johnnyc Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Looks great! Maybe mine will look that good once it's painted. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksjeepster Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 Man that´s a nice truck! love the work on the 97+ swap, very clean job... I just started to do the interior of mine with the center console and vanity mirrors from a 2000 xj Keep up the good work dude! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teej1971 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Hey Comanche09, I just did the same swap onto my 89 but can't figure out the wiring for the signal lights and side markers. I can't understand the Haynes colors. Would you help me figure it out. I don't want to wreck anything with trial/errors. Thanks very much. Teej from Nanaimo, B.C. Canada. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftpiercecracker1 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 Wow, so glad you brought back this piece of ancient history. Such an incredible conversion, looks like it rolled off the line like that. One question though, if you swapped just the 97+ doors would the old to new body lines still match up or would it be obvious that the new doors came off something else? I have the waggy front clip on mine and have always wanted to swap in some 97+ power doors, but i don't know how it would match up to the older fenders. Could I change out both doors and fenders without it looking weird? Gotta love that one piece window goodness. :drool: FPC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyc Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 The newer doors will like up with the older fenders perfectly. But mismatched header panels and fenders will not line up. I had done the 97+ header panel and fender conversion, but I sustained some damage in Moab. The newer header panels are at a real premium around here. They are next to impossible to find in a self service junkyard. One full service junkyard wanted $450 for a used factory fiberglass header panel. So now I have the parts needed to switch back to the older front end. It'll have all the chrome trim, which I think will look good when I get the truck painted Spinnaker Blue. However, I am keeping the 97+ doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81Chero Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Nearly finished this swap to my 96 2dr cherokee and went with a headlight wire upgrade (and maybe tomorrow a 136a alternator..) as per Cruisers recomendation. BUT... Stil having issues with the headlight wiring connecting to the '97's harness and then to the turn signals. I've seen some pics but they're pretty usless. Like the other guy, my chiltons and son's Hanes you can't even read them for how small they are. Ken, pm'd me some info but the colors just don't jive.. (YES, I know it's an older thread. BUT still need answers) E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 there are a few conversion threads in the DIY forum. one of them might have the info you seek. http://comancheclub.com/topic/48710-diy-projects-writeups-master-search-index/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81Chero Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Checked them out and none show what wires NEED to be soldered to what wires.. :( I thought that since I have an headlight upgrade harness that I would only have to worry about 4 wires. but NOPE. Still fighting with this crazy "bolt on conversion" that EVERYONE says is stupid easy. E Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 Did you have any problem with the wiring? I’m currently doing the swap on my 91mj and the light harnesses are different. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted October 14, 2020 Share Posted October 14, 2020 11 hours ago, Ethan said: Did you have any problem with the wiring? I’m currently doing the swap on my 91mj and the light harnesses are different. Thanks I do believe there's a thread or 2 about it in the link in my signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Michael Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 On 6/4/2010 at 6:22 PM, comanche09 said: Yes, they are 97+ manual window doors. Pics of the strikers are above. If you can't seem em, PM me and I'll send them to you. I did not have to mess with any relays as I retained the original front lighting harness and modded it to work. Now that I think about, it I had to use the side marker sockets from the 97+ XJ too as the originals would not fit in the 97+ lenses. On 6/1/2010 at 1:09 PM, comanche09 said: Hi All, Posting pics of my '97 XJ front end and door conversion. To those interested, feel free to ask any questions about the swap. I did it about 3 weeks ago so its all fresh in my memory. :cheers: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/bce1cfce6dc1f350779846fdcfb216e9.jpg /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/ed09195fb36fd45b8c0bcb1ec1c1b64e.jpg /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/67cb9d12701f7e062f303dcf02db8aea.jpg Before: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/7c5f03fae7d2a89418654498b008c2dc.jpg After: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/1840180b54340fcc257c629e9abceccf.jpg Before: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/2fec7858cbb61095d0fa3d5bdf454569.jpg After: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/39d0b6268e8ca12a8e8f689f2d6f97e8.jpg Before: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/7369f6c414eb40a09854b572f47beae6.jpg After: /uploads/archive/1cc009c9cfc522df67fa3b3c505c8083/0cc916a12b23426cf0edd6076ee9b88c.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Michael Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 I have your Comanche now. I had no idea it looked so good back then. I'd love to talk to you about it if possible. I have a ton of questions. Why did you do the swap? Wreck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 8 minutes ago, Mr. Michael said: I have your Comanche now. I had no idea it looked so good back then. I'd love to talk to you about it if possible. I have a ton of questions. Why did you do the swap? Wreck? We would love to see pictures! However, that member has not been online since 2009 so I doubt they will see this unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 we can try at-ing him @comanche09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Michael Posted November 18, 2022 Share Posted November 18, 2022 4153C226-57B7-406E-8ABB-F6C53218C3E1_1_201_a.heic4153C226-57B7-406E-8ABB-F6C53218C3E1_1_201_a.heic4153C226-57B7-406E-8ABB-F6C53218C3E1_1_201_a.heic I bought this 1988 Comanche unaware that it had a '97 front end header, fenders and doors. I'm trying to bring it back to an '88. I bought '88 fender through Summit, door from yard near me, front end header from '88 Cherokee on Ebay. Now that it's time to put it all back together the hood doesn't reach close enough to the header, there seems to be a gap a little larger than it should be between the fenders and hood and one of the doors has a large gap between it and the driver side fender. Thinking the Summit fenders were from China or somewhere and not fabricated properly I went back to the yard and bought two fenders pulled off '88 & '92 Cherokees. Still has the gap and the hood is still not close enough to the header. Guys doing the work are outstanding painters but apparently not good at re-assembling these parts. I contend it all starts with the header, maybe it's not on correctly, maybe the fitment from a Cherokee isn't as perfect as advertised, hell maybe it's not even an '88 header to begin with. I NEED SOME HELP. I would like to be able to make some constructive suggestions to these guys because they unfortunately seem a little lost. HELP PLEASE. Thank you. Michael Morris michael@michaelmorriscompany.com 214.808-2535 0F9077B4-8255-4F7B-8F41-B4D822A540BB.heic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzimm Posted November 19, 2022 Share Posted November 19, 2022 All the fenders, doors, headers are from the same dies no matter if it's XJ or MJ 84-96 so it wouldn't matter what they came off of. New aftermarket stuff, now that could be hit or miss on fitment. Older vehicles typically have pretty large gaps, way larger than any modern vehicle and the XJ/MJ are no exception. If the gap is tight it's usually an indicator something is bent or out of place. The doors and hood have shims to adjust the fitment like any other vehicle but the fenders you more or less have to loosen all the bolts and get it where you want and tighten it back up. Maybe bend a fender mount a bit to get it where you want. The header panel location is dependent on the fender location so if it all needs pushed back you'll have to push the fenders back as far as you can. I'd be amazed if all the gaps ever lined up perfectly and stayed that way. Don't think I've ever seen a Jeep with consistent body gaps unless it was fresh out of a professional body shop. If you do manage to get them all right, first time you flex it out off-road something will move. It's one of those things that if you are building a show truck that will be an on pavement grocery getter it would be worth getting it perfect. If you want to drive it and use it as a truck and just want it to look good, get it close enough that you are happy with it and run with it. Ahh fresh paint always looks so good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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