The Building Of Bucky

[buffalob]

[buffalob]

I thought that as I wait to get my truck back from the painter that I would finally start a build thread. The first photos I have were actually shot and given to me by the previous owner Troy Yellaheep here in Denver...found him later on this website as a fellow member and we have been swapping parts ever since. The truck is a base model 88 short bed 2 wheel drive 4.0 liter 5 speed stick and had 250,000 ish miles on it. I bought the truck from him in July of 2011.

The running boards were off and mirrors changed when I got it

[buffalob]

This photo was I think was one of the ones Troy used on the craigs list ad that I found and subsequently responded to.

I was bummed that I could not get him to include the wheels in the photo at the asking price ($ 1600.00).

[buffalob]

In my 54 years, having previously owned a C-J 5 (1980)258 six with stick, a cherokee (1989)4.0 liter with stick and a willys pick up (1959)hurricane 6 bone stock , as well as wrenching on my son's 1990 cherokee 4.0 liter auto. The Jeep mystique and addiction was nothing new. I had wanted an MJ for awhile and with all four kids almost grown It was time to take on another project.

The truck was bought as a daily driver and all in the family took to it right away. My oldest boy Jeremy has always driven a standard transmission (as have I). I taught my other son Nathan and daughter Lacey both to drive a stick in this truck the same summer I bought it. Nathan said that it "bucked liked a mule" as he dumped the clutch. The truck has been known as bucky ever since.

[SW86]

what did you connect to on the MJ when hauling it? that set up sure looks crazy

[buffalob]

The pics were taken by the prevoious owner, and on his trailer. I am assuming that the straps wrap around the axles.

In any case as many of these trucks as he has hauled on this same trailer I know for certain he has arrived at a system that works and is secure.

He has several threads on this website of various and sundry MJS on this rig.

[buffalob]

The transformation actually got off slowly as the truck ran great when we got it. All the typical things were done first.

New wheels & tires, Water pump and home brew porting job on factory thermostat housing, new vacume lines, plugs, wires, D cap, Battery.

TPS IAC MAP sensors., B pillar light mod as discovered on this web site. Found and installed leather XJ buckets on correct bucket mounts got from Troy Yellaheep.

Found out later that the seats I scored off craigs list were sold to the kid (thanks Garret) by Troy as well...small world sometimes...

Also installed an old momo wheel and shift knob I had in a box. They were a fathers day gift from my wife and kids for a street rod project that was sacrificed for family finances 10 years ago.

Installed all new windows including aftermarket (CR Lawrence) rear slider. Had all the new glass tinted and changed out all the old weatherstipping.

[buffalob]

went with the clear side markers and turn signal lenses also.

[buffalob]

I really was amazed at how different the truck felt with the bucket seats (and a complete clean and scrub of the interior).

Also found the thread on this site about adding the under dash lights to operate off the door switches from a junk yard cherokee.

As bucky was a base model, the correct pigtails were there but the lights were not. What a great 5 minuit upgrade.

 

The same junk yard trip netted a full gauge cluster a speedo cable and a center console, The speedo cable was too long (but worked) as it came out of a 4X4 cherokee. It was the only renix era with pugeot trans donor available. before this trip I was unaware of the differnces in gauges speedo cable etc etc XJ's by year..But I never consider a warm saturday morning in the junkyard tinkering a bad thing. Hell there have been weeks when it was the highlight.The gauge cluster looks great after hitting the face plate with rattle can semi gloss black. The clear cover was a mess and took several hours of polishing work....looks new now.

The console took a bit of elbow grease as well, but is way better now and performs the function of filling the open real estate between the seats

[buffalob]

[buffalob]

At what point an interest becomes a hobby, becomes an addiction, becomes an obsession, I don't Know. But it was about this point in the process I realized I was hooked.

Note the 87 short bed in the back of the pic. I bought this one off Ebay from a guy in Atlanta. It had been dissasembled and painted and was in the process of going back together.

factory 4X4 with no engine (originally was 2.5 liter 4 cyl.) New windshield,all new interior (porno red) vellure seats new headliner etc............... Split the cost of the shipping with the seller.....

and bam! bucky is parked on the street. I had to give up our garage years ago and convert it to a family room. The original family room in the basement became two small bedrooms. The only way to raise 4 kids in one house from two different familys is to give each one a bedroom.....trust me there would have been casualties (other than the garage) otherwise.

[buffalob]

I scored a topper for Bucky (off Troy) for the winter last year and began piling up parts to put a 4.0 into the 87. I had gotten to the point where i had enough going on auto projects that when the kids needed help with thier vehicles it was just another pain in the @$$. Based on this I helped (read bought) my oldest son acquire his first jeep a 97 Wrangler and quit the honda tuner thing

[JT31]

do you still have the bench seat for the comanche?

I'm in denver, and i would love to have a bench seat for my comanche

[buffalob]

I do not have the original I took out. I'm sorry It went back to Troy with another small mountain of other parts not needed. (bed and trailer full).

I may have a frame and foam but not the cover. I will look. I feel certain that Troy can help you with a seat (he is a worse addict than I am.)

I have bought and traded parts from/with him many times. Re-post with a phone number and I will find his number for you.... he is in Centenial (South of Denver).

[92tanMJ]

Looks good man! Any plans on a lift or anything fun like that?

[JT31]

I do not have the original I took out. I'm sorry It went back to Troy with another small mountain of other parts not needed. (bed and trailer full).

