Street Comanche #16

[Goatman]

The Comanche has been sitting for a few years after getting rear ended. I'm in the process of getting it fixed and painted. One of the ground effects pieces is destroyed, the pass side wheel well to rear bumper. Are there any ideas out there about a replacement? Anyone who might have pieces of a kit laying around? I'm trying to have the piece made but it's problematic. Thinking about taking all the pieces off and sending them out to get put into CAD so they could be duplicated some day if needed. Only problem is $$$.

 

Thanks for any info or ideas at all,

 

Richard G

[Strokermjcomanche]

If you have all the pieces , does it looks like they can be glued back together ? There are some good products out there ( lord fusor , 3m ) that will hold without cracking . Then if you wanted to , put some fiberglass mesh for added strength .

[neohic]

Yup... unobtainable parts at this point. Any pictures of the truck?

[DirtyComanche]

Are they plastic or fiberglass?

 

Either can generally be repaired...

[Goatman]

Unfortunately, the part is missing. I didn't realize until too late that the part was in pieces and likely swept up junk on the road. Bummer.

 

So, I need to recreate the piece. There was a post on here I thought from awhile back about someone who had some parts. Fat chance they're still around...

[Goatman]

Ahh...found it. A kit for sale from last year. I had tried to contact him much later than the post with no luck.

 

http://comancheclub.com/topic/51057-real-street-comanche-body-kit-ca-750-obo/?hl=street+comanche

[Strokermjcomanche]

Unfortunately, the part is missing. I didn't realize until too late that the part was in pieces and likely swept up junk on the road. Bummer.

 

So, I need to recreate the piece. There was a post on here I thought from awhile back about someone who had some parts. Fat chance they're still around...

Those mouldings were sold , time to start adapting or make something to fit .

[neohic]

Any pictures of the truck?

 

:redX:

[yellaheep]

Hi Richard!   :waving:

 

I didn't realize you still had that Street Jeep, thought I'd read a post a while back somewhere in Naxja that one of the SoCal guys ended up with it.

 

I always keep my eye out for those kinds of parts and snatch them when I find them but so far, I've not seen one other than one I took a photo of years ago at a pull-n-pay yard when I didn't know it's rarity - just thought the body kit was some JC Whitney thing....... been kicking myself ever since as I also wonder if the plaque had been on the dash but didn't know to look for it....... 

 

 

Edit:

 

Found the pics of the Street Jeep I'd found in a junk yard...... back in May of '11.  Doesn't look like it had the piece needed anyway, but I wish I'd have grabbed the pieces it did have.

 

 

[HOrnbrod]

Damn - you keep good records mate.   :cheers:

[Goatman]

[Goatman]

I have decided to remove all of the ground effects parts and try to get them scanned into CAD, so there is a way in the future to replicate them. I don't want to go through this again if the truck gets in another wreck or they get damaged. We'll see. I want to get the truck fixed, painted, and back on the road. I need to get the opposite side of the part I'm missing into CAD so it can be reversed, then a mold made. Unfortunately it's going to cost some $$ but I think it will be worth it to have it original. The truck is getting repainted the original red...I've resisted the temptation to paint it yellow.   :yes:

 

I also have another short bed MJ that we're going to race in LeMons and Lucky Dog Series. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to paint it and sticker it to look like the Archer Bros trucks. Suspension will be very low, it has an 8.8 rear end and AX15. Also has a Vanco/Black Magic big brake kit in the front with Dodge 1500 13.25" rotors and calipers. Talk about stopping with 26" tires! We were running cut down Rancho 3" lift coils in the front of the XJ (that got hit hard) and those will go in the MJ, and while they're pretty stiff I'm also going to look for something stiffer. The XJ LeMons racer was fun, but I think we're going to really like the MJ. We have a freshened up 4.7 that came out of the KOH car 4643, which we also ran in the XJ. Don't tell anybody...  :dunno:  It's 10+ compression, big cam, big valves, super ported and polished head, etc, etc. I'd love to get the Street Comanche air dam replicated and put it on the racer, but it would be pricey to do.

[Jeep Driver]

I have decided to remove all of the ground effects parts and try to get them scanned into CAD, so there is a way in the future to replicate them. I don't want to go through this again if the truck gets in another wreck or they get damaged. We'll see. I want to get the truck fixed, painted, and back on the road. I need to get the opposite side of the part I'm missing into CAD so it can be reversed, then a mold made. Unfortunately it's going to cost some $$ but I think it will be worth it to have it original. The truck is getting repainted the original red...I've resisted the temptation to paint it yellow.   :yes:

 

I also have another short bed MJ that we're going to race in LeMons and Lucky Dog Series. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to paint it and sticker it to look like the Archer Bros trucks. Suspension will be very low, it has an 8.8 rear end and AX15. Also has a Vanco/Black Magic big brake kit in the front with Dodge 1500 13.25" rotors and calipers. Talk about stopping with 26" tires! We were running cut down Rancho 3" lift coils in the front of the XJ (that got hit hard) and those will go in the MJ, and while they're pretty stiff I'm also going to look for something stiffer. The XJ LeMons racer was fun, but I think we're going to really like the MJ. We have a freshened up 4.7 that came out of the KOH car 4643, which we also ran in the XJ. Don't tell anybody...  :dunno:  It's 10+ compression, big cam, big valves, super ported and polished head, etc, etc. I'd love to get the Street Comanche air dam replicated and put it on the racer, but it would be pricey to do.

