace my peugot BA10/5 which is in pieces with an early AX15. Wanted to replace the bell as well to get the later style external slave but can't find one so gonna use the old type internal throwout bearing type.

Mine is 2WD and may remain as such until next summer. I have everything to make it 4WD except a front driveshaft. Will need to re-gear to get everything to match. Upholstery looks in as bad a shape as yours but I have a good buddy who owns an upholstery shop so may get most of the work done by him. I want to retain the bench but have some XJ buckets if needed.

Continue with your project and I will be following it closely as you have inspired me to keep working on mine.

 

Glad I could help. Sounds like you have a pretty good game plan, post up some pics so we can follow along with your progress. :thumbsup:

[JeffK]

Before I spent a ton of time cleaning my 'new' buckets, I decided I'd put them together and set them in place to get an idea how they'd look. I drilled out the rivets in the brackets on both the bench and the buckets:

 

 

After I got the rivets out, I drilled the holes out to 5/16 and used some Button head allen bolts and some Nylox nuts with washers:

 

 

I sat them in place and tested them out:

 

 

I like the way the buckets sit, they're a little taller than the bench and now it sits more like my XJ. The thing is though no matter how much, I try I'm just not digging the three tone tan interior (butterscotch, faded butterscotch and tan).

 

:ack: Lesson Learned: When applying bed liner to the interior floor pans make sure to keep it off the studs for the seat brackets. Otherwise it takes a propane torch and about an hour to get it off.

[JeffK]

That's pretty much how it's sat for the past week. I had to pull 9 days in a row at work and I didn't have much time for much else. On my 6th day at work, I took along lunch and hit the U-Pull-It near my job. They had a few newer XJs and a couple of clapped out Comanches. I picked up a nice set of 99 door seals for $5 each...:

 

 

...and I scrounged around the 2 old Comanches and one of them had a gray interior. All the trim pieces were there except the 2 pieces for the A-pillars, and I got the 7 pieces that were there for $25. They're a little grungy but they look like they'll clean up:

 

 

The main reason I'd planed to stay with the tan interior was the scarcity of Comanche interior pieces. Now I have a choice and the tan is out and gray is in.

No more butterscotch/spice/whatever. :clapping:

[JeffK]

I finally got a few days off and headed out to the Pull-A-Part today, I was either going to find what I need in the tan or I was going to start pulling gray pieces. On the website for this particular salvage yard, you can sign up for email notifications when they get a new vehicle in that you specify. I got an email from them last night and this is their newest edition:

 

 

WTF? :eek: The slow and undignified ways some Jeeps die. Not sure what the previous owner was trying to do here.

[JeffK]

I scrounged around and found nothing in tan, but I did find a decent dash in gray. My son had to work today and I had to pull the dash out by myself. No biggie, just a PITA. This is about half way out:

 

 

I got the dash out and picked up a center console and headed out. The dash...:

 

 

...and the console I picked up. Grand total for both, $39.77.

 

 

Tomorrow I'll start in on removing the old tan one. Good night all. :cheers:

[JeffK]

Got an early start, and I got the dash out:

 

 

No big surprises:

 

[Pete M]

This is why I tell people to look for a solid MJ body, not any particular trim packages. You can make an MJ into anything you want with the right junkyards. :D

[JeffK]

This is why I tell people to look for a solid MJ body, not any particular trim packages. You can make an MJ into anything you want with the right junkyards. :D

 

You're 100% right. Picture of the butterscotch grave yard:

 

 

:rotfl2: FREEBIES----If anybody sees anything they want, come by and it's yours, Miller Lite not included, but we might be able to round you one or two up. The buckets I'm gonna hang on till I find replacements, but they'll be up for grabs in the next week or so. Most of the plastics are pretty fair shape, considering they're 20+ years old. Seriously If you guys need any of this stuff it's yours, I'd hate to trash anything if somebody needs it, PM me if you need any of it.----FREEBIES :rotfl2:

[JeffK]

I got about 85% of the dash work done, that butterscotch/spice steering column really shines now:

 

 

Second look. I just got the console sitting in place, not sure if I like it yet:

 

 

I replaced the lighter with a Caravan power outlet. No, I'm not a militant ex smoker or anything, just don't care about it no more:

 

[JeffK]

I put a couple of coats of Rustoleum semi-gloss black on the column and hopefully I'll get the dash back together tomorrow:

 

 

Thanks for following along,

 

Jeff :cheers:

 

BTW, The stuff on the floor is baby powder.

