Comanche for the Snow

[Brickmiata]

Finished the ujoints today and installed the new Transfer case linkage. Both work great now.

 

New upgraded battery cables and terminals are in also.

 

Found my reverse light problem was the wires resting on the exhaust. I did not have the wire and soldering iron to fix the problem at the time but by the end of the week that and the liscence plate light will be sorted out.

 

Making good progress despite the setbacks

[Brickmiata]

Well, the snow has stopped falling in New England for now and we are getting above freezing temperatures for the first time in months this week. The MJ is currenlty serving as a simple daily driver and is getting pretty good mpgs without the plow hanging off of it all the time.

 

That said, most of my wrenching is now focussed on getting the "race car" to where it needs to be for the start of the season.

 

 

The plow and snowblower are now out of the way and the car is up on stands in the center of the garage getting coilovers, endlinks, a 1.7lb battery!, some seam welding and some creatively unseen weight reductions.

[Brickmiata]

Well, the snow seems to be about done for the season and it's not yet warm enough to have the comanche off the road for its numerous repairs and upgrades for next winter so I have not had much of a chance to get any work done on it.

 

I have been just generally messing around with it.

 

 

And I've also been able to get quite a bit of work done on the autox car.

 

 

The miata is getting corner balanced and a race alignment this coming week. And once it's on the road, the comanche will be put in the air for a post winter refresh and some light upgrades like lockers and a better rear axle (44 or 8.25, I don't really have a preference)

[Brickmiata]

I took the day off Friday and dedicated about 14hrs to the MJ. It was a mad rush to get an inspection sticker and it worked out very well because Saturday, the 4yr old Virginia sticker was removed and a brand new MA sticker took its place.

 

First on the list was all the electrical issues. Rewired the reverse light switch and those came back, replaced some of the front sockets, rear harness and fuse holders and the rest came back. The only thing that might still need doing is either adjusting or replacing the brake light switch as it engages about halfway down the pedal travel.

 

Anyway, happy to be done with the electrical mayhem, I moved on to making some wheel wells for inside the bed and welding in some patches on the rockers/cab corners.

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, it got a real alignment for the first time in god knows how many years. The thrust angle turns out to be wonky due to some contact in the past but the got everything to match front and rear, the steering wheel points straight ahead and it feels good going down the road so I'm happy. Coincidentally, I saw another Comanche in pretty good shape when I went to pick it up from the alignment shop in Clinton, MA (if you're on here, hit me up)

[Brickmiata]

FOR SALE!!!

 

House projects a thinning the heard down to just a few 4 seat vehicles in prep for a future mini-me

 

I will soon turn to the for sale forum and list it for real but as a quick recap, this truck is a 87 4.0 with an ax15/np231 with around 200k on it.  It passed inspection last week and I do have the title in hand.

 

Subaru wrx seats

brand new brake rotors, pads, calipers, drums, wheel cylinders, and a 96 booster/master cylinder

upgraded to 100amp alternator

Kelley's WIP upgraded battery cables (full kit with everything available)

upgraded grp34 battery

full cluster with tack, etc and all sensors swapped so everything works (shows 145k I believe)

rebuilt shifter

boostwerks transfer case shifter and boy does it work nicely

New clutch 5k miles ago when the ax15 was put in

new clutch master and slave cylinders

All new fluids everywhere

new plugs, wires, cap and rotor

New ujoints front to back

7ft fischer plow wired in and works 100% of the time

2" lift BDS front coils to level out with the plow frame on there

All new shocks

Nates 4x4 rear bumper and license plate relocated to the tailgate for ground clearance 

Almost all of cruisers renix tips have been completed on this truck and almost every bulb on the truck is new along with half the wiring

The tires have tons of life left in them and do great in the snow

 

 

It has home made 1/8' steel boxes for wheel wells in the bed and it has had each rocker patched recently (they will be bedlined to match before sale)

 

It currently has a rusty drivers side floor although it isn't a problem yet and has no mechanical problems whatsoever and is ready to drive/work.  I'm asking $5k OBO as it sits with everything including the plow and everything jeep in the garage.  In just a few short months, this truck went from something I didn't trust on the street to a fully functioning money making machine and I would not hesitate to drive it across the country

 

[Brickmiata]

Welded a new (way overkill) chain on the plow today. This enabled me to put a slightly longer chain on also. The old chain was just barely too short and would occasionally lift the blade off the ground as the truck created hills. Much better and much stronger now.

 

I also spent the time to put the new dome lights in today.

 

FYI PRICE DROP TO 4k OBO. I love this truck but it has to go.

 

 

[Brickmiata]

Sorted and cleaned all the rough edges.

 

 

Then sold it yesterday to another jeep family.