Medium Blue Restification

[meljr]

I've had my '89 Base Comanche about three months now and have put on almost 2,000 miles with little or no unpleasant surprises. It seems to run out of breath on steep grades above 50MPH and there are a couple of yet unidentified noises (low speed 'click' and something that sounds like an exhaust leak or maybe a piston slapping under load). However, with almost 215,000 on the odometer, I would feel confident that it would get me almost anywhere if I wasn't in a hurry.

 

The basics:

• Mostly rust free with a Long Bed, although I haven't lifted the rubber floor mat yet to check the floors

• Renix 4.0 that shows reasonable care and recent maintenance

• 5 speed manual that shifts OK, but is probably not an AX-15 (the case joins together in the long dimension

• 4x4 with D30 front and D35 rear. Vacuum system seems to engage properly, but transfer case linkage could use some adjustment. 'Part Time' dash light works.

• Came with fairly new Toyo M+S tires (unstudded) on stock steel wheels. Missing 2 beauty rings.

• Plain interior with reasonable bench seat, standard steering wheel, uncovered headliner and aftermarket slider

 

After driving it around for a while, I have formulated a build plan with the objective of having a reliable shop truck and medium duty wheeler (double diamond and below). So far, I have picked up a nice fiberglass camper shell that fits perfectly (shown) and a D44 off of a '90 Comanche that was in a local wrecking yard.

 

Here is the short term build plan:

• Cherry body with complete repaint keeping the stock color (going in the shop this week)

• Spray in liner for bed and inside cab below dash level after fixing floors if necessary

• Repaint camper shell to match and pinstripe truck and top to bring out character lines

• Upgrade dash with full set of factory gages (purchased from wrecking yard)

• Replace doors with ones off a Cherokee with adjustable mirrors, opening vent windows and power windows/locks (purchased from wrecking yard)

• Replace mini-console with a short console with insert for two gages from Datsun PU

• Have bench seat reupholstered in light blue vinyl with dark blue cloth inserts during body restoration and painting

• Reupholster headliner in medium blue cloth with sun visors recovered in matching vinyl

• OR-FAB FRONT WINCH BUMPER with grill hoop and light tabs ordered from NorthRidge 4x4

• Warn M8000 winch I'm taking off my JK Unlimited

• Hanson Offroad rear receiver bumper. for the Jeep Comanche Pickup (MJ) Powdercoated Black (also ordered from NorthRidge 4x4)

• ARB Safari Snorkel For Jeep Cherokee Xj 1984- Jan 95 (SS1100HF) also ordered from NorthRidge 4x4

• Rock Rails, probably the longbed super slider version with upper rail from Rocky Road

• Stock JK Rubicon Moab wheels with BFG KM2 off my JK Unlimited. These will require wheel spacer/adaptors to convert the 5x5 JK bolt pattern to 5x4.5 and move the wheels out a bit. On my JK, this combination measured 31" tall on the ground; should be a little higher on the much lighter Comanche

• Lift: I'm still somewhat undecided, but leaning towards a 3 to 4.5" utilizing the D44 and maybe the stock D30 that I replaced on my JK with a Dynatrac ProRock. I'll probably just regear the existing D30 for now and order a frankenlift from various vendors (Hell Creek 4.5" rear springs, Rusty's 4.5" coils, TnT long arm with steering upgrade etc.)

 

That's about it for now, wife wants to go see fireworks (If she finds out how much I'm sinking into the Comanche there will be plenty!)

 

-mel

[Rymanrph]

Sounds like you have great plans for it. Keep us updated on your progress.

[meljr]

After a little setback this week when the Comanche refused to start Wednesday and drive to the shop to begin the body work, I took it to the shop on the trailer this weekend where it sits first in line with several of my other projects. This was the first time since I bought it in April that it wouldn't start. Strangely enough, it started Saturday and drove on and off the trailer. Go figure. I'll look into this more after the bodywork begins.

Here are a few shots I took after I had it on the trailer, mostly of the underside.

 

Not sure what is going on here, but a lot of fluid has leaked under the front sometime in the past. I suspect the most active leaks now are from the engine and clutch slave cylinder. I just hope none of this is from the brake master cylinder.

 

 

Tomorrow afternoon, I will remove the bench seat to take to the upholstery shop and then take out the floor mat to see what the floors look like.

 

-meljr

[cody4359]

i was just looking at a shelby dakota on craigslist. nice little fleet you have going

[FrankTheDog]

Question about the Hanson bumper. Where are you going to mount the license plate? :dunno:

[meljr]

Question about the Hanson bumper. Where are you going to mount the license plate? :dunno:

I'll wait until I pick the parts up from NorthRidge 4x4 later this month, but I am thinking about cutting a recess and fabbing a holder into the tailgate or the hatch of the camper shell. Supposedly Hanson has a solution -- we shall see.

