sidepipe87 Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Hello all! I've recently decided to buy a truck because I have a need for one for home renovations I'm in the middle of and my girlfriend is selling her '98 F-150 at the end of the month. I looked into getting an older 4x4 Ram or Dakota (I'm a Mopar guy) but they were all pretty overpriced for the condition they were in. I used to drive an '01 XJ about 8 years ago and always enjoyed them. So naturally the next thought in my mind was hmmm.... a combination between a truck and a Cherokee... A Comanche! Why didn't I think of it earlier! I got on Craigslist and found one that was modded (lifted, XJ front end, doors, even the tail lights) but was out of my price range. The next day I looked again and a weathered blue '86 2.5 4 speed manual long bed was listed. I went and looked at it and it's rough all around but doesn't appear to have any significant rust beyond surface rust and a drivers side floor patch panel. I gave the guy a deposit and will be picking it up Saturday. I ended up paying $2000 for it which I'm not sure if that's a good price or not... but it runs, isn't totally rotted out, and is inspected so I went for it. The brake lines to the rear were already replaced (thank god) however the muffler just rusted through so I will be getting a replacement exhaust from NAPA for the truck once I get it. I've been doing some research and was shocked at the amount of info about these "renix" Jeeps I did not know. I was pretty surprised that a fair amount of the parts on the newer (Chrysler owned) XJs aren't direct swaps into the older ones. I still have a lot to learn but hopefully it will be a reliable drivetrain for me like the 4.0s are. This truck won't be my daily driver as I have other cars for that, but it will be a workhorse/"toy" ...since they all become toys anyway, right? That said, initial thoughts/plans are: 3" lift, Moabs hopefully, maybe Bushwacker flares, 97 XJ front end, doors, POR 15 the uniframe, and repaint the truck eventually. I was hoping 97 seats would bolt right in but read they don't without floor work. However... when I looked at it there were already 97 seats in it... I'll have to look closer but it looks like some sort of adapters were made from angle iron to mount the rails.... looks crude, but it works I suppose. There is no carpet on the floor so I'd like to add some so the floor doesn't rot from wet shoes etc. Maybe I could find a cheap used XJ carpet and cut it to fit my cab. These are just things on my mind obviously subject to change but it's my vision. Someone on here owns "Prime" which is a big inspiration to me, that thing is beautiful. Besides the Comanche I own an '03 Dodge Neon SXT that I completely rebuilt and swapped an SRT-4 drivetrain/everything into. This is my baby which generally stays in the garage. I also own a yellow 03 SRT-4 with Mopar Stage 3 turbo and Turbo Toys, Mopar Stage 2 coilovers.... that thing is FAST, and my current daily driver is an orange blast 05 Neon SXT which is getting converted to manual trans, R/T engine specs, has BC coilovers, exhaust, Mopar lip kit, SRT hood, seats..... the whole 9 yards. Yes... I have a thing for neons. I've owned 6 of them so far. And as you can tell subtlety is not my thing. "Leave it alone" is not something I'm familiar with. :laughin: I'm sure I will posy up some pictures of all my vehicles as I get situated around here. Anyway, thanks for having me here and I look forward to do a lot of research and being part of the community! I'll post some pics of the truck once I pick it up :) -Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87Warrior Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Welcome to the Club, Ryan. That 'never leave well enough alone' attitude will suit your MJ perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Welcome to the club! Just a bit of a thought on the carpet. They tend to trap moisture, which I believe would actually encourage rot, not prevent it. Lots of MJ owners have been surprised by Fred Flintstone floors in a seemingly rust-free vehicle after pulling up the carpets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidepipe87 Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 Thanks for the welcome guys. gogmorgo, I had actually considered that... perhaps vinyl/rubber floor mats, or some sort of spray on lining might suit it better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Welcome!!! MJ with SRT 4 running gear in the future? Haven't seen that yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidepipe87 Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Welcome!!! MJ with SRT 4 running gear in the future? Haven't seen that yet. I like that idea! one of my neon buddies actually wants to do just that. I know there are at least a few SRT swapped or 2.4 turbo Wranglers out there like this one http://www.reno4x4.com/forum/showthread.php/5362-Turbocharged-2-4L-Jeep-TJ-for-me!!! Thanks for the welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rymanrph Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Welcome from another Ryan and a former SRT-4 owner. I have the same username of the SRT forums. Post up some pictures of your Neons along with the Comanche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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