raviolli Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 i recently inherited this '88 pioneer from my girlfriends dad. he was going to scrap it and told her she could destroy it in the woods but instead i said i would fix it up (at least to some extent) :idea: its a 4cyl 4x2 with a 4spd so nothin special, but hey, it was free there was something wrong with the ignition...so he started pulling apart the dash and steering column. my girlfriend wanted part of it too so she broke the entire casing off the column and so just about everything that had anything to do with the key turning, was eventually on the floor... :doh: here it is sitting at her dads in DeLand, FL here's right before the haul to Titusville. its about 50-60 miles or so i had it sitting at my sisters apartment for a few days so i could make room for it now that i could fool around with it on my own time, i started looking for the ignition switch. my uncle told me about the old screwdriver trick. upon looking around i realized that the rod was still there, just a lil bent, so i didnt need a screwdriver. i pushed in the rod anddd....nothing. so i popped the hood to get a better look and then found that we never hooked up the battery since the last time we messed with it at her dads house. so on with the terminals and try again. she cranks! probably the first time runnin in over a year. it idled pretty rough and if i didnt feed any gas, it stalled out. this thing was sitting for a while in Deland so the next day i added some stabilizer and about half a gallon of gas to the tank. cranked again and she turned over first try! gave it a lil gas and it sounded much better. this was the most success since ive seen this thing for the first time :thumbsup: unfortunately i didnt have much time to screw with it. so a couple days later on my day off, i tried again. still ran rough, but i kept my foot on the gas for a couple minutes to get the nasty stuff out of the system and once i let off, she idled fine...so fine i took her for a test drive. just down the road and back again. then i thought, well that went so well, i might as well drive it home. so i drove it home...about 7 miles I'm guessing? the brakes are terrible, but other than that, drove like a champ. and now it sits in my driveway where i have unlimited access. :banana: anyways, i cleaned it up a bit. threw out a bunch of broken steering column parts, trash, and extra screws bolts nuts and whatnot, vacuumed out the broken glass and dog hair, and degreased the engine bay a lil bit. i wish i took a picture of the interior before i cleaned...but here's after and some pics of the engine bay... also, the oil cap is split right in half, so when its driven, it spits oil all over. I'm still hunting for the right cap *hint hint* if anyones got a spare. i think its an aftermarket valve cover though... but anyways, here's before ...during....(thats the underside of the hood) and after i wasnt goin crazy with it, so theres still a lot of gunk. i just happened to find a can of generic degreaser and it was my day off so anyways, thats it so far, i still need that oil cap, and i also need to find a driver side window. went to the junkyard today for prices and they want $40 for it :fs2: (also snagged an oil cap from a cherokee just for kicks and it didnt fit :shake: ) well, at least its pocket-sized so if they really miss it, i can sneak it back in :brows: oh yeah, and no parking break haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dechion Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Nice project you got there. Been a long time since I thought of Titusville, haven't been back in years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 Nice project you got there. Been a long time since I thought of Titusville, haven't been back in years... a fellow Titusvillian? or ex-titusvillian rather? no way and thanks :cheers: i could never turn down a free project Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted February 12, 2011 Author Share Posted February 12, 2011 so i just started pulling up the carpet. i knew the floor was rotted out because i could see the flaking from underneath. i can't get the seat out because the mounts are rusted and theres actually a socket already rusted on to one of the bolts. but here's what i found when i pulled it up to the seat.. driver side pass. side (not quite as bad) at least it all stops once it gets to the tranny hump its pretty bad, i know :ack: but it is the only cancer on the whole truck besides the bottom centimeter or so of the doors and tailgate. and those don't even go further than the pinchwelds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 a couple little (and i mean little) things to add to my progress. i found the oil cap on ebay for a couple bucks :typing: and i removed all those stickers (except the "KTOC" one) from the back window :banana: looks much better now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancheKid86 Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 make sure your gf don't see the part about blaming her for the steering column XD start this one off right and make her help you fix what she has done (shhh she has done nothing XD trust me, best way to look at it) , and get her into working on it with you :thumbsup: can't wait to see more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 haha well the funny thing is, we met because we both were in the bodyshop at a trade school. so we both work on cars. i graduated from that program, and she went off to college in ohio. those of you who have ever taken any kind of automotive class at either a high school or college probably heard the reps coming in to talk about "UNOH" or the university of northwestern ohio. its the one with "limaland" and has all the racing clubs and whatnot. the school also has an offroad course and i think an offroad team too. shes up there now studying high performance motorsports and our relationship is long distance for the time being. so honestly, getting her to help me with the project would take no effort at all....if only she wasnt a thousand miles away. as for the steering column, the only thing thats inoperable right