ChuckP Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Well it's been a long wait to get a Comanche. I've wanted one for a long time but I never seemed to be at the right place at the right time. I remember getting up early one day, driving out to some "town" east of Denver (about an 1.5 hours away) to go buy a Comanche, I got there, test drove it, offered him full asking price only to find out he promised he would sell it to someone else... Other times I would contact the seller immediately after their ad was posted only to find out I was the 3rd person in line and of course the first person would buy it. Well this time was different, The ad was just posted the day before, there was no phone number only a vague location on a map and an email address. I emailed him, he didn't reply. The location was only 5 or so blocks away from where I work. So I just went out driving to look for it and I ended up finding it! I was thrilled. The guy was even home at that time. We negotiated on a price and I am now the new owner of a 1988 Jeep Comanche Pioneer 4.0L 5-speed 4x4 short bed with 138K original miles. Exactly what I wanted. The body is really straight all around, minor bits of surface rust here and there, but it was a Colorado Springs car it's entire life. It still has the original sticker from the dealership here that it was bought from in 1988.The Jeep was side swiped out in front of his house so there is minor cosmetic damage across the drivers side, and the car hit the front tire so it bend the tie rod and maybe a couple other parts. But that's ok, I got it for a fair price and I have big plans for it. I plan on doing a 97+ conversion to it and maybe a slight lift with some 31's. Just a real clean 1988 Comanche. I'll probably repaint it white just to avoid having to paint engine bay and door jams, but who knows. Maybe I'll tear it all apart and paint it a color I really want. I'm just really excited. I can get more pictures later once the tow truck driver delivers it but this is all I have right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Congrats on the find! That's the exact kind of vehicle I try to get my hands on, rough, but nothing major. It looks like it should clean up fairly easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadinator Posted June 13, 2015 Share Posted June 13, 2015 Congrats. Mine has 2" lift pucks, chevy drop shackles and 31's to give you an idea of how it will sit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
64 Cheyenne Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Congrats! Somewhere else for all your money to go.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeep Driver Posted June 14, 2015 Share Posted June 14, 2015 Good for you!!!!!! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckP Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Thanks guys, after doing a little more research I think I want to move to 4:10's and 33's. After peeking under the back of the truck I was pleased to see that it also has a Dana 44 axle. Pretty rare on a 4.0L and 5-speed from what I'm reading. So I'm thinking of doing SOA on the rear. What parts would I need for the front? I know I can search up the ying yang for all this information and I still will, but if there is someone reading this that feels like pitching in please do. Another option would be to have a guy up in Denver do a full regear and new install of a Ford 8.8 for $1100 OTD, not sure if I want to spend that much money on it or not even though it seems like a great deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnny quest Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 nice! clean Olympic MJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yellaheep Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Another option would be to have a guy up in Denver do a full regear and new install of a Ford 8.8 for $1100 OTD, not sure if I want to spend that much money on it or not even though it seems like a great deal. If you're referring to this "SFF Customs" guy on Craigslist........http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/5052684592.html Please look elsewhere. He's a tool and a cheat. Has no legit business established with the State or City, no licenses, pays no taxes. He was run off from NAXJA for his bad business dealings and had to start doing work on Ford Rangers/Broncos with other clubs to keep working. Now he gets his business exclusively on Facebook and Craigslist. Unreal to me how he's stayed in business this long. Get signed up on NAXJA and hit the Colorado Chapter. There are a few guys there that can set up an 8.8 for an MJ better and cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckP Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 Another option would be to have a guy up in Denver do a full regear and new install of a Ford 8.8 for $1100 OTD, not sure if I want to spend that much money on it or not even though it seems like a great deal. If you're referring to this "SFF Customs" guy on Craigslist........http://denver.craigslist.org/pts/5052684592.html Please look elsewhere. He's a tool and a cheat. Has no legit business established with the State or City, no licenses, pays no taxes. He was run off from NAXJA for his bad business dealings and had to start doing work on Ford Rangers/Broncos with other clubs to keep working. Now he gets his business exclusively on Facebook and Craigslist. Unreal to me how he's stayed in business this long. Get signed up on NAXJA and hit the Colorado Chapter. There are a few guys there that can set up an 8.8 for an MJ better and cheaper. Yeah, that is the guy I'm talking about. What kind of bad dealings are you talking about? Is his work pretty poor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 You can pick up a complete ford 8.8 with 4.10's and a limited slip from the JY for less than $200 in most places. Why pay someone 5.5 times that much to do something that you can get yourself for cheap? If the welding of spring perches and shock mounts is the only thing you need, then find a good 4x4 shop in your area, bring them the axle, and pay them a few hundred bucks to do the work. They would most likely be able to quote you a price, and if you can do some of the work yourself (IE. cutting off the old leaf spring perches) it may save you a little money. Even better, if you can get access to a basic MIG welder, you can buy the perches and shock mounts yourself, follow any number of threads doing said axle swap, tack the brackets on, and pay a pro welder a bit of money to burn them on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChuckP Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 I'm not worried about pulling an axle at the junk yard or installing it. I would be worried about any sort of welding as I have never done it before. Also regearing the front would be pretty daunting for me to make sure it's done right. Also the fact that I don't have a garage or a driveway is disconcerting as I park on the street in front of my house on a hill. Not really the best place to work on a truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megadan Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 Re-gearing the front can be done by any competent shop or mechanic. If I were you I would call around to some performance or off-road shops and see what they charge for a re-gear and axle swap work. If you get a 4.10 equipped 8.8, that will save you money to re-gear, which can then go to installation costs for welding etc. Re-gearing the front, depending on the shop, should cost right around 500-600. Again, just a ball park figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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