Fixing pushed in cab

[jeepdude89]

I just went & looked at a 89 comanche tonight with a blown 2.5 & a pushed in cab. A huge tree limb fell on the front passenger side of the cab & pushed it in pretty good! My question is: how hard do you guys think it would be for me to push it back out? Can you even push the cab back out once it is pushed in on a comanche? Sorry for my inexperience, I havent done much body work so I am a noob when it comes to body stuff! I told the guy that I would probely pass on it but now I am having second thoughts. I want a comanche really bad! On this truck other than the blown motor & pushed in cab it is in really good shape & almost rust free! It has been a one owner southern truck all its life! I can always fix the 2.5 by dropping a 4.0 in. I am just curious about fixing the cab/roof.

Thanks in advance!

[Eagle]

Anything can be done ... by those with the knowledge, experience and equipment to do it. A tree fell on my brother's '78 full-size Cherokee Chief during a hurricane about 25 years ago. He had it fixed and you couldn't see that it had ever been hurt -- but it cost him well over a thousand dollars, in 1985 dollars.

 

If you don't have experience doing body work, I'd say you should pass. Unless you can buy it cheap and afford to have it fixed professionally. You're not talking a shopping cart door ding here. The roof has an outer skin, backed up by internal ribs for structure. If you don't get it perfect, the doors won't close and seal, and you'll always be living with leaks and wind noise.

 

Any chance you could post a couple of photos?

[jeepdude89]

I should have took some photos but i didn`t. Yes it is pushed in pretty good, but both doors still opened & shut fine. But still, it sounds like quite a bit of work. I think i may have to pass on this one, it is a shame though, the rest of the truck is in great shape, other than the blown motor. I just had second thoughts on it because i don`t see too many comanches for sale here in my area.

[Wildman]

:agree:

 

And at worst.......the roof can be cut off at the A and B pillars and a straight roof section can be grafted on :brows:

 

If it's just dented in the center section, there are ways to repair that too. If it's on the edge, and the top of the doors are damaged, that's another problem.

 

If the price is right, get it, some MJ only parts are worth alot more that what the scrap yard pays.

[jeepdude89]

Ok I am still having second thoughts. I am still talking to the owner about buying it, so we will see what happens! I may go back & buy it still. Even if I can`t fix it I could part it out, the bed & tailgate is in good shape & rust free plus there is alot of other good useable parts on it. I will keep you guys updated.

[HOrnbrod]

This poor rollover victim was repaired good as new by the method the Wildman mentioned above, and it's probably worse than the one you are looking at. So it can be done, IF you know what you are doing. :cheers: But w/o pics, it's hard to advise. What's the seller asking for it??

 

Image Not Found

[jeepdude89]

He wants $500 for it. I offered him $200, I just got a email from him & he is thinking about taking my offer. We shall see. Also, this one isn`t as damaged as the one you showed in that picture. I was wandering, the junkyard close to me has about three or four mjs in the yard, all with good roofs. Maybe i could just cut the roof off one of them & weld it back together?

[Automan2164]

How are you at sheetmetal welding? What kind of background do you have?

 

Rob L.

[Eagle]

I paid $500 just for a solid bed. I hate the idea of parting out an MJ rather than fixing it, but you could easily make back the $500 by parting it out. However, how easily (and how well) it could be repaired depends a lot on where the tree hit, and how mashed it is.

[kastein]

Check out KGP419's "xombie" build on NAXJA in the SEC forum, body work can always be done, if you're willing to learn and put a lot of sweat and tears into it. He replaced an entire A-pillar with parts from the junkyard.

[64 Cheyenne]

I'm not into a morals discussion again, that's not where I want to go with my 2 cents. But if the truck has a good title......A friend of a friend used a good title to register an MJ that had a lost title etc. Your still using a MJs misfortune to save another. Parts is parts.

[jeepdude89]

Update: I am buying it for his asking price of $500. I will try to fix it or part it out. Once I get it I will post up some photos of it. I may just cut the roof off of a junkyard mj & weld it on. I have some friends that can weld good & I may just have one of them weld me a new roof on it. Both the A & B pillars & the doors are not damaged though, so it may have some hope left. Also, I don`t think that the motor is blown. It runs & idles but once it gets above 2,000rpm it loses power & bogs down. So I may not be getting too bad of a deal after all! The owner thinks that it is blown though. We shall see.