Can you expound on the brakes a bit, maybe a pic or two?

[shelbyluvv]

He Richard! Glad to have you here my friend. Looking forward to the MJ build.

[ComancheKid45]

[jpnjim]

I have decided to remove all of the ground effects parts and try to get them scanned into CAD, so there is a way in the future to replicate them. I don't want to go through this again if the truck gets in another wreck or they get damaged. We'll see. I want to get the truck fixed, painted, and back on the road. I need to get the opposite side of the part I'm missing into CAD so it can be reversed, then a mold made. Unfortunately it's going to cost some $$ but I think it will be worth it to have it original. The truck is getting repainted the original red...I've resisted the temptation to paint it yellow.   :yes:

 

I also have another short bed MJ that we're going to race in LeMons and Lucky Dog Series. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to paint it and sticker it to look like the Archer Bros trucks. Suspension will be very low, it has an 8.8 rear end and AX15. Also has a Vanco/Black Magic big brake kit in the front with Dodge 1500 13.25" rotors and calipers. Talk about stopping with 26" tires! We were running cut down Rancho 3" lift coils in the front of the XJ (that got hit hard) and those will go in the MJ, and while they're pretty stiff I'm also going to look for something stiffer. The XJ LeMons racer was fun, but I think we're going to really like the MJ. We have a freshened up 4.7 that came out of the KOH car 4643, which we also ran in the XJ. Don't tell anybody...  :dunno:  It's 10+ compression, big cam, big valves, super ported and polished head, etc, etc. I'd love to get the Street Comanche air dam replicated and put it on the racer, but it would be pricey to do.

That's pretty awesome, hope you post up plenty of pics (or video!) when it's done.

 

ZJ rear coils are the same as MJ/XJ/ZJ/TJ fronts, only a lot shorter.

Might be worth trying some uncut rear lift coils instead of the cut down front lift coils if you came across a set.

I've used them + spacers in the front of XJ/MJ's when I wanted stiffer than factory springs, but not a higher ride height.

[Goatman]

 

 

Can you expound on the brakes a bit, maybe a pic or two?

 

It's the Vanco/Black Magic big kit for 17" rims. Ours is the prototype kit for the 13.25" rotors, Blaine thought putting it on the race Jeep would be a good test fit for the kit. Unfortunately we blew the motor and haven't raced since so he got short changed on feedback from us on the kit, but needless to say it works great, you can't make them fade.

 

http://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/VANCO-17-Big-Brake-Kit-with-BMB-Pads-for-17-Rims-BBK-N17.htm

[Goatman]

 

I have decided to remove all of the ground effects parts and try to get them scanned into CAD, so there is a way in the future to replicate them. I don't want to go through this again if the truck gets in another wreck or they get damaged. We'll see. I want to get the truck fixed, painted, and back on the road. I need to get the opposite side of the part I'm missing into CAD so it can be reversed, then a mold made. Unfortunately it's going to cost some $$ but I think it will be worth it to have it original. The truck is getting repainted the original red...I've resisted the temptation to paint it yellow.   :yes:

 

I also have another short bed MJ that we're going to race in LeMons and Lucky Dog Series. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to paint it and sticker it to look like the Archer Bros trucks. Suspension will be very low, it has an 8.8 rear end and AX15. Also has a Vanco/Black Magic big brake kit in the front with Dodge 1500 13.25" rotors and calipers. Talk about stopping with 26" tires! We were running cut down Rancho 3" lift coils in the front of the XJ (that got hit hard) and those will go in the MJ, and while they're pretty stiff I'm also going to look for something stiffer. The XJ LeMons racer was fun, but I think we're going to really like the MJ. We have a freshened up 4.7 that came out of the KOH car 4643, which we also ran in the XJ. Don't tell anybody...  :dunno:  It's 10+ compression, big cam, big valves, super ported and polished head, etc, etc. I'd love to get the Street Comanche air dam replicated and put it on the racer, but it would be pricey to do.

That's pretty awesome, hope you post up plenty of pics (or video!) when it's done.

