Differences between 86 and 87 trucks

[zjrog]

I'm considering buying two 'Manches.

 

86 is a XLS (I think I have that right), with 2.5, AX5, NP207, 4x4, longbed. It has a shell on it and a sunroof, but also has rust issues above the bed wheelwells, the drivers door has a rust perforation and the tailgate has rust perforation. Interior isn't bad, but should clean up some. Truck is supposed to run with a new battery, but needs a windshield and new brakes.

 

87 is base shortbed with 2.5, AX4 and bedliner. No Power steering even, I think air in the tires was even an option... Body is MOSTLY straight, paint is faded, it wears a later tailgate since the tailgate says 4.0. The right front fender in front of the door is mangled along with the leading edge of the door. 87 doesn't run and hasn't since it was put in storage years ago. Don't know why it doesn't run at this time. Interior is in better shape than the 86, not a time capsule, but not too bad.

 

Both trucks are grey, both trucks have mismatched wheels and both need tires...

 

Whats worse is, I knowwhere there is an 88 I could probably get cheap too... With three MJs, I could be like Pete!!!

[feerocknok]

Well, if you plan on getting the 2.5, just get the '86 cause it's nicer. If you plan on dropping in a 4., get the '87, cause the firewall and header panel are already prepped.

[Wildman]

I would say, if you have the room to store them, and the price is right, like couple hundred -to- $300 I would get them both, and if the '88 is a good ride, pick that one up.

 

The two you discribe have parts that are interchangeable, at worst, you can take the 2 MJ's and make one mean street machine. Putting the parts over to the '86 would be the better of the two. You do want to keep the 4wd, and the AX5 is a better tranmission of the 2. Also, I like the ride of the lwb better than the swb. If the '86 doors are really bad, change out the doors from the '87.

 

I don't know if you want to get into a project like that, or just want a MJ to drive, but you will be suprised that once you start working on them.....Well you got bitten by the MJ bug :D

 

Also having a part vehicle at hand is alot easyer to do a project, you never know what part is missing, or broken, and you just reach over to the parts truck, and there it is.

 

Just remenber, A person can never have too many MJ's

 

And some of us have more that 3 MJ's :D

[DirtyComanche]

It all depends what you want to do with it... If you want to make it nice, AVOID rust at all costs. Just because a little surface rust turns into a lot of pinholes, and rotted out fenders/bedsides once you try to clean it up. But at the same time, there's some body panels that are a PITA to straighten.

 

 

 

 

For a wheeler I figure as long as there isn't any huge holes in bad places you're good.

[Eagle]

In a 4-cylinder, both the '86 and the '87 will have the Renix throttle body injection, so mechanically they are about the same. As noted, though, if you think you may want to upgrade to a 4.0L in the future, the '87 or '88 will have the engine compartment properly shaped to accept it. The '86 won't -- and reports of how much "massaging" is necessary range all the way from "not a damn thing" to "I had to cut out the entire firewall and reweld it."

 

I know a guy in Rhode Island who had his '86 converted. He took it to a Jeep shop -- not a dealer, an independent who specializes in Jeeps. After serious consideration, their solution was to chop the two vehicles in half through the front door opening, and weld the '88 front onto the '86 rear half.

 

YMMV

[feerocknok]

After serious consideration, their solution was to chop the two vehicles in half through the front door opening, and weld the '88 front onto the '86 rear half.

:eek:

[DirtyComanche]

Apparently they shipped with two different firewalls.

 

 

 

If I was to swap something in a 2.5L MJ it wouldn't be a 4oh. For the work I think a guy could do better.

[zjrog]

I haven't decided yet on the 87. It would be a good choice because the body needs a lot less attention, save for replacing the passenger front fender. It just popped up on my radar in the last couple days. It is about as basic a vehicle as could be. And it hasn't run in years. In fact it quit when it was put in storage... So that is an unknown.

 

The 86 is just down the street from me, has rust through both rear fenders above the fflares, and rust through in the drivers door (middle of the door, how did that happen?). It will also need a windshield. I'm told, the truck will start with a new battery, and it also needs brakes.

 

Both trucks will need going through, fluids, filters, belts, brakes...

 

I had been thinking about the 86 for a couple weeks now, thinking I might just keep it street legal, but shorten the wheelbase and use 4 links and coils in the back, hack the remaining frame off and make a short flatbed. But make sure the tires are covered and mud flapped... and I figured I'd run the 2.5 into the ground and then replace it with a 3.1 or 3.4 V6.

 

I just hate having spent a pile of money I could have used for buyin the 87... THe 86 will be uber cheap and isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But, what the heck, my Neon is paid off early...

 

Thanks guys!

[feerocknok]

The 86 is just down the street from me, has rust through both rear fenders above the flares...

If you want to keep the bed, I would suggest avoiding this truck. The quarter panels are hard to come by in good condition, and are outrageously priced new. You can patch it, I guess. Depends how much you like bodywork and working with sheetmetal. Some guys love doing that stuff.

[DirtyComanche]

The rust in the middle of the doors is strangely common.

 

 

 

They must have screwed something up at the factory.

[JeepcoMJ]

buy them all! I need someone else other than Pete to compete with :D

[Eagle]

buy them all! I need someone else other than Pete to compete with :D

So what am I, chopped liver? I still have five MJs in the fleet, even after passing three of them on to other people.

[JeepcoMJ]

buy them all! I need someone else other than Pete to compete with :D

So what am I, chopped liver? I still have five MJs in the fleet, even after passing three of them on to other people.

 

Eagle, we're competing for a close second to you...:D

 

 

hey, fyi I have seen no FACTUAL evidence of a firewall difference between 86 and 87 years. matter of fact, out of the 2 86's with 2.8's I have, i've found the firewalls are identical to the 87 4.0 that my brother drives...we had engines out of all of them. the 86 2.5 we had was the same as well, and my dad's 86 renault has the SAME firewall as well the only diffrences would be an inch or so here or there around the bellhousing area, but a big hammer cures that. no cutting necessary.

 

so for swap purposes, I'd say either is good. the 87 is better so buy it, drivetrain in an mj is completely replaceable, it's the body that's hard to find in good shape.

[Eagle]

hey, fyi I have seen no FACTUAL evidence of a firewall difference between 86 and 87 years. matter of fact, out of the 2 86's with 2.8's I have, i've found the firewalls are identical to the 87 4.0 that my brother drives...we had engines out of all of them. the 86 2.5 we had was the same as well, and my dad's 86 renault has the SAME firewall as well the only diffrences would be an inch or so here or there around the bellhousing area, but a big hammer cures that. no cutting necessary.

 

so for swap purposes, I'd say either is good. the 87 is better so buy it, drivetrain in an mj is completely replaceable, it's the body that's hard to find in good shape.

All my info is second-hand on this. Some reports say the swap required mild reshaping with a body hammer. Other reports say a section of firewall had to be cut out. And one guy said there was no problem.

 

I have two scrap heaps in the yard that I hope to cut up into small pieces. The plan is to save both firewalls and compare them. One's an 86 and the other's an 87.

[DirtyComanche]

How it was explained to me was that the firewall change was done either late in the 85 year or early in the 86 as it was already pretty much written in stone that the 4.0 would be replacing the 2.8.

 

 

FWIW, my 86 firewall was identical to the one in my 89. Save a few holes drilled in random places.