[tugalo]

If the A and B pillars are not damaged, and the doors open and shut smoothly, you are only talking sheet metal repairs......go for it. May be possible to beat out the dent from the inside and fill the resulting uneven spots with gum pucky.....

[jeepdude89]

Both pillars are not damaged & both doors open & shut good. My plan right now is just to beat the sheet metal back out, put a new windshield in it & call it good.

[Wildman]

Glad to hear your going for it :clapping:

 

When you get it home, post up some pictures and "we" can all see how damaged it is.

 

If it just like in the center, and the windshield area is damaged, you might just be able to chop out a section from a JY one, and patch it in :brows:

 

The problem around the pinch seam at the windshield is, it needs to be almost perfect shape for the windshield not to leak. Some one whom has done some sheet metal work/welding, can make that patch work out for the better.

 

Go with what the selling is telling you, yea, the motor is blown, need to be replaced/rebuilt to get the price in YOUR range. Then, from what is sounds like, you can gut the cat, and have it running in top shape again :brows:

 

Good luck, and we'll all be waiting for the pictures :popcorn:

[jeepdude89]

I now own it! I went & payed for it tonight. I am picking it up tomorrow afternoon. Anyway, here is a photo of the damage that I took with my cell phone. More pics to come tomorrow! I haven`t figured out the photo thing, so here is a link to the pic on my facebook:

 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pi ... 0617382591

[mythreesons]

Try this thread on for fixing your photo problem.

 

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11077

 

can't see a pic in facebook if your not a member. :D

[jeepdude89]

Ok. Thank You! I just signed up on photobucket. Hopefully this will work....

 

[Backdraft]

Yeah, that'll buff out.

[JeepcoMJ]

that's repairable.

[Eagle]

You might want to hit a junkyard and have them cut out the upper windshield brace for you ... the member that runs across the top of the windshield. The one on that MJ has a fairly sharp kink in it -- it may be difficult to get that straightened out enough to mount a windshield without leaks.

 

The XJ roof skin is different, but I think the structural brace is the same. If you remove the entire roof skin, you should be able to weld in enough of the XJ brace to eliminate the kinked section of the original truck, then hammer out the dent and reattach the roof skin.

[Wildman]

that's repairable.

 

2X's :yes:

 

It's better to replace the roof section and not mess with the door edges. Less work to do when you don't have to re-aline the doors, and damage to the top of the doors.

 

Glad to hear you saved it :thumbsup:

 

If you were closer, I'd give you a roof section :D

 

That's one body part that don't seam to rust out around here :roll:

 

Heck, I'd even toss you a roof section with an OEM sunroof in the deal........look at all the extra paint you'd save :yes:

 

If you get a chance, check out the FSM M.R.278, it's the complete workshop manual for the MJ's body work, and you'll find where the weld seams are for the replacement roof section Page S-95+ :brows:

[jeepdude89]

I got it home this afternoon! The seller actually delivered it for me, I couldn`t believe it. He was the original owner, really nice folks, him & his family hated to see it go, but he didn`t have the time to fix it himself & he didn`t want to pay someone so he sold it. Once I get it fixed he wants me to bring it by & give him a ride in it & I told him I would. He was really glad that I am going to fix it rander than part it out. Too rust free to do that. I will find me a roof off a junkyard mj here soon. There are two yards close to me with about 4 mjs in them so I shouldn`t have a problem finding parts. I have started a project thread with pics, here is a link to it:

 

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=24275

 

Thanks for all the advice & help so far. If it wasn`t for me asking the question about it on here I more than likely wouldn`t have bought it. I am glad that there is Comanche Club!

[Wildman]

Just check your "build" tread..........and checked the pictures......

 

Yea, that's worth saving :yes:

 

Really in good shape.......well, except for the broken windshield :roll:

 

And now your the 2nd owner :cheers:

 

I was thinking after I posted before, if you need, I'll copy the pages you'll need for the weld seams, so you don't need to dig up that manual :D

 

We help all whom save another MJ from the dreaded death pit :thumbsup:

[jeepdude89]

That would be great! Those pages out of that body manual would be helpful. I will also be searching ebay & here for the factory repair manuals for my mj. The po gave me a haynes manual when I bought it, but the factory ones would be much better!