The Blue and Black Manche

[Lowly]

Thank you so much that was fast! Maybe you folks are right tis a lot of blue maybe when I bring it in for bedliner. I will ask about handles, and mirrors. BTW is it okay to go ahead with the bedliner right after it's been painted or should I wait a bit? 

[danbyrambler]

Looking good - - My vote is to forego the black accents - That MJ is just begging for some Chrome.

:thumbsup:

[Lowly]

Okay couple of things done. Bedliner when in. Decided to do the removable doors. Jeep stickers when on the back and taillights were done. Used the DIY for the taillights and removable doors both great write ups. Now some pictures. 

 

Was looking on this site for somthing else and came across the removable doors topic DIY. I become obsessed with the idea of being able to take on and off the doors for the comanche. I really wanted to make this work. I also wanted to have some custom roll bar doors made. I started out by going back to the junk yard comanche and grabbing the hinges, pins and door mechanisms latches etc. took me all morning once again I found myself out in the GA heat with a blowtorch.

 

Took the doors off here are the hinges I was after. 

   

 

Cutting them out. 

 

 

End results got everything I went there for and guy gave me the taillights for free. Not a bad day. 

 

One was a little cracked but I figured I could experiment with these when redoing and painting mine. 

 

On to the next step trying to figure out how to take my doors off and make them easy to slip on and off. The DIY guide on this site was super helpful and easy to follow. I would suggest following that if you wanted to do this. 

 

Me cutting the door hinges.

 

BTW if you have never cut anything before make sure you know what your doing before you cut. Elso I was super nervous cutting things off a car never done that before. 

BTW when you do this make sure you mark which hinge goes where and mark the spot you want to cut BEFORE you take if off the door. I made a mistake on the passenger side door and cut the top of the bracket that fits on the back of the hinge. Now the passenger door leaks really bad. To fix this I am going to use one of the brackets that I pulled off the Junk yard comanche hope it works if not I could be in a lot of trouble.  :help:  If there is any advice I would love to hear it on this. Door pins top were cut a bit smaller and then grinded to a point and lubbed. The doors fit in and out pretty good. I assume with time it will get better. Driver door doesn't leak at all. 

 

Here she is with the doors off. I will admit driving with doors off is quite awesome. First vehicle that I have owned that is like that and it's so cool. Though it's super loud in the cab.

 

I love the fact that you only need yourself to put them on and take them off and it takes maybe 5 mins tops to get them on or off. Easy! Another thing I really like is you can always throw them in the back if it's a nice day out and if it's not you have them right there to put them back on again. Unlike other jeeps no where to put the things if you want to take them off on the trail. 

 

Truly a jeep now with easy removable doors. So glad how easy it is for these trucks being so old I had to cut only one wire (front speakers) I think and they didn't work anyways. No other electronics in the door. Back speakers still work so I can still listen to the radio with the doors off.  :rock on:  Seriously really feels like a jeep now. Though it looks a little weird for a truck with no doors hopefully when I have the custom roll bar doors done it will look better. 

 

 

I then moved into repainting the tail lights. I used the DIY guide from this site to clean them up. I then went out and bought some headlight cleaner and clear paint. I primed them in Black first then added the glossy black and finally a clear coat. If I could do this again I would not use the clear coat it doesn't work so well. I would also suggest not using masking tape to tape up the lights. The paint leaks through in a few spots. Sanding the lights down with an 800 grade then using the headlight cleaner worked very well. 

DON'T use masking tape!  :doh:

 

Cleaned up and one painted.

 

Finished product tail lights done and Jeep stickers put on. Bought the stickers from the guy that everyone seems to buy stickers from on this site Jeepstickers.com. I will admit they were a little slow to come and I was a little disappointed in the quality I tried my best but I still got a few bubbles in the stickers. 

 

Finally the bed liner was done as well. 

 

 

Quite impressed with the bedliner looks really good! I like is so much I am going to add a small strip of it at the bottom of the truck where the plastic trim is and get rid of that plastic trim line stuff.   

 

If anyone can tell me how to get a better seal on my passenger door that would be great. Also is it worth reconeecting the door speakers or are the back one's good enough or was that even the door speakers that I cut? For getting rid of the plastic trim line what is the best way to remove it? Is it legal to drive in GA with no doors?   :D

 

Next up finishing up the custom tube/roll bar doors that I am building, roll bars for the bed horseshow double hoop single kicker, back bumper and bottom bed liner trim for the bottom of the truck where the that striping stuff is.

[Lowly]

Bottom bed liner trim didn't look exactly how I wanted it but close enough I guess. I figured out how to fix the door leak. Two tricks make sure the door is flush with the body of the truck top and bottom and loosen the door and adjust while its on the hinge. Door doesn't leak anymore thank goodness.

 

Pictures late night trim painting.

   

 

Did the other side today, hopefully it turns out okay. 

[shelbyluvv]

It turned out great man! Who did you have paint it? For $400 I may have mine painted as soon as I get the water leaks fixed.

[Lowly]

Okay bedliner trim complete. Looks really good glad I did it! I am debating if I should do it with the door handles, mirrors, and tailgate handle as well. Pictures.

 

 

As for the roll bars I am headed down to FL on Friday to go and pick them up! They should look really good! I bought the rear bumper as well and it is been welded together. I also went ahead and replaced the rear seal in the transmission. The drive shaft was tight still which was good so I am guessing it was just a bad seal.

