neohic Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Well, when it rains... it pours. Yes, this one makes #4. Ready for a story? Here we go:A couple weeks ago, a friend of mine approached me about splitting the cost of an ’89 Sportruck. The back story behind the truck is that is came up from Florida about three years ago and has never been through a Minnesota winter. My buddy wanted it for the engine since his ’87 XJ is pushing 300,000 miles and has some major blow-by. This one was supposedly gone through around 15,000 miles ago. The top side looks really good and clean while the bottom does have an oil leak. It has lots of power and is kinda fun to drive! My plans? It’s a rust free MJ!!! What couldn't I do with it?! Since I picked up my ’91 from xjrev10 (viewtopic.php?f=7&t=32370) I've had a couple issues with it but everything has been for the most part good. The main problem is the rust… lots and lots of it! This little guy has some problems of its own as well. Mostly wiring but also some janky suspension modifications. Another feature is that the axle has been welded so everytime you take a corner you feel like you're in an episode of "Chips". The factory harness under the hood looks very hacked and the fuse block has seen better days too. What to do now? Put the two together. After winter, the entire drive train from the ’91 will get swapped over into its new body. Suspension… it’s scary. Someone just tack welded some pipe into the spring seat giving it 3” up. The rear is more of a pleasure to look at. Some kind of crazy shackle looking thing made of steel bar stock with some holes drilled in it. No bushing. No gussets. Not even any bends to go from inside the frame to the outside dimension of the leaf spring. These things clunk.Overall, I’m happy with it. The plan for the ’91 was to put some floors, rockers, and box sides on it. This is going to be a huge time saver for me! And it’ll leave the ’91 frame and box open for another project… but that’ll have to wait for another post. :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Went out and started this little guy to keep the juices flowing. Been sitting for a week and the battery was anything but alive. Eh... sounded great once it started! The '91 was nice enough to give it's new clothes a jump. Not sure if I want to spoil any surprises just yet, but I got another future project moved over to this truck for winter storage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FKreider Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 that suspension is really scary. :ack: Nice looking MJ otherwise :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 How did I miss when you posted this? Glad to see you get something worth working on rust-wise! This thing is clean. Don't get project hungry and work yourself to death on all of this stuff. Now that you have all these projects its time to start whacking them out. I got REAL hungry for a project about this time last year, bought the XJ and now I'm still working myself out from underneath of it... making painfully slow headway, but at least its still moving along on my end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 ...Now that you have all these projects its time to start whacking them out... I know... I know... Both the '91 and the gray '88 are going to stay how they are through winter. The main truck is the '88 since it has 4wd and the '91 is for the couple times a week when the wife and I can't car pool so I really can't tear into either right now. Eh... that's okay. I couldn't stand to see this truck go to waste even i it sits until after winter. :wrench: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted October 27, 2012 Author Share Posted October 27, 2012 Almost a year now without an update! Had to go through and reload pictures. Well... if anything it's gone a little forward to what it'll be in the future since I took some parts off. The shocks were moved over to the '91 and the a-pillar plastic was moved to the Eliminator. I figure that's just less parts to take off later on, right? Otherwise, it's been running really rough lately for the times I need to move it around the yard. Today was no different as I needed to move it while cleaning up the yard. Crank and crank and crank and crank and then nothing. Some more cranking and cranking... burp, pop, fart, a puff of something and VROOM!!! Everything came back to life! The alternator isn't charging though. I've known that for a while now. For the little bit of running that it does, unhooking the battery when not running is well enough for now. It still looks the same, just a little more dirty. It'll be in the new garage for this winter.That'll make it happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted November 3, 2012 Author Share Posted November 3, 2012 A real update!... kinda. The '89 got a new set of teeth today.Yay! My first 10 slot. Thanks again, Jim! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 Slight change of plans for the truck...... more on that later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Slight change of plans for the truck... ... more on that later. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexia Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 Officially jealous, how did you get that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 As Paul Harvey said many times... and here's the rest of the story: http://comancheclub....e/page__st__100Again, more on that later. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billyzj Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 havent heard anybody talk about paul harvey in a long time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted November 19, 2012 Share Posted November 19, 2012 You planning on bringing back the Chrysler paint scheme on this too :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted November 19, 2012 Author Share Posted November 19, 2012 Paint is a little ways out yet... but probably. I'm not thinking of going to exactly what was used on the trucks, but maybe more like a combination of what was on the trucks over the '87-'89 competition series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted November 20, 2012 Author Share Posted November 20, 2012 ... more on that later. Okay... it's later. There was the big story on what I've been up to over the past five months, but there wasn't much for pictures. Sorry for passing this back and forth between threads, so I think I'll try and keep all the information on this truck over here from here on out. It started with a road trip. I had a friend getting married this past weekend that was at one end of the state from me, then on Sunday I went from there to another edge of the state, just to go clear back to where I started afterwards (hey, it was a school night after