I may have a frame and foam but not the cover. I will look. I feel certain that Troy can help you with a seat (he is a worse addict than I am.)

I have bought and traded parts from/with him many times. Re-post with a phone number and I will find his number for you.... he is in Centinial (South of Denver).

 

i sent you a pm

[knever3]

Great story, keep it up.

[Butchershop]

 

What size wheels / tires in this pic? I really like the stance....

[buffalob]

Looks good man! Any plans on a lift or anything fun like that?

the build thread thus far is showing where this poject was approx last January (2012) more to show ya fer shure....hang on a bit.

[buffalob]

What size wheels / tires in this pic? I really like the stance....

They are 235/75 R15 Firestone destination radial all terrains on 15 X 8 black pro comp rock crawler wheels with (I think) 4.0" back spacing.

definatly not "off road tires but. the truck was 2 wheel drive at that point in the process.......

That being said. they were great winter tires even running around Denver all winter with little to nothing in the back....and as I said 2 wheel drive.

They were later moved over to the red 87, you will note them in the later photos. I agree I liked the stance they gave bucky when still 2 weel drive as she sat a bit lower.

After the were on the 4X4 87'....not so mch.

[buffalob]

The wrangler we scored for Jeremy had relatively low miles at 105K and had already been lifted 4.00" (all rubicon stuff) running 12.5 X 33 goodyear wranglers.

A bit of spider co body armor. All it really needed was a new track bar and dropped pitman arm. but that turned into an AFE cold air intake and throttle body spacer. then a gale banks revolver header and hand held tuner by the time we were out of 4 wheel parts....

[buffalob]

Ok now is the part of this tale where people out there with no (or only one) kids, will not quite get it...... (but this is a build thread about bucky..remember bucky?)

 

Following the aquisition of Jeremy's wrangler, My younger son Nathan had a re-kindled intrest in wheeling and needed "help" decking out his cherokee.

About the same time we bought Bucky in the summer he had peddled off his 4 door 90 cherokee 4.0 liter auto with 230,000 miles on her his first car and drove it all through high school, and a 1990 fox body mustang GT (hail damaged beyond belief...holes in the convertible top big enough to stick your head through...sorry no pics...)2 cars at 19 years old and barely out of high school I never had that....

We found him a great deal on a 99 cherokee 4 door bone stock 4,0 liter auto with 130 K on it. The basics we did to it after the work on Jeremy's wrangler was 3.0" lift all with pro-comp and rubicon parts. 10.5 X 31 pro-comp Xtream all terrains on 15 X 8 procomp rock crawler rims. Gale banks header and hand held tuner an AFE cold air intake and throttle body spacer. Of course the usual tune up stuff radiator water pump etc etc.

[buffalob]

Still trying to "even out" the "help" on Jeremy's wrangler..Nathan and I started doing some research into a company to consider for bumpers.

We stumbled on a local (was in Broomfield now in Brighton Colorado) company by the name of "Fessybuilt" the owner proprietor is Jarod Fessler and has a stellar reputation for his off road accessories and is even better know for his custom fab items. The front and back bumpers on Nate's cherokee were standard fessybuilt items. After the decision we dropped it off on a Friday night and picked it up with bumpers (installed no less) on the following monday or tuesday. he has a great website and ships his stuff also by the way......

Pay good attention to the rear bumper... it wraps all the way around the side covering the sheetmetal up to the back of the rear fender well.

[buffalob]

So MY project on the other hand at this point was getting pretty convoluted... The list of items I was at that point pileing up for getting the 87 (maroon short bed) on the road was getting substancial (read $$$$). (what about bucky you may ask.......)

So far in a heap (in the family room...no garage, remember) was a fresh re-built AX-15 (truck had a factory auto, but I am a standard trans man all the way) correct fly wheel and bell housing for external slave cylinder. new clutch, new mean green starter.

Brand new NP 231 from advanced adapters with their cable shift set up and fixed yoke, new aluminum radiator with triple electric fan set up, new altenator, distributor. power steering pump, pulleys brackets. hesco water pump, Gale banks stainless header.

[buffalob]

In an effort to get more room for parts storage I scored another comanche specific topper to bolt onto the red 87 for winter. Piled inside (moved the parts out of the family room....happy wife , happy life) the truck is now a complete 4.50" rubicon express lift including adjustable upper / lower arms coils, bilstien shocks rubicon braded stainless brake lines, transfer case drop kit 4.50" hell creek rear leafs. About this time I also got from Troy a set of black interior panels.and a spare set of rear tail lights for bucky.

Remember bucky...this is a build thread about bucky...... The red 87 had arrived from Atlanta without ANY brakes by which I mean no calipers pads rotors lines master cylinder booster wheel cylinders drums etc... As all this stuff was needed new, it opened up other options... I ordered the "BIG Brake Kit" (for a TJ) from AEV (American Expedition Vehicles) the booster and master cylinder was ordered new also and is for a 99 grand cherokee (after reading about that fantastic upgrade on this site. The AEV front brake set up is awesome, the rotors are so big that 17" wheels are a must (oh darn). Due to the new front brakes and as the truck was to be lifted the 4.50" a decision was made about wheels and tires. I went with AEV pintler wheels they are 9 X 17" in "argent"...and no, I did not put them fairy lookin stickers they send you in the center. The tires are 285/70 R17 Procomp Xtreame Mud Terrains.......