My 88 for $0

[rcturgeon]

So it’s been a while but I’m just getting time to sit down and figure out all the things you can do on this site so here’s my project truck.

 

It’s a little slow with the progress because I’m a student (not in an automotive program, so no access to a lift) and believe it or not security is not a well paying job with the company I’m at. So anyways, it's slow going at best.

 

Breakdown:

It’s a 1988 Jeep Comanche, 2WD, 2.5l, SporTruck, nothing fancy about it when I got it. Came to me by way of working for one of the older gentlemen in the community and he paid me with it. Best pay check ever :D :bowdown:

It came with its problems but slowly I made my way through the problems and when I found one that I could not fix... I found you guys by mistake, got it in September and it took until the following April to get it certified because all the internal work it needed but now it’s been on the road for almost a year and it’s my DD

 

So here it is... this is when i got it after I cut the sport bar out because the 2 front legs had a 14'' section in each that had completly decentigrated from the rust

 

 

I think those were all taken with my girlfriends phone but I got a good camera for the following Christmas

 

first thing I did was mechanical work then a new stereo and speakers because the stock one couldn’t switch to fm anymore :( but that was okay because now I have a decent system with a few personal touches, (I left about 4 feet of speaker wire on each 6x9 behind the seat so I can put them on the roof or whatever for parties)

 

Originally it had a drop in liner but I wanted that out to see how the dreaded rust situation was... turns out not to bad, so then i got some paint in liner from dupilcolor.

Here’s the progression how it went in.

 

before:

 

Sanded out box and tail gate:

 

Oh and the back Rack went on not long after I got the mechanical and then I had to modify the brackets so they could mount a tool box between them. Sorry no pictures of that never thought about it until now.

 

So after a few coats of liner which went in pretty quick and easy, the sun went down and I called it a day.

 

 

I did another coat in the parking lot at school between classes but it looks the same as it did in those.

 

Next thing was the rear bumper:

 

Sometime after this one and before the next one I dropped the bumper onto my toes :doh: ya it hurt but I cleaned it up and finished the job shortly after

Here’s after I mounted the new lights for it and got rid of that piece of wood holding the plate on (also, I have new tires but that for another section)

 

 

Now for my new 31's, the place I bought the tires wouldn't install them because they’re not the stock size, so I went for a drive to a little private shop and they were happy to do it (after they said their not going to fit and I said o yes they will.. thanks to you guys I knew better)

 

Before:

 

 

After:

 

There is still a 3'' lift coming for it but depending on how fast it gets in the mail it might be up to a year before it goes in or it will be 2 weeks

 

There is some obvious body work that needs to be done above the rear wheel wells but it can wait until I get some new paint on there too.

[SHAKEnBLAKE]

You'd have to do a whole lot of work for me before I pay you with a jeep!

Lookin good, man!

[jpnjim]

Looks good. :cheers:

 

What was the back rack off of?

 

Those wheels are a little on the narrow side for 31/10.5's tho,

they obviously work, but if you ever come across some cheap factory 7's, they'd fit better.

 

The 15x7's, and the 15x6's (that you have) both have the same back spacing (5.25"),

 

and the added inch of width is on the outside of the wheel

(= your tires will stick out further, and get further away from your control arms & leafs in the back if you used the 15x7's).

 

Either way (as long as they're not rubbing the leafs), :thumbsup:

[rcturgeon]

no no leaf rub long ways out from that, and ya if i find some cheap 7's i would get them on there

 

as for the back rack its from an older chevy silverado that Xstrata replaced with a new one and it didnt fit anymore (they then threw it on the roof of a little maintenance shack and my dad found it).. so a little chop cut weld and it was good to go for me.

[-600JeepMJ]

:popcorn: nice MJ

[rcturgeon]

:popcorn: nice MJ

 

thanks man.. doing some work to make it presentable and do the comanche name proud

 

too bad i mangled the door and the front d.side quarter panel when i rolled out of a garage with the door not quite closed :doh:

 

screwed up the hinge and now the door is spring loaded too.. not a big deal but embarasing when others try to close the door and get wacked with it

[rcturgeon]

UPDATE:

took the carpet out after replacing the emergency brake cable... pete was right, good thing i didnt wait, bad news though found some frame rot :fs1: funny thing is i was looking through the hole in the floor and then noticed i could see the ground through the frame, in one of the pics you can see the sky through it

here's the frame rail

here's the floor

and now for the repairs, i went to the steel place and got an 8x4 sheet of galvanized steel (wanted some extra for above the wheel wells in the rear)

and started my work, cardboard templates first so i can plan everyhting just right:

then trace onto sheet

cut and make holes for seat mounts and that cute little plug thing

hammer into shape and screw down

and for the other side, with the "custom shaping tool" at the ready

and after i 'persuade' it in to the right shape

using some asfault compound stuff to seal them all in

 

the passenger side was way easier, i didnt have to work around another floor patch that was done in the past, when i first got it.

[rcturgeon]

just finished my flooring job and put it all back together.. but i got a new oxygen sensor and oh my god its like a brand new truck, never thought i could get that kind of pull out of the 2.5 just wish i could find a new air charge sensor too, that would make my day

[High2by]

Yep, that was a good paycheck!! :D

 

Question for you, on the floors, did you sand down all the rusted areas and primer or paint them before you put the panels in? If not they will continue to rust. I jusy hate to see alot of work go into a project and it not end up like you want.

 

Keep the pics coming. :cheers:

[rcturgeon]

Yep, that was a good paycheck!! :D

 

Question for you, on the floors, did you sand down all the rusted areas and primer or paint them before you put the panels in? If not they will continue to rust. I jusy hate to see alot of work go into a project and it not end up like you want.

 

Keep the pics coming. :cheers:

 

haha ya i had everythign ready to do that then oops i put it all in and forgot haha, o well, the frame is so bad i doubt the poor thing will last until the floors rust out more