[mfpdm]

Nice score on the gray interior parts. :thumbsup:

 

Seems like you have a great JY with great prices. Mine use to be that way until they started getting greedy and jack all their prices up.

 

Did you manage to pull the seat belts to go along with the gray interior?

 

Keep up the great work and keep the pic's a coming.

 

:cheers:

[JeffK]

Nice score on the gray interior parts. :thumbsup:

 

Seems like you have a great JY with great prices. Mine use to be that way until they started getting greedy and jack all their prices up.

 

Did you manage to pull the seat belts to go along with the gray interior?

 

Keep up the great work and keep the pic's a coming.

 

:cheers:

 

We got a brand new JY here, part of a national chain. Straight across the board pricing. Not like these idiots across town that want $85 for a steering wheel after you pull it. If you need something from Pull-a-Part you let me know.

 

I'm still working on the seat belts. I got the inner female pieces out of a '96 model, but everything I've found for the shoulder belt is either chewed up, greasy or inoperable.

 

jtdesigns, no luck on the black window switch, they had it across town but they wanted $20 for it. They still have it BTW.

[jtdesigns]

jtdesigns, no luck on the black window switch, they had it across town but they wanted $20 for it. They still have it BTW.

20 bucks..... :ack: WTH! lol... Just keep a eye out.. one will appear i just have to believe in the force... I've been scouring the earth in search myself...

[OSHAGNASTY]

enjoy your comanche.

[JeffK]

enjoy your comanche.

 

Thanks.

[JeffK]

Spent most of my morning with my XJ. It's a '00 and it has the first year 0330 head and I'm pretty sure it's cracked. :fs1:

 

I got the rest of dash in this afternoon. I picked up an old black 2 spoke steering wheel for cheap, to go along with the column. The black semi-gloss paint I used yesterday was just a little to shiny so I hit it with a coat of satin, which looks a little closer to the stock black. I like the way they look with the gray dash. Both will do till I find a tilt column and steering wheel I like, check my WTB if you got a spare. Here's the end result all clean and Armour-All'd up:

 

 

Different look:

 

 

The shifter ball is a Hurst I had rolling around in my tool box. It was 3/8 X 16 thread, but I tapped it out for the 10 X 1.5mm. Don't look too bad, I like it:

 

 

Jeff :cheers:

[jtdesigns]

Sweet.. Lots of progress... The shifter knob is pretty nice.. don't lose interest this Jeep has lots of potential,, and keep the pictures coming!! :cheers:

[mfpdm]

Here's the end result all clean and Armour-All'd up:

 

 

That looks great. :thumbsup:

 

It's funny though, I thought that there was a white dot on your camera lens until I saw the other pics.

 

And I really like that pull a part you have. Website with inventory so you don't waste your time going there to find nothing you need. Hope they migrate up this way.

 

And while your hunting for JTs black switch panel, if you come across a black turn stalk with cruise, I'd make it worth your while. :cheers:

[jtdesigns]

Hey Paul,, Those turn stalks can be found on S-10 around the 85-93 years too...

 

end :hijack:

[mfpdm]

Hey Paul,, Those turn stalks can be found on S-10 around the 85-93 years too...

 

end :hijack:

 

Sweeeett. :banana: There's plenty of them in the JY.

 

end :hijack: again.

 

:cheers:

[JeffK]

 

That looks great. :thumbsup:

 

It's funny though, I thought that there was a white dot on your camera lens until I saw the other pics.

 

And I really like that pull a part you have. Website with inventory so you don't waste your time going there to find nothing you need. Hope they migrate up this way.

 

And while your hunting for JTs black switch panel, if you come across a black turn stalk with cruise, I'd make it worth your while. :cheers:

 

Thanks. Let me know if you still need one, I'll be heading that way Sunday or Monday. Looks like they want $4.46 for one. For that I'd pick up a couple of them. If you see a tilt manual column and a pair of gray seatbelts listed anywhere give a shout.

 

Hey Paul,, Those turn stalks can be found on S-10 around the 85-93 years too...

 

end :hijack:

 

 

I didn't know that. I picked up a black one the other day and the letters are a little worn, might see if I can find a prettier one.