 

For my door issue just make sure the top and the bottom of the door is flush with the body and the hinges sit all the way down on the brackets. If the door doesn't go on easy and come off easy probably need some adjustment. After I adjusted it a few times it doesn't leak any more.

 

The tube doors have been frustrating.... I went to just about every welder in town and no one is willing to bend tube. I have the brackets and latches just need the tube and tube bended and then welded. If I can't find someone to do it I will resort to the junkyard and look for some chevy s10 tire carriers.

 

As to the paint job it was done in Columbus, GA a shop called Econo Auto Painting. Like I said it's not show quality and they paint everything, but it was good enough for me.       

[shelbyluvv]

Swing by the motor pools and look for old HMMWV brush guards. They are a perfect fit for tube doors. You just have to cut and trim some. No welding required.

[Lowly]

 

Hmm holy smokes, that would look pretty good! Pretty much cut the thing in half would it be long enough? Your a genius. How would I go about getting one. Just swing by the motor pool and ask for one? Or how would that process work? I know you are working on restoring a HV any chance you have one of these laying around that you would be willing to part with? 

[shelbyluvv]

My Hummer is an early truck and the brush guard is different.

 

The easiest way is find the LT in charge of the Maintenance section and tell him you need one. There are tons of them laying around usually. They get bent all the time. Get two bent ones that were thrown away. Just make sure the bends are on different sides.

 

It will fit the door opening like it is made for it.I had a write up on Jeeps Unlimited years ago from the set I made for my Cherokee. If you google "jeeps unlimited tube doors shelbyluvv" it will take you to me thread. I think the pics are gone but I'm pretty sure my signature pic has a pic of them on my XJ.

[ComancheKid45]

I love that color blue. The bedlined lower section really pulled that truck together. Great Job!  :thumbsup:

[Lowly]

Took my first 600+ journey with the thing. Very impressed held up the whole way there and back. Went there with the doors on and back with the doors off. I got to say I love being able to just put the doors in the back of the bed. Also she held a good 75 mph the whole way too. Only bad thing well jeepers Creepers the thing is so loud even louder with the doors off. Can barely hear the radio full blast. Then again 75 with no doors I suppose it should be loud. Lol.

 

As to my tube door project for it. I called all the motor pools on post and asked about the brush guards they told me that when things like that are taken off the DE-X immediately and sent to the scrap yard. I could not locate a single one on post.

 

I went to the junkyard to try and find some spare tire carriers. This is the only model I found. Saw it over and over again. I don't think it would work because I think it might be too short? Any thoughts on this?

 

 

Or I might just end up designing my own here is my design. 

Other than that update. I finally got the roll bars on. These were very well done and made for the Comanche by Sterling Equipment & Mfg. Co. of Central Florida, Inc.  I got to say what a great little family run company the work they do is really good! I would do business with them again any time and their website is very well done. Prices are very good as well. Pictures!

Yes I know I forgot to put my bumper endcap back on. 

 

Overall very pleased with them. Starting to look like a pickup truck. 

[Lowly]

Decided to Plasti dip the rims and emblems. The product worked just okay. Pics.

  

 

[dscowell]

That blue is shweet.  Coming together real nice.

[Lowly]

So got some bad bad news need some advice drove the jeep into a water crossing and there was a giant hole in the middle. Whole front end went under and then came out but she shut down completely aka died. I just finished pulling her out but or where do I go from here. Everything in the engine got pretty wet. I don't know where to turn from here. Help!

[Spectormj]

Pull your plugs drain the oil and let it dry then new plugs coil and oil

[Lowly]

Hopefully that is enough to fix it. : /

[shelbyluvv]

Did water get into the air box? If it sat in the water for longer than a few minutes I would drian the diffs, t-case and transmission as well. Turn it over with all of the plugs removed and see if water comes out of the plug holes.

[Lowly]

Yes, air box was pretty wet. I am sure it sucked up some water. :(

[Spectormj]

Did water get into the air box? If it sat in the water for longer than a few minutes I would drian the diffs, t-case and transmission as well. Turn it over with all of the plugs removed and see if water comes out of the plug holes.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Lowly]

 

Here is the video of it going into the crossing probably was going a bit to fast. 

[Spectormj]

You sir are lucky you didn't hydrolock

[Lowly]

Pulled and replaced all plugs, new air and oil filter, changed the oil let it dry out. Jeep is running well, but has a small knocking noise that it didn't have before? Any ideas of what it could be? Tomorrow I will change the transmission fluid and read diff. oil. Anything else I can do or should do? Should I change the distributor cap? 

 

Thank goodness she is running again, I was so worried I cracked the engine being it was so hot when it went into the deep hole. Thanks for all the advice really helped. NO more water not until I get a snorkel at least.    

 

[Lowly]

Someone told me to add 1 quart of ATF to the oil drive it for 50 miles and then replace the oil to clean out the engine? I wanted to get the opinion from you guys first is this something that would be good to do?

[gogmorgo]

Lots of older guys recommend it. It may not work as well as something like seafoam, but it won't hurt. My sister once ran about three quarts of atf in my dad's old oil-burning chev, just grabbed the wrong jug in the dark. Motor didn't really care.

[thejim42]

Trans fluid is better than seafoam. Its a detergant so it cleans but still gives lubrication. I personal wouldnt drive that way. I put 2 QTS in my old f150 let it idle for an hour and reved it up every once in a while and then drained the oil while everything was still pretty warm.