How rare is my MJ??

[johnny quest]

Just like the title states, how rare is my Comanche?? It's an 88 Chief shortbed 4.0. White and black w/ a maroon interior. I know the chief was only made for 2 years, but how many other MJ's like mine are there?? I've found pictures of 2 others on the intarwebs, but what kind of numbers are we talking here??

[terrawombat]

Unfortunately, you're not going to get an accurate production number based on trim packages. There are many rumors/stories as to why the production numbers cannot be found - records building flooded/caught on fire (I've heard both) and/or the production data was lost when Chrysler bought AMC/Jeep in the late 80's. The only production numbers that seem to be floating around (and I have no idea if they are accurate or not) are total units produced by year.

 

That being said, I can make some generalized blanket statements about your truck. The Chief package was fairly rare. I tend to see more white Chiefs with the maroon interior than I do red Chiefs with the black interior. The red Chiefs with black bucket interiors are probably the most rare (of the Chiefs) and one of the most sought after Comanches.

[1990 Pioneer 4x4]

depends on the amount of rust :D

[offroader461]

not very rare...i have 2 MJ chiefs (87 and 88) and a XJ chief (87) all 3 are white (black stripes) and maroon interior

[glundblad]

Others may disagree and this is only one person's opinion but they are rare. Comanche wasnt made for very long. So you could think of it as a limited production vehicle. That doesnt mean it will ever go up in value though. It may not. But the condition has a lot to do with it. It is certainly rare enough to take care of it. Often times, when someone buys one of these poor trucks, the first thing they want to do is go at it with a saws-all and cut it up. So if you don't do that, that is half the battle.

 

Regarding the Chief verses the other models, I think the chief is unique but I don't know that I would call it rare, although I thought it was rare when I had it. I didnt see too many of them back in the day. But Comanches in general are rare. Is the chief the coolest? Perhaps but admittingly, I am bias. Perhaps the red is the "coolest" but don't kid yourself, those white ones may be less cool than the red but only by about .2 centimeters. I would love to have a matching set. :)

 

Plus, maroon interior is much easier to find than BLACK! :cheers:

[terrawombat]

Rare is a relative term. To me, the Jeep Comanche isn't all that rare. Any vehicle I can search for on the local classifieds and get anywhere from 5-15 hits at any given time does not classify as a rare vehicle to me. What makes a Comanche rare are the options that it comes with and since you could basically order any trim package and customize the factory options, it's sometimes hard to nail down what is rare and what is not. Some of the things that make a Comanche rare are bucket seats, full center console, black interior, power windows/locks, rear cargo light, Dana 44 rear end, and any one of the many other factory-certified options (hitch, hidden winch, fiberglass cap, etc.). Of the aforementioned options, a lot of them are found standard on certain trim packages - like the Chief, Eliminator, and Laredo, hence why those trim packages then become "rare." If I had to rank the trim packages in the order of their rareness, from most rare to least, it would go something like this:

 

Laredo

Eliminator

Chief

Pioneer

Base/SporTruck/Sport

 

I left out the '86 model trim packages because I'm simply not familiar enough with them to give them an honest ranking, but I would imagine that the XLS would rank up near the Chief and Eliminator.

[Thunderbear]

Rare is a relative term. To me, the Jeep Comanche isn't all that rare. Any vehicle I can search for on the local classifieds and get anywhere from 5-15 hits at any given time does not classify as a rare vehicle to me. What makes a Comanche rare are the options that it comes with and since you could basically order any trim package and customize the factory options, it's sometimes hard to nail down what is rare and what is not. Some of the things that make a Comanche rare are bucket seats, full center console, black interior, power windows/locks, rear cargo light, Dana 44 rear end, and any one of the many other factory-certified options (hitch, hidden winch, fiberglass cap, etc.). Of the aforementioned options, a lot of them are found standard on certain trim packages - like the Chief, Eliminator, and Laredo, hence why those trim packages then become "rare." If I had to rank the trim packages in the order of their rareness, from most rare to least, it would go something like this:

 

Laredo

Eliminator

Chief

Pioneer

Base/SporTruck/Sport

 

I left out the '86 model trim packages because I'm simply not familiar enough with them to give them an honest ranking, but I would imagine that the XLS would rank up near the Chief and Eliminator.

 

Can't tell you how thrilled I am to have the model year that nobody knows anything about :rotf:

 

I can't believe I'm trolling craigslist for XJ donors already. All I wanted to do was spraybomb this thing and use it in the winter.

[johnny quest]

depends on the amount of rust :D

 

barely any :thumbsup:

[johnny quest]

...and with whats left of it from the PO, there isnt anything making it a 'chief' other than the paint scheme. the interior is mostly gutted. the dash is there, but has everything ripped out of it. the body, frame, and bed are in very solid shape however

[Blue88Comanche]

Rare is a relative term. To me, the Jeep Comanche isn't all that rare. Any vehicle I can search for on the local classifieds and get anywhere from 5-15 hits at any given time does not classify as a rare vehicle to me. What makes a Comanche rare are the options that it comes with and since you could basically order any trim package and customize the factory options, it's sometimes hard to nail down what is rare and what is not. Some of the things that make a Comanche rare are bucket seats, full center console, black interior, power windows/locks, rear cargo light, Dana 44 rear end, and any one of the many other factory-certified options (hitch, hidden winch, fiberglass cap, etc.). Of the aforementioned options, a lot of them are found standard on certain trim packages - like the Chief, Eliminator, and Laredo, hence why those trim packages then become "rare." If I had to rank the trim packages in the order of their rareness, from most rare to least, it would go something like this:

 

Laredo

Eliminator

Chief

Pioneer

Base/SporTruck/Sport

 

I left out the '86 model trim packages because I'm simply not familiar enough with them to give them an honest ranking, but I would imagine that the XLS would rank up near the Chief and Eliminator.

 

well I guess that the term "rare" also apples to the region you are in.. its hit or miss if i can fond a Comanche on craigslist (lower AL, MS, and west FL).. or at least my searches say so.. I have seen 3 other Comanches around town in pretty poor shape.