cjomanche Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Hi everyone. I didn't see an "Introductions" section of the forum, so this looks to be as good a spot as any to make my first post. Thank you for allowing me to register. Looks like a great community to be a part of. I visited a friend in the Death Valley area last month (he may already be a member here) and saw that he had purchased an MJ. Truth be told, I've never seen one in person before (or I hadn't been paying attention). I was there with my 1st generation Xterra for a weekend of wheeling. I like my vehicle overall, and it's done well on some pretty challenging trails I've taken it on, but I know that eventually I will be limited by it. The torsion bar suspension just isn't very good. To get rid of it and get some decent coilovers, I would need to do a straight axle swap, and at that point, I'm into it for some serious money (7-10k seems average). Part of me would rather have a truck, anyway. The MJ seems to have everything I would want, and I like that it's not a common wheeling vehicle. So I've been keeping an eye out for the last couple of weeks. I haven't quite decided on whether to go with a manual or an automatic, yet. I do plan on towing a small trailer in the near future, so the 5000 lb towing capacity of the automatic looks good compared to the 2,000 with the manual. I think I might regret selecting a manual transmission once I get into some steep and rocky sections on some trails. For everything else though, I'm a fan of manual transmissions over autos. I definitely want the short wheel base version, and preferably the 1991-1992 model years, due to the HO motor and some other upgrades. Any advice to help me on my search efforts? I'm hoping someone here might know someone selling one, or be able to keep an eye out for me. I live in So Cal but would be willing to pick up anywhere, within reason. Thank you in advance for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shelbyluvv Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 Welcome. What part of SoCal are you in? The SoCal Chapter of NAXJA has some great guys in it and they will help you find an MJ. I have spent many years in the SoCal desert. Who were you wheeling with that had a MJ? I moved your introduction post to the pub. Post up in the wanted section exactly what you are looking for and also check out the good, bad and rusty thread in the not your stuff section of the classifieds. Don't turn away from a nice 2wd either. Making it 4wd is a bolt in affair and the NAXJA SoCal Chapter will bend over backwards to help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjomanche Posted July 15, 2015 Author Share Posted July 15, 2015 Thanks for the welcome. I thought NAXJA was strictly an XJ club, so I never considered going to them. I'll probably join there to in order to increase my odds of finding something. I don't know if my friend has an account here or not. He just got his MJ and is in the process of stripping it out. I can't remember what he said he was putting in there. Thanks for the advice regarding a 2wd. I must admit, I'm not the most handy when it comes to working on rigs. Most of the upgrades I put into the Xterra I had done in the shop. I can replace brakes, do oil changes, and other minor work, but when it comes to fabricating, welding, tearing apart an engine, and doing serious mods I'm not at that point yet. Maybe if I get a nice beater MJ it'll force me to learn this stuff for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siopposition Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 He was out in death valley wheeling with me. I have a 90 MJ I picked up for a song a couple.months ago. It's not in operation yet. In fact far from it. I've decided to put it on blocks and build.it completely before ever putting it on the trail. This includes a full 97+ swap. I am apart of NAXJA as well. My dad's and my xj is a 1995 2dr. 4.7/ stroker, 4.56 and arbs front and rear, D-60 trussed rear, D-44 trussed front. 4:1 x-case ax 15 backed with a doubler. I'm no stranger to ripping into trucks. Just doubt my self some times. But Chris we could always plan a work weekends and swap whatever you get out into a 4wd if it end up being a 2wd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjomanche Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 He was out in death valley wheeling with me. I have a 90 MJ I picked up for a song a couple.months ago. It's not in operation yet. In fact far from it. I've decided to put it on blocks and build.it completely before ever putting it on the trail. This includes a full 97+ swap. I am apart of NAXJA as well. My dad's and my xj is a 1995 2dr. 4.7/ stroker, 4.56 and arbs front and rear, D-60 trussed rear, D-44 trussed front. 4:1 x-case ax 15 backed with a doubler. I'm no stranger to ripping into trucks. Just doubt my self some times. But Chris we could always plan a work weekends and swap whatever you get out into a 4wd if it end up being a 2wd. Here's the guy who got me looking around at Jeeps, lol. That XJ is crazy... Sounds like a plan. I would love some more excuses to go out there. I took a look at the weather where you are.... looks really nice. Last month it was 115 but it's been in the 80's? Might be time for a weekend trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siopposition Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Yea last weekend was super nice. But its starting to creep back up. Still comfortable, but getting warmer for.sure. still you coming.out gives me an excuse to take a day or two off work. We can always head to the sierras and find new roads in some altitude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjomanche Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Yea last weekend was super nice. But its starting to creep back up. Still comfortable, but getting warmer for.sure. still you coming.out gives me an excuse to take a day or two off work. We can always head to the sierras and find new roads in some altitude. How much advance notice do you need to give? I can leave on Fridays after work and be out there by about 9:00-9:30. I only have my daily driver at the moment, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siopposition Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Getting the....other things fixed on the xterra are we? But I need at least a week....but were getting busy so.2 is best really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjomanche Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Getting the....other things fixed on the xterra are we? But I need at least a week....but were getting busy so.2 is best really. I'm afraid so. Still in the process of moving and I've been doing some projects around the new apartment that I felt too busy to work on the Xterra. My mechanic owed me a favor on something he screwed up last time so I figured it was time to call it in. Good to hear the place is keeping busy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daking Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 I keep my eyes open for a good or decent 91/92 Comanche 4X4 with a 4.0. Extremely hard to find one. My current MJ started out as a 4X2 manual. Converted to 4X4 auto. I've been looking for a 2nd one. I've seen a few already fixed up. Good luck, nice to see a new Comanche person! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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