Motorcharge Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 Maybe I missed it but what's your steering setup and how does it drive without a stabilizer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattwheels Posted January 4, 2015 Share Posted January 4, 2015 from the looks of it, it looks like WJ steering, and from what I've heard it even without the stabilizer its pretty nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBeast Posted January 5, 2015 Share Posted January 5, 2015 Nice ! I don't think paint jobs that bad.,.but to each there own. What vents do you have in your hood? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Lebaron vents in the hood. Steering is something homemade from a previous owner. 3/4" rod ends, solid steel. Everything is pretty much late 70's Bronco. Handles fine without a stabilizer. I've done probably 70-80mph (broken speedo) in a straight line down the highway and it tracked great. It drives like a monster truck though, big and slow with the turning radius of a school bus. Went snowboarding today, I'll be back into the truck again tomorrow. Firewall, dash mounting tabs, and the fuel tank are on the to-do list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 6, 2015 Author Share Posted January 6, 2015 More progress on the firewall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Drivetrain is in the truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 12, 2015 Author Share Posted January 12, 2015 Dash is in, fits nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddFoot Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 thats my favorite 97 up interior color i had it in my 99 tan and black loved it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 Got the truck running the other day. Runs great, no check engine light, no airbag light. Laying paint all weekend. Giving the $50 Rustoleum paint job a try. If you're not familiar with it, it's just rolled on Rustoleum, lots of coats, with a heavy wetsand at the end to remove roller lines and orange peel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddFoot Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 hey tractor supply sells clear coat and a gal thats ready mixed that you just spray. i test sprayed it over rustoleum sail blue because i had it laying around. the blue was cured for about 2 weeks before i put the clear on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 hey tractor supply sells clear coat and a gal thats ready mixed that you just spray. i test sprayed it over rustoleum sail blue because i had it laying around. the blue was cured for about 2 weeks before i put the clear on. Remember what its called? You spray it on with a regular paint gun? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Teaser pic, almost done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBeast Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Looking Great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dscowell Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Very nice. Looks much better without the camo paint job in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuddFoot Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 majic clear coat its ready to spray with a spray gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Because Friday the 13th... Got hit by a blind old woman leaving an eye appointment. She blew over a raised crosswalk, through a yield, and tried to cut left across 3 lanes. I swerved as hard as I could from the far right to the far left, but she still stuck the nose of her 07' RAV4 under my passenger side door, we spun sideways, and drove the back tire over her hood. How we didn't flip, being sideways at 45mph and on 2 wheels is magic! Currently doing battle with her insurance company. My buddy in the passenger seat got slammed pretty hard, and the steering is all out of whack now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kickinmule Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Ouch! Gettin old must suck... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash_AF Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Damn that sucks. Steering out of whack may be the rear axle shifted, probably sheared a leaf spring pin when you drove over her hood. I want to do a 97+ conversion to a Comanche, how hard did you find it? I can do everything but the sheetmetal work to the firewall myself. Want to help? LOL Good luck with the insurance company, just remember that their client hit you, so you are not obligated to take a settlement you aren't satisfied with. It just depends on how much patience you have in dealing with them. Later, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 The swap was very time consuming! Took a solid 3 weeks in my shop. The firewall is actually an easy part. Cut it out of the donor, lay it over the MJ, and tack weld it into place. Cover the holes you don't need and trim out the ones you do. Then smear the seams with sealer. The fuel tank, emissions crap, and wiring harness for the cab and rear were more difficult. I'm fairly good at handling insurance companies. Long story short, crashed an 01' Integra at 5mph, they offered $2,000 and they keep the car. We finished at $5,000, I kept the car, sold it for $2,800 and got the next 6 months of my insurance comped because they screwed the claim up so bad. I'm in a 2015 Nissan Frontier for a rental. It's nice driving something new again, but my 2012 Tacoma was a waayyyyyy better truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash_AF Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 What did you end up doing for the fuel tank? Oh, and how did you total the Integra at 5MPH? Inquiring minds just gotta know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 I used the MJ tank, cut a hole in the top, and dropped the XJ pump down into it. There's a little more to it than that, but I didn't use a Dakota or TJ tank. The Integra... A pedestrian ignored the signs, traffic did a panic stop, and I wasn't quick enough. Stuck the nose down under the @$$ of a Grand Prix. Not even a scratch on his car, but it got my hood, headlights, bumper, fenders, and radiator support. Car ran and drove fine with no leaks, but Allstate opted to total it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crash_AF Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Nice... I'd really like to see what you did with the tank sometime as I think that will be the second biggest hurdle for me to get over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zfinger Posted March 24, 2015 Author Share Posted March 24, 2015 You turn your MJ tank into an XJ tank. Swap over the vent and the rollover valve. Trim the inside pan down a bit. I haven't tested this tank off-road yet, no idea how it'll handle an incline. And I've been refilling at 150 miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akula69 Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 Interesting work on the tank. Couple of questions if you don't mind: 1) What sealant did you use around the rollover valve and sender? 2) Did you weld the old sender hole shut or just throw the old MJ sender back in? 3) Did you make or buy the hold downs for the XJ sender? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now