Guest lamart91 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Let me tell you about my 91 Comanche. June 2011 I was looking thru the local newspaper and saw an ad for a "91 Jeep Comache $988" at a Car Dealer in Corpus Christi. I almost bought a new Eliminator back in 1989 and had been looking recently for a Comanche project truck. I actually got upset because they misspelled Comanche in the ad. So I immediately called and the salesman said it had just been traded in. He said that he was actually thinking about buying it himself as a fishing truck. I thought "yeah right!" typical car salesman trying to make a vehicle sound good. So I jumped in my 02 WJ and drove 75 miles to check it out. It was a decent looking white short bed 4x4, 4.0 six, 5 speed with non-working AC, 2 small rust holes in each floorboard, a few spots of surface rust and a nice short square tube rear bumper. The body was pretty straight with faded original paint. The clutch seemed to go way down with a short engagement but it did run OK. Had been lifted with 3" front springs and add a leaves in the rear . So I offered $700 and they accepted. Whole thing was $941 with tax, title and license. I started checking it out when I got home and found that it needed a few things right away. I put 2 new tires and 2 good used ones I had on another project truck. The track bar was completely shot and the mounting hole at the axle was ovaled out. I got a new one at Orielly's and welded a thick washer over the hole to complete the repair. The radiator fins were literally falling out so I put in a new radiator, water pump, thermostat and hoses to be safe. Started driving it to work and one of my coworkers wanted to buy it as soon as he saw it. I told him I had been searching for a Comanche for a long time and I wasn't about to sell it. A few days later, a financial emergency came up and I called him to see if he still wanted it. Sold it for $1800 less than a month after I bought it. I told him to let me know if he ever wanted to sell it. He brought it to work a few times. He had added 2 new tires, new shocks and tinted the windows. He said he was keeping it at his ranch as a work truck and I didn't see it anymore. He called me right after New Years and asked if I wanted to buy it back. I immediately said YES! Then he said his son had been driving it and had yanked the rear bumper off when he got it stuck. He said I needed to look at it to make sure I still wanted it!. I was thinking "how bad can it be?" So I go to check it out and the rear bumper was hanging on by one bolt and had a strap holding up the other side. The drivers rear bed corner had been pushed in when the bumper rotated around the remaining bolt on the drivers side. The tailgate was missing and the entire exhaust was cut off right behind the front cat flange. He said his son got it stuck, pulled the bumper off while trying to get it out and tore the cat converter literally in half while mudding! He said the tailgate was out in the mud somewhere. I didn't even think twice and my long lost friend was mine again! Image Not FoundImage Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lamart91 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I took off the bumper and banged out the bed corner as best I could.Image Not FoundImage Not FoundImage Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MancheKid86 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 i like your dolly work on the corner! come do mine! welcome to CC! keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainman Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Awesome. I was just gonna say.. i can get you a tailgate if you need one. But.. you have one. :) Glad you got her back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tylerzap Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 Id search for the gate in the mud. I hate people who tear these trucks up. Make me sad. Thank you for saving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lamart91 Posted February 5, 2013 Share Posted February 5, 2013 He found the tailgate and brought it to me. It was covered in hard baked mud and the power washer took off some paint along with the mud. I must be getting Jeep fever or something! I went to look at a really nice clean 2001 XJ Cherokee Sport 4x4 at a used car dealer last night. It was too good to pass up with only 84,000 miles and super clean. I pick it up tomorrow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imstuck Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Man thats a great story. Great looker. Wish i had it to match my black one. Keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancome433 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 Id search for the gate in the mud. I hate people who tear these trucks up. Make me sad. Thank you for saving it. X2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich69 Posted February 6, 2013 Share Posted February 6, 2013 I sold my YJ regretted it ever since. Offered to buy it back several of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a.e. Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 sold my 89 comanche and have been trying to buy it back...guy doesnt even drive it...good deal you got yours back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lamart91 Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 I officially have Jeep Fever! I found a really nice 01 XJ Cherokee Sport 4x4 at a used car dealer and brought it home. It has 84,600 miles and is in really nice condition. It needs a new valve cover gasket and new headlights as the originals have faded reflectors. The non-working left front speaker turned out to just need the contacts cleaned and I still need to diagnose the non-working right rear power window. Now I have 3 Jeeps! How many more Jeeps are in my future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 Well I have finally had some time to work on my Comanche again. I wanted to redo the spring packs and remove the blocks that were stupidly placed in between the leaves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 These blocks were in between the leaves when I bought the truck. I don't know what the PO was thinking when he did this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 It looked like an add a leaf was installed along with the block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 The drivers side locating hole was wallowed out and you could tell it was not installed correctly. It actually was bolted down out of place which later allowed it to move around, I welded up the sides a bit then carefully ground out the hole with a carbide burr to fit my new pin bolts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 31, 2014 Share Posted January 31, 2014 These are after I cleaned up the leaves and added a new long add a leaf to the packs. They are now about an inch taller than before. I added two spacer nuts so that they would locate into the bottom spring pads better. The single nylon locking nut barely fit into the hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 It's been almost a full year since I've updated my progress. I replaced the carrier bearings, wheel bearings and seals on my D35. I also replaced the emergency brake cables and some of the drum brake hardware. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lamart72 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I tore out the two brake lines running to the rear and the height sensing valve too. I am going to block off the lower port at the combination block and just run one line to the rear axle. Picked up all the fittings and brake line at Autozone today then spent 5 very frustrating hours this afternoon trying to get just one good inverted brake flare! I practiced on some scrap line then some new line thinking the old line was brittle. I could not get a single one that was centered. This is the kind of tool I was using. I remembered seeing a really nice flaring tool on the Eastwood site and also found the same one on ebay for under $200. So tonight I pulled the trigger and ordered this really nice brake flaring tool. I will have to wait a few days but I'm sure it will be worth it! My son and I have other projects we could use it on. He just bought a 1986 Toyota MR2 in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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