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1986 Comanche Xls Resto


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Got the rear lift kit installed. This week I’m taking the truck to my buddies fabrication shop and we are cutting the cross member out and welding in a tubular bar with mounts for the radiator. A few people have done it on here already so I’m using their picture / idea. Being an 86 there is really no other good option.

The truck will be home by the weekend at which point the engine bay will be raptor lined and the LS1 will be installed 48 hours later. I have the LS1 completely ready to go in. Brakes are all done as well.

We are getting close boys. Once the engine is in I’ll strip the truck down as much as I can, tail lights, trim, bumpers etc and take it to the paint shop. Gonna be there for a while there is a lot of dings, dents and 2 layers of $#!& paint that have to come off.


Here she is with the new gladiator wheels with 33s and 4.5” lift


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And the LS1 fully dressed and ready to go
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Oh yea, for simplicity sake and also because, why not. I’m doing a 20 gallon fuel cell in the bed with -6 AN fuel lines. This truck will never see dirt, off road etc. it’s a cruiser and just weekend driver


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Nice. Just about a spittin’ image of how I did the rad support in my old ‘86 5.2 swap. Looks great!

That’s exactly what I did, mimicked your set up, So thank you lol unfortunately there was no way to keep the stock hood latch. It moved it way to far back. I ended up getting flat black flush Mount hood pins. Not my first choice by any means but it should look clean.

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On 6/2/2021 at 8:34 PM, 19comanche86 said:


That’s exactly what I did, mimicked your set up, So thank you lol unfortunately there was no way to keep the stock hood latch. It moved it way to far back. I ended up getting flat black flush Mount hood pins. Not my first choice by any means but it should look clean.


Awesome! I used hood pins as well. Not fancy pins… just a set that was rattling around in my toolbox for years. Your truck looks great! Looking forward to more updates. 

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Awesome! I used hood pins as well. Not fancy pins… just a set that was rattling around in my toolbox for years. Your truck looks great! Looking forward to more updates. 

Thank you, this has been a long time coming. I’m gonna be raptor lining the engine bay tomorrow if the rain holds out. I’ll let that dry for a few days and then drop the engine in finally. Still a lot to do but that will be a mile stone. Trying to get as much done as I can before I send it to paint at the end of next week.

Got a factory wheel recovered in black leather. Keeping the horn button and my seat belts maroon. Everything else will be black. On the hunt for black door panels. Holy $#!& expensive
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Hood pin set I went with.
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Also ordered the dirt bound battery tray. Looks to be a solid piece

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Been a slow week haven’t gotten anything done on the Comanche. Unfortunately paint is indefinitely on the back burner for a while again, probably another year at this point delays at the paint shop, which was actually a blessing in disguise because My wife’s having to have a somewhat emergency surgery next week so paint money is going to that.


So now the focus will shift to getting this thing running and driving and doing the interior.


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  • 2 weeks later...

Got an update for you guys! Wife is doing well after her surgery. Full recovery with no issues.

Took a small break from working on the truck. Contacted a friend from work who used to do paint and body professionally and still does it on the side. He came over and looked the truck over and has agreed to do the paint and body for me. His work is absolutely flawless fantastic show car quality. I was looking at between $8700-$10000 from a few different shops. He’s going to do the whole truck for me, down to the bare metal and make it perfect for $6000. I’ll be assisting him for some of the prep and body work, this is something I have been wanting to learn for a long time.

I rolled her out of the garage and got a few new pics with the gladiator, then prepped the bed for the raptor liner.

Also scored some new rubicon wheels. This was not the plan as I just put the wheels and tires on the truck but couldn’t pass this deal up. Plus these are the wheels I wanted to begin with.

Should have some new content over the next week and a half while I finish stripping her down before Tom comes and picks her up. He’s going to do the cab/chassis first and then bring her back to me so I can start the wiring, exhaust and driveshaft while he finishes the bed.

The paint has been purchased, it will be Sarge Green


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  • 2 weeks later...

Still alive…had to have emergency back surgery last week. Herniated L5S1 and it was crushing my nerves. My left leg and foot are now numb. They did a micro discetomy and my pain is gone thank god. Interior is at the upholstery shop getting done in black leather. Some buddies are coming today to help me raptor line the bed and some other stuff before she gets picked up for paint.


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