all). We got up to Archer Racing at around 2:00. I was flagged around to the back of the building to a large garage door where John Archer was waiting. I walked in and was instantly surrounded by quarter million dollar racing Dodge Vipers in different stages of repair, fabrication, and storage. There was a quick walk around the facility and then it was on to business. We loaded up the parts that I was after all the while carrying on conversation about the old MJ racing days that was filled with plenty of questions. I think John got the impression that I was after more than just parts... he was right. He comes up to me and says, "I think there's some other stuff that you'd like to see." He was right! There was the hood that I didn't get. There's just the one and molds don't exist. I think it could've come home with me if the offer was right, but at the same time he knows what his parts are worth. What makes sense in my head is that John told me that they only raced the trucks with the fiberglass hoods for three races before the officials told them that wasn't cool. Shouldn't be on a tribute truck... right? Then there was the posters and pictures: This poster sparked a story of how Walker Evens' and Mike Lesle's and the Archer guys met up once and swapped trucks just to play around. I thought that was kinda neat! The picture was cool also: Anybody know what bump drafting is? Well, it's pretty much when you've got another driver behind you helping you out by pushing you through a corner so you can almost sling-shot around. This picture was of Tommy and Bobby Archer along with R.K. Smith all in a row to push Tommy into an undoubted win. This picture was of the first time Tommy's 33 truck was on a track in '87. Note the lack of the Rugged Liner bedliner. Anyone know why they ran bedliners? Everyone did because everyone had to! Rugged Liner was a circuit sponsor. Another thing this picture lead to was a great story about one way the Archer brothers would move weight around the trucks for transfer and stability. He painted a great picture! Just imagine the brothers sitting in a hotel room in the middle of the night pouring lead shot into a tailgate then following it up with fiberglass resin to keep the gate from being a big maraca. Anyone know what happens to fiberglass resin when it's setting up? It gets hot! Really hot!!! So there they were pouring tubs of resin into an 800 pound tailgate that's now getting so hot that the paint starts cooking off causing fire alarms and sprinklers to go off. Think of what kind of explanation that would be at the front desk! He was saying that it was all said and done then it dawned on them that they had an 800 pound tailgate up in their room that needed to get to the truck... did I mention that they were on the second floor? Ha!!! Trophies: I turned to my wife with John in clear earshot, "Hu... I guess I didn't wear pants with big enough pockets today!" We had an amazing time and it was quite the experience. John is a great guy and I'm super glad that he made enough time for some Jeep nerd who was after some knowledge and parts to try and see what it was like to enjoy the track in a Comanche. Once back home, the joy of going through the parts picked up again. The addition of some of the other stuff that John threw in was fun as well! A couple old Archer parts catalogs and couple other neat things: This was the beloved XJ of John's. He spoke fondly of it what with its Tremec six speed and supercharger. Then that all ended when a little old lady decided that he didn't need it anymore with a swift t-bone. The shop truck on the cover that still runs around Duluth: Back cover: Yes! Woody with a body kit: Other stuff: Parts! Obviously, the crooked bumper isn't going to stay. Honestly, who can get parts like these and not throw them on at the first opportunity they get? Looking forward to this build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 :cheers: ill be watching this 1 for sure! Love the old Racing articles and pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JENSSEN Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 I want those parts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or at least the springs and coils Please tell me there are more,... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 Did some rearranging in the garages today. I've got another project going on for another member right now that I needed a clean truck to work with. Being that I needed to pull the bumpers off for the project, what a perfect time to get rid of a bunch of stuff that doesn't make the truck go faster.Started looking around this thing and didn't remember seeing all the fun colors...Driveshaft is orange too. I think I mentioned it already, but much of the wiring is hacked...Interesting aftermarket fan mounting too. It's on anytime the key is, but interesting...I found this amusing as well...The truck's exhaust got a little cut up today too. It had a gnarly tip welded at the end and the hangers were all screwed up too so I just wanted to get rid of it so I didn't have to look at it for the moment. I wanted to document the "awesome" exhaust note and afterward something was said. Honestly, I don't even remember saying it but I found it fitting. :yes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 It will be a Race truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Like I said before, I moved this truck to work on a project for another member. The project was bumpers. I know this has nothing to do with cool race stuff, but I'm still waiting on bushings for the leafs. The rear axle is being worked out also. So... I'm waiting and needed something to keep me busy. Hopefully more on this soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ComancheKid45 Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 Glad to see more bumpers being distrbuted. Mines still holding up excellent after a year of abuse! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GummiBeer Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/pts/3458717092.html This cage any good for this build, just found it looking around and figured i'd post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 :eek: On it... thanks for the tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GummiBeer Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 First thing i thought of was this build...save ya a few bucks on a new one, and its the real deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted January 25, 2013 Author Share Posted January 25, 2013 Buzz kill... I dumped it last week.Trying to see if the guy who took it still has it. WHAT?! What is that supposed to mean? Was it scrapped? Oh, god... oh, god... freakin' out, man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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