1989 Comanche Build "flooded"

[TyeT]

Hello everybody. The names Tye T. Not tight (just to clarify lol)

 

I currently own a 1989 2wd Comanche with a 4 speed and a 2.5. I absolutely love the truck but it's a base model and is pretty beat up. Originally bought as a truck to haul garbage to the dump. Then it became my DD for a year. I had always planned on converting it to 4wd but my dad doesn't want anything to do with it.

 

So I am getting a new Comanche for $200 from a guy I know. He bought it for the front clip and a few other small parts. I have no clue what year it is yet. All I know for sure is that it doesn't currently run. It had no compression in a couple cylinders so a local mechanic decided to put a new head on it... Ok... Still doesn't run. I found out it actually went through the flood we had here in Oregon back in December 07. So the engine is in pretty rough shape.

 

So I plan on making this thing a street legal wheeling machine. I would go. Crazy with it but I'm gonna be going to school here soon so I won't have any income in 3 or 4 months.

 

I want to either put a rustys SOA lift on it, or I found a rocky road lift that uses old man emu springs and seems to be a more complete kit.

 

So for the engine issue I have 2 options so far.

1. Buy a used engine for $200-500 off craigslist.

Or

2. Buy a rebuild kit and possibly bore the cylinders out a bit.

 

Any thoughts on which would be a better idea? Also whether or not boring the cylinders would even be worth it?

 

I have. Chrysler 8.25 lined up I am going to buy as well. And I want to either put 4.10's or 4.88's in the axles. I would like to get it on 35's but I don't know if either of those lifts I mentioned earlier will fit them without major fender trimming. Heck I'm tempted just to flat bed it and trim the crap out of the front fenders but I want this thing to have flex. I don't want to end up like are the guys around here who have massive Toyotas that ride and flex like semi trucks.

 

Any thoughts or opinions are welcome. I'm sure I forgot to mention some stuff. I will upload pictures as soon as I get a chance (I don't even have the truck yet but the guy is holding it for me).

 

Thanks.

 

-TyeT.

[TyeT]

What would I need to do a lift without a kit? I'm getting my cousins help and he is no stranger to custom fabrication. The SOA would be the "easy" part, I'm curious about the front though. Maybe I could throw some half ton leaves in the rear too. I also plan to make a custom 4 link (or just the one).

[TyeT]

Probably should have read the rules thread first lol. I'll keep you guys updated on my progress from here on out.

[Dirteatr717]

You don't want 1ton leafs... It better to have 6 really thin leaves in a pack then 3 or 4 thick ones and a couple thin ones... If your only using the truck for trails I'd do a soa and get adj arms up front until you can afford any 3link or ylink longarm kit for the front, right now I have a soa and 4.5" coils with a 2" puck on top netting about a 6.5" lift all around... It flexes awesome with longarms! I have my little 30s on right now :oops:

[TyeT]

My cousin is running some chevy leafs on his ranger and that thing is a flex monster.

 

this is my current Comanche loaded down. Was rough getting it moving but it was awsome once it was lol.

 

[TyeT]

and this was my 99 Wrangler with a 4" body lift. and 33" Mastercraft Courser MT's

 

And here is a link to a short and not very exciting video of me and my cousin wheeling back when he had a bronco 2 and i had my Cherokee Chief. Dad sold it before i could steal the lift and the D44.............. I have never forgiven him.

http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/571870 ... id_OEV_P_P

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALSO might be scoring a ford 8.8 rather than the 8.25