 

ZJ rear coils are the same as MJ/XJ/ZJ/TJ fronts, only a lot shorter.

Might be worth trying some uncut rear lift coils instead of the cut down front lift coils if you came across a set.

I've used them + spacers in the front of XJ/MJ's when I wanted stiffer than factory springs, but not a higher ride height.

 

The goal is to actually cut the coil shorter, since that raises the spring rate of the coil. I would look for the stiffest, longest coil and then cut it down to make it much stiffer. Spring rates are one of the few things (and sway bars) we can really experiment with to balance the handling front to rear. The combination of the cut Rancho coils front and a couple leaves added to the stock leaf pack rear ended up making the XJ very balanced. It would understeer or oversteer based on how it was driven and not much simply because the car wasn't balanced. The MJ has stiffer rear springs, so I'm anticipating wanting to try a stiffer spring in the front also. It's trial and error, we'll need a track day to figure it out.

[johnj92131]

Goatman, did you get hold of Comanche SS? He still has his old Street Comanche parts and they are in Del Mar near San Diego.

[jpnjim]

 

 

I have decided to remove all of the ground effects parts and try to get them scanned into CAD, so there is a way in the future to replicate them. I don't want to go through this again if the truck gets in another wreck or they get damaged. We'll see. I want to get the truck fixed, painted, and back on the road. I need to get the opposite side of the part I'm missing into CAD so it can be reversed, then a mold made. Unfortunately it's going to cost some $$ but I think it will be worth it to have it original. The truck is getting repainted the original red...I've resisted the temptation to paint it yellow.   :yes:

 

I also have another short bed MJ that we're going to race in LeMons and Lucky Dog Series. I'm pretty sure I'm going to try to paint it and sticker it to look like the Archer Bros trucks. Suspension will be very low, it has an 8.8 rear end and AX15. Also has a Vanco/Black Magic big brake kit in the front with Dodge 1500 13.25" rotors and calipers. Talk about stopping with 26" tires! We were running cut down Rancho 3" lift coils in the front of the XJ (that got hit hard) and those will go in the MJ, and while they're pretty stiff I'm also going to look for something stiffer. The XJ LeMons racer was fun, but I think we're going to really like the MJ. We have a freshened up 4.7 that came out of the KOH car 4643, which we also ran in the XJ. Don't tell anybody...  :dunno:  It's 10+ compression, big cam, big valves, super ported and polished head, etc, etc. I'd love to get the Street Comanche air dam replicated and put it on the racer, but it would be pricey to do.

That's pretty awesome, hope you post up plenty of pics (or video!) when it's done.

 

ZJ rear coils are the same as MJ/XJ/ZJ/TJ fronts, only a lot shorter.

Might be worth trying some uncut rear lift coils instead of the cut down front lift coils if you came across a set.

I've used them + spacers in the front of XJ/MJ's when I wanted stiffer than factory springs, but not a higher ride height.

 

The goal is to actually cut the coil shorter, since that raises the spring rate of the coil. I would look for the stiffest, longest coil and then cut it down to make it much stiffer. Spring rates are one of the few things (and sway bars) we can really experiment with to balance the handling front to rear. The combination of the cut Rancho coils front and a couple leaves added to the stock leaf pack rear ended up making the XJ very balanced. It would understeer or oversteer based on how it was driven and not much simply because the car wasn't balanced. The MJ has stiffer rear springs, so I'm anticipating wanting to try a stiffer spring in the front also. It's trial and error, we'll need a track day to figure it out.

 

 

 

If you really want the stiffest springs possible,

you should also try stock 1970's F150 coils, 

Lots of people used them to lift XJ's before there were so many aftermarket coils out there.

Biggest complaint was how stiff they were.

I think they're close enough to swap right over, and are dirt cheap,

once you cut some length out of them you should have the stiffest riding MJ on the planet  :eek:

 

Good luck & I'd love to read a build thread on it  :thumbsup:

[Goatman]

Goatman, did you get hold of Comanche SS? He still has his old Street Comanche parts and they are in Del Mar near San Diego.

Just posted on that thread with my contact info. I had called awhile back on the that old thread but no contact. Thanks!

[Goatman]

Well, thanks to this forum, we've hooked up and I'm picking up an original Street Comanche ground effects kit next week. That gives me the one part that I need, and spare parts if they are ever needed. The paint shop will get going on the new paint job next week, and #16 will be back on the road in late July. In mid Aug we will be driving the MJ in the west coast LeMons Rally and attending the Concours de LeMon's afterwards in Monterey. The rally starts in Monterey, then to Crescent City, next day to Bremerton WA, then to Bend OR, and the last day to Santa Cruz, then the Concours in Monterey next day. We'll be coming and going back to Bakersfield. This will be a real nice road trip for the old truck, hopefully it will do well.