 

-mel

[meljr]

A couple of days ago, I removed the bench seat in preparation for having it reupholstered. My Base Comanche did not have carpets. Instead there was a nice, thick formed floor mat with insulation and jute padding on the back side. Since this is going to be a light to medium wheeler, I would like to find a nice replacement mat, but may have to settle for neutralizing any rust and applying bed liner to the cab floor.

 

The floor mat was wore out under the pedals and it appeared to be wet under the mat, so I was prepared for the worst. Here is a shot of Dewey the Dog inspecting the old mat after I removed it this afternoon. Nasty.

 

Immediately after pulling up the floor mat, the driver's side floor was cause for concern. The wet looking areas are just that; the jute padding must have wicked a lot of water as the Comanche has been sitting in a dry shop for about a week now. The jute was stuck to the floor in the worst looking places. The light blue "patch" seemed to indicate a previous, sketchy attempt to repair the floor.

 

Here is a shot of the passenger side after I went over it with the shop vac:

 

After hand cleaning the floor with a brass brush, I was able to remove the "patch" which was a square piece of rubber or vinyl held down by an adhesive pad. Apparently, the plug that belonged in the hole was lost or ruined by the previous owner and this was a creative attempt to remedy the situation. I'll be visiting the bone yard this weekend to try and come up with a replacement plug. All in all, there turned out to be little rust. Most of it seems to be surface rust that a convertor will neutralize. The rear floor area and transmission hump looked as good as new.

 

I don't think any patch panels will be necessary -- just a good cleaning, neutralizing any surface rust that remains and finally coating the floor with bed liner.

 

When we got home from the club shop this evening, Dewey and I hiked over to check out this solitary wild flower I had noticed the last several days out standing in this field. Outstanding -- I have no idea what it is or how it got there. We also found some ripe wild blackberries making this all in all a pretty good Monday.

 

-mel

[xjrev10]

Nice floors and nice looking truck!

[KYMJ]

My floors looked indentical to yours. Getting toward the point of no return, still pretty solid however. I used this:http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PTX0/81773.oap?pt=N0478&ppt=C0171 and Rustoleum paint. Wire wheeled them first. Mainly because it was available locally and quick. Time will tell.

[meljr]

My floors looked indentical to yours. Getting toward the point of no return, still pretty solid however. I used this:http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PTX0/81773.oap?pt=N0478&ppt=C0171 and Rustoleum paint. Wire wheeled them first. Mainly because it was available locally and quick. Time will tell.

 

Thanks for the link. I'm probably going the full POR-15 route on the floors and rear frame, using their Silverlight to top coat the frame and chemical prep after sanding the surfaces. Someone else posted a link to a do-it-yourself bedliner kit that includes a spray gun, which I will search the forum for again and probably order to topcoat the cab floor and inside the bed.

 

By the way, my SOA hardware kit and supersliders/rock rails from Rocky Road came in this week. They apparently make the MJ rock rails to order, but I received mine within the two week time frame I was quoted. Fantastic customer service. No pictures yet as I have left them packaged until closer to the install. Hopefully, my front and rear bumpers and snorkel will be at NorthRidge 4x4 later this week when I drive up to Silverdale, WA for their big open house on the 30th.

 

-mel

[meljr]

Been a little more than a month since I last posted. This week, my OR-FAB front bumper came in and we started to get serious about the body work. Pulled the tail lights, exterior trim and the doors in order to paint the jams and paint over the POR-15 that I will be applying to the cab floor this week. One of the guys who rents the shop with me has a set of Warrior Product XJ tube doors he used once and wants to sell. We are about $25 apart on price and he has them listed on Craigslist, but I suspect we will end up painting them to match my MJ after he decides to accept my generous offer. ;)

 

 

 

 

[meljr]

I'll be darned if someone didn't buy my friend's XJ tube doors out from under me on Craigslist. Oh well, I wasn't sure I wanted them anyway, so now I don't have to worry about going in that direction with my build. Since this was the first truly wet weekend here in Oregon for a while, I spent both days with the same friend, John, doing body work on the MJ and mucking out my newly acquired teardrop trailer. We got a lot done.

 

OK, John is the body man and I'm the grunt. The driver's side of the bed didn't need much more than a few minor dents pulled and a light coat of bondo.

 

 

The passenger side of the bed took considerably more persuasion.

 

 

 

 

I also removed the front fender flares in preparation for trimming to fit the new winch bumper and cutting the driver's side front fender for the ARB snorkel.

 

 

-mel

[btm24]

:cheers: :popcorn:

 

Brandon

[meljr]

Since my plan is for some medium wheeling on rocks and the tight trails in the Pacific Northwest, we decided to chop the rear lower corners of the bed. Too bad in a way, but I really think a long bed will need more clearance and fabricated sliders, so out came the blade.