now is the blinkers (which were broken before), the hazards, and the fact that the key is needed to turn it on. oh and theres no steering lock. but it is a GM column and my uncle has one from an old cavelier so eventually, it will be replaced. but for now, theres no problems. ive driven it the way it is...which doesnt even matter anymore because the registration just expired so it is basically just my time killer for the weekends until i come up with the money to move to ohio. but until i move, i won't be able to do all that much to it because i need most of my money to go into savings so it will be a slow project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 1, 2011 Author Share Posted March 1, 2011 okay so i just ordered my oil cap. i am staying in a hotel in ohio visiting my girlfriend so hopefully itll arrive by the time i get back to FL. and i just found a lil somethin else of interest on ebay... http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1984-96- ... 1071wt_732 just in case this ebay listing expires by the time anyone sees this or even cares, its the front floorpans for an MJ for $45. it says its 18g and i doubt its a nice snug fit, but it is fresh sheetmetal nonetheless so a lot better than Flintstone style :wrench: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubSonic Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 okay so i just ordered my oil cap. i am staying in a hotel in ohio visiting my girlfriend so hopefully itll arrive by the time i get back to FL. and i just found a lil somethin else of interest on ebay...http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1984-96- ... 1071wt_732 just in case this ebay listing expires by the time anyone sees this or even cares, its the front floorpans for an MJ for $45. it says its 18g and i doubt its a nice snug fit, but it is fresh sheetmetal nonetheless so a lot better than Flintstone style :wrench: Those actually look decent, and you can't beat the price... if you are proficient in MIGging or got a buddy... get on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 i can MIG...just don't have one i went to a trade school studying auto collision repair/refinishing so replacing the floorpans are right up my alley :banana: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JENSSEN Posted March 2, 2011 Share Posted March 2, 2011 so i just started pulling up the carpet. i knew the floor was rotted out because i could see the flaking from underneath. i can't get the seat out because the mounts are rusted and theres actually a socket already rusted on to one of the bolts. but here's what i found when i pulled it up to the seat..driver side pass. side (not quite as bad) at least it all stops once it gets to the tranny hump its pretty bad, i know :ack: but it is the only cancer on the whole truck besides the bottom centimeter or so of the doors and tailgate. and those don't even go further than the pinchwelds Seems like an easy fix ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 2, 2011 Author Share Posted March 2, 2011 so i just started pulling up the carpet. i knew the floor was rotted out because i could see the flaking from underneath. i can't get the seat out because the mounts are rusted and theres actually a socket already rusted on to one of the bolts. but here's what i found when i pulled it up to the seat..driver side pass. side (not quite as bad) at least it all stops once it gets to the tranny hump its pretty bad, i know :ack: but it is the only cancer on the whole truck besides the bottom centimeter or so of the doors and tailgate. and those don't even go further than the pinchwelds Seems like an easy fix ;) haha I'm really hoping so....i still havent been able to see everything yet. i want to keep the carpet in one piece, itll clean up nicely. but the problem is the seat mounts are pretty bad. i think all bolts are rounded out and rusted, plus one has a socket rusted to it :headpop: so i need to get the bench seat out before anything begins :help: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
btm24 Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 nut breaker tool for the rust welded on bolts :wrench: Brandon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 i havent even tried yet actually. tomorrow is my day off though :brows: when i pulled up the carpet the first time, i didnt want to go too far in depth because my girlfriend was coming down to fl for the weekend and i wanted her to see this thing clean for the first time in years and be able to drive it. she said, and i quote, "it was a great coming home gift to see the comanche finally being taken care of and running, let alone be able to drive it" now shes back in ohio and the registration is expired so now its time to go to town and really turn it around :wrench: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 I'm still waiting on my oil cap to come in, but payday was yesterday and i also ordered a parking brake cable from rockauto also drove it around the block today because i went to do some yardwork for my grandpa and his mower wasnt running right so i threw mine in the back of the mj. well i got there and my mower wouldnt even start so i just drove back home. but on the way home (around the corner) i noticed how high my idle got. I'm hoping its just a vacuum issue :dunno: it was weird because the further i drove, the higher it got. i got into 3rd and when i took it out of gear, it was roarin... i didnt even need to give it any gas to get into 2nd :hmm: at least its not even registered to be on the road. i have time to fix these little things :wrench: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 alright. made some progress today. i got the seat out and completely gutted it so now ive got some good pics of the floor rust. gotta say, its not as bad as i expected :cheers: here's after the seat came out, before the carpet came up ..after carpet came out.. its not as bad as i was expecting. still a rust problem, but a lot of its just surface rust so ill probably just grinding everything down, patch all the holes, POR15 the whole thing instead of buying the floorpans from ebay ..here's the driver side.. pass. side ...and juuuussttt in case i decide to go for a joyride with no seats or interior, i think i should mount this license plate :rotf: ..now i ended up throwing away my carpet. i was going to keep it but after pulling it up, i found that i, too, had ants in my comanche pants. also had lots of rust pieces stuck to the insulation (which was pretty damp as well) so i figured i would just patch everything up and do my whole floor in a spray-on bedliner of some sort. itll make it easier to clean and itll hold up to the abuse of muddy or snowy boots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 went to a JY in cocoa today and pulled a window for $20 :yes: goodbyeee trash bag also got my parking brake cable in today and installed that as well. just waiting on the oil cap still :shake: the window installed old cable vs. new cable the adjustment nuts on the old cable rounded out in no time so i had to cut the cable with a pair of pliers. was not that easy :rant: i still have some adjusting to do...the brake works now, but when i release the cable, the wheels are still locked up. the jeep needs some serious attention in the brakes department so once i get the wheels off, ill see if its in the drums or just a minor adjustment underneath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 10, 2011 Author Share Posted March 10, 2011 oil cap is in :banana: ...finally no pics though. i figure you all should know by now what that looks like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubSonic Posted March 11, 2011 Share Posted March 11, 2011 oil cap is in :banana: ...finally no pics though. i figure you all should know by now what that looks like Take a picture! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 12, 2011 Author Share Posted March 12, 2011 ughh finnnneeee ..you guys are spoiled :shake: lol anyways, as you can see here, the old cap was split in half so whenever i had the engine running, it would leak oil, and whenever i drove it, it would spit oil all over the engine bay. hence the thick layer of grease and grime on the underside of the hood and everywhere else in the pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 14, 2011 Author Share Posted March 14, 2011 started grinding the rust a lil bit...then decided i needed to use a wire wheel so i got one for my die grinder and it did the trick put on a quick coat of self etching rattle can primer...just to keep my progress between days in the Florida humidity i havent even touched the driver side yet. i need to do something about the fuel lines before i start grinding and welding over there but more to come...ill be doing some more tomorrow :wrench: (i know it doesnt look like i got the rust off, but thats because i forgot to take pics while i was using the wire wheel. :wall: the shots taken before the primer were before i used the die grinder/wire wheel which is where all the progress came from) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 okay, this is going to be a long post. i got some work done in the past week. my dad brought home a welder but its from harbor "fraud". theres no heat adjustment except for high and low, and even on low, i was burning through and chasing gaps. it might help if i use some smaller wire than .035, but oh well. plus I'm not used to welding without gas. but hey, i managed. ive got almost all of the passenger side done. i still have yet to touch the driver side. i just never got around to completely dropping the fuel lines. anyways, time for pics ...for those of you who have never seen a launch, here's from my driveway. i live in Titusville, FL which is right across the river from Kennedy Space Center. We tend to take the launches for granted after seeing so many... actually, I'm not even sure if this is a rocket or a shuttle. (thats how close we pay attention to the launches) but here's a pic, since some of you may have never seen one (or ever will) well back to the jeep. I'm not proud of this first patch. i didnt take my time and made it too small so i had a huge gap to fill :wall: i kept it so i wouldnt waste the sheetmetal though. lets just skip that one. its terrible. buttttt....it is new metal, and it can hold my "bouncing up and down on it" weight so itll do just fine here's after i cut out the next hole ..and a lil closer... made the patch and tacked it into place... once again i AM NOT proud of my welding here....i can do much better with a good welder, and gas. no pics to prove it, but i don't really care what you think :peek: :rotf: here's the next hole. the biggest. i cut out the rust and decided to just weld it right to the frame rail. i also left about an inch of a flange on the outside edge for some more support didnt have enough sheetmetal for all of it, but it was an easy patch to fab up :wrench: :D lil bit of weld-thru primer and some bare metal on the new piece... these welds were somewhat better due to a nice tight gap here's from underneath and here's peekin through the rear slider.. ...now a lil bit of self etching primer for now and thats it for today more to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cody4359 Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 isnt it fun trying to weld thru that half rusted thru pitted sheet metal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raviolli Posted March 21, 2011 Author Share Posted March 21, 2011 oh yeah lol its like 1 step forward, two steps back when it burns through and youre chasing it :wall: its alright though...it reminds me of when i was still in school up in daytona. we were restoring a '68 GTO and it was ALL rust. the only original body panel on it is the roof. I'm gonna have to go back someday to see how its doin :popcorn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubSonic Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 Dude, it's the floor. :cheers: My mustang consists of fibreglass and JB-Weld, ground, scuffed, and undercoated, with some new metal here and there. As long as it's rigid and prevents further deterioration, you're golden. All in all looking good! Great, actually. By the way, your engine bay is too clean. :no: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now