Picked Up My First Comanche - 88, 4.0, Auto, 4X4

[Sabonis]

I've always owned Jeeps. 93 5.2 ZJ, 98 5.9 ZJ, 96 4.0 XJ, 2006 SRT8 WK.

 

I still own the XJ, but am selling it. I decided I needed/wanted a truck recently and did not want to leave the Jeep family.

 

Here is what I ended up with.

 

1988 4X4 only 114k miles.

Automatic trans

AC
Buckets with center console
Factory fogs
Skid plate package 
3.55 gearing
Factory truck canopy

 

Motor was rebuilt at 89k miles by this company (http://www.hi-techengines.com/) and still has a warranty. 

 

It has a bit of rust on the side of the truck bed and the clear coat is absolutely shot, so I am going to do something with the paint, but I'm not sure what.

 

Definitely feels a bit slower than my XJ. Not sure if it's the HO motor or not due to not knowing what was dropped in by that engine shop. My XJ has a bored TB and conical air filter that I may swap over to the Comanche. My XJ is a 5-speed, so that's probably a part of it as well.

 

 

 

 

 

[HOrnbrod]

Congrats. That looks like the factory Laredo trim package, a rare MJ. Check to see what the 8th digit of your VIN is.

 

T =  Comanche Laredo 4001-5000 Lb.
U =  Comanche Laredo, Metric Ton 5001-6000 Lb.

 

EDIT:  Never mind. I now see the Laredo emblem on the side.   :thumbsup:

[Sabonis]

Thanks, the 8th character is a "T," so looks like it's the factory package. 

 

There is a bit of rust right at the Laredo trim/under it on part of the Jeep... I think I may have to strip the trim off to get rid of it. I actually prefer the look without the trim, so it may all come off. Problem is it appears to be heavily glued on in some spots. I'm sure there are some good guides on rust removal somewhere on there forums, but I have yet to search. I have never dealt with rust. I may attack a few spots with an orbital sander this weekend then spray with rustoleum, then a layer of clear. Eventually, I want to repaint the entire Jeep, but I know that is a spendy job.

 

Also, the previous owner spent $2,700 on the engine... I think it's more or less a "stock replacement." Wish he had dropped in a stroker motor instead. 

 

Ps, I see the "Roll Tide" in your sig... I will raise you a "GO DUCKS!"

 

[Sabonis]

Well, I sold my XJ, so that was nice. Had ZERO responses on Craigslist, but I lowered the price $300 and with 12 hours had 3-4 people tell me they'd more or less buy it sight unseen.

 

Got a few minor things done this weekend on the Comanche.

 

Replaced passenger seat belt buckle and driver-side window crank. Both were broken.

 

Also, I began sanding down a bit of surface rust near the rear wheel well on the passenger side of the bed. Luckily, it's only surface rust. My orbital sander struggles a bit with it, so I may need to step it up to something stronger... wire wheel? There are some spots of metal that I will need to grind down to even out the area and make it smooth again. This may be accomplished with bondo.

 

Once I take care of that, I'll hit it with some of the high performance rustoluem. 

 

I tried peeking under the carpet in the cab, but could not figure out the best way to get it up. I removed the plastic trim piece under the door and pulled it back a bit, and I could not see anything. I imagine I'll need to remove more to be sure, but in the few inches I saw, I saw no signs of rust.

 

Ordered an OEM 195* Thermostat. The previous owner put a 180* in, and after all the reading I've done on various websites and forums, I'd rather have the OEM 195* in there.