jbain Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Just wanted to say hello and post up a couple pics of my 88 MJ also know as Chief. I've always wanted an MJ but was stuck in a XJ until this Comanche Chief turned up and I bought it. After about a year I finally have it to where it moves around and last weekend it made it's way into the woods for the first time. It's scheduled for paint next month and the only thing I have left to do is hang the 98 doors, bolt on the cowl induction hood and mount my new front bumper (this one is borrowed). But first I'll put it through it's paces in Harlan KY the end of the the month. The truck sits at about 7.5 inches of lift on 36 inch TSL SX's. I installed an 8.8 with Spartan Locker out back and a Dana 30 with an Elocker up front filled with 4:88 gears. Here are a few "Poser Shots" I took before it's maiden run last weekend. I don't post alot but I've searched and found alot of information here that's made this build much easier so thanks to everyone for that. Image Not Found Image Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted April 12, 2013 Share Posted April 12, 2013 Awesome build!!!! Droooool!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 15, 2013 Author Share Posted April 15, 2013 Thanks whitemanche it's been alot of long hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 very nice manche man, do the tires scrub at all when you ride at angles like in pic's 5, 6, and 7? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 16, 2013 Author Share Posted April 16, 2013 Thanks Jeeper, I didn't spin but from the pic you can see the front tire starting to fill up with dirt as it began to loose traction. But with the locker in the back it helped push the front at the same speed as the rear keeping the loss of traction to a minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscowell Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 Sweet MJ bro! Keep us posted on updates and post wheeling pics too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 17, 2013 Author Share Posted April 17, 2013 Thanks, I'll be heading down to Harlan Ky on the 27th of this month for a long weekend..... can't wait...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHayduke Posted April 17, 2013 Share Posted April 17, 2013 You mentioned you've swapped doors in another post? Did you just replace doors or change from 80's style to 97'+ syple doors? I want to do this but don't know how to attack changing the door strikers / rear catch.... you're Manche' is Huge and looking good ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 I changed over to 97+ doors and swapped the strikers. I searched but couldn't find alot of info on this but did find a random post that had you use the existing hole. You unscrew the striker and use that for one hole and then drill another. Since I wasn't going to paint till after our Harlan trip I just unbolted the new style striker and screwed my old one back in so I could mount my old doors. I was never really happy with how it looked so when I hang them again I plan to drill the spot rivets out of the old striker plate and tack in the new style one and weld a patch in to cover the hole. Another Option I'm considering is just cutting out an entire section of the door jam and welding it in. So long story short just take the new striker and bolt the top bolt through the existing hole where you unscrewed the old striker. then line things up as best as you can and drill the bottom hole. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 no, I'm mean when you you are riding, do the tires ever scrub up inside the well or is the clearence good enough that it doesnt rub at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 My bad....I had planned to bumpstop but when I flexed it for the first time I realized the shock bottoms out and keeps my tire from getting into my fenders. In this pic you can see how tall the shock is compared to my tire so for now no I don't scrub at all. I will still end up adding a bumpstop but for now no rubbing on the front or back. Image Not Found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 thats awesome man, that worked out in a weird way i guess haha... also idk if your planning on doing a paint job or anything, but if i were you and you do a paint job, id stick to the same style, same colors and all and keep the comanche chief thing, so awesome, really man, your truck is one of my biggest inspirations, yours and bluecomanche88's are the two top ones for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Thanks, I hoped to get it painted before my Harlan Trip next weekend but I ran out of time. The first thing I'll do when I get back is yank the dash and harness and install a 98 Dash. I already have the doors and I've sourced a 2000 Dakota Bench to finish off the inside. Then I'll hang the tailgate and the new hood.... here's a couple pics of my buddy finishing up the primer work (I'm considering painting it Matte black / Matte clear) I've already bought the paint (Candy Apple Red Base Coat Clear Coat) and my buddy just has to mold in the 98 XJ lights into the bed and she'll be ready. Once the paint cures I'll hang a few decals, the top one will go along the bottom and the one below will hang on the sloped part of the Cowl Induction Hood. I'm really excited to get it out of the paint booth........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88whitemanche Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Whoa!!! That is. A sweet decal!!!!! Overly jealous Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 Thanks 88whitemanche, I'm a sucker for decals...... I was able to wire up the front Elocker, install my CB Radio, install my rock rails, and mount up the new beadlock wheels over the weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted May 1, 2013 Author Share Posted May 1, 2013 Just wanted to post up a couple pics of our Harlan Trip over the weekend. The MJ did great and I'm glad to say that other than a clicking u-joint I came out without a scratch. Now that I'm done with that it's time to get Ole Chief ready for paint. Here's a pick of me working a small obstacle in a creek bed, the scenery was awesome.... Here's a pic of our group taking a break at the entrance of Mason Jar...... Here I am recovering a Toyota out of Rail Bed after it broke a Burfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 dude just awesome, glad to hear you didnt end up like that brad paisley song "youll never get out of harlen alive" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Thanks man..... I've noticed that unless it's a restore or Daily Driver than your rig isn't recieved very well on the Commanche Club.... glad to see a few of us enjoy getting our Jeeps dirty....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neohic Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Totally diggin' what you've got going on. Really reminds me of my old '89 with the mismatched panels. Any information on the white bobbed MJ in the picture? I like the look of the rear cage/tire carrier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 dude i don't care what anyone says, i love your truck, i was gonna ask you if it was cool to do a similar paint job, not the same, just use yours as a kind of starting point. also PM if you could, wanted to ask you for some help lol. again, amazing truck man, just awesome, and oh yeah, my bud is giving me his roll bar with KC's on it already for free cause i helped him out, oh yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted May 3, 2013 Author Share Posted May 3, 2013 I used to own that White Comanche, it was a basket case so I gave it to my buddy Doug. He Bobbed it added a full cage, aluminum dash and racing seats The drop down tire carrier was added to use up the empty space between the back of the bed and the rear bumper. He's a fab guy (does it for a living) so it's all custom front to back..... he also didn't get to paint before Harlan his is going to be painted Yellow and I've already designed his Mall Rat decals. As for the paint job Marine feel free to make it as similar as you want. In the Navy we had old saying "Plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 you were navy? sweet, thank you for serving, I'm going marines, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted May 6, 2013 Author Share Posted May 6, 2013 Thanks Marine, I retired about 4 years ago and came back home to West Virginia. Good luck at Paris Island.... keep your eyes forward and your mouth shut and you'll do fine. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepmarine312 Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 thats my problem, not being a smart a$$ hahaha. and awesome, my granddaddy lives in WV, not sure where, but i know its WV. also thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbain Posted May 28, 2013 Author Share Posted May 28, 2013 Checked out a new Offroad Park in Southern WV that will be opening up in July of this year called IVY. Hatfield and McCoy trail system is backing the new park and I have to say I enjoyed it more than an earlier trip to Harlan, KY. Here's a few pics for the guys who wheel their rigs and might be interested in checking it out. Rained alot the days before this ride and I was on the hook early trying to get up out of a ravine they call ladder This was my second and luckily last time on the hook.... slid over into a hole and took the hook to keep the shiny side up..... Working an area called glass And a random ditch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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