Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Well I've been a long time lurker figured it was time to post something. My build is going to be extremely slow going, as I've got more projects then I can possibly do. This jeep sort of fell into my possession. A friend thru a local jeep group I met was kind of a borderline hoarder of cheap jeeps. At one point I believe he had 15 or 16 on his property. Nothing overly special or rare, he would just scoop them off of craiglist, Facebook, etc. and park them behind his barn. Well last summer the county became aware of his personal collection and came in and gave him 30 days to clear the property. At the same time his father/farm owner passed away and the property is ultimately going to be foreclosed on. I had seen his collection several times an was always drawn this particular Comanche. He said he would sell it to me for $1500 and I always pushed it off as it was non running, and rusty. Well after a visit from the county he started panic mode and contacted me to see if I wanted anything as it was all going to go to the local junkyard/scrap by the end of the week. He told me I could have it for what the junkyard offered which was $500. I told him consider it sold and was onsite that weekend to load it up. It is an 88, with the 4.0L and a column shift automatic with 4x4. It has 220,000 miles on it, and receipts for a new engine at 175,000 miles. Of course it didn't run, and I had no clue what it needed. We did get it to turn over with a battery so I knew it wasn't locked up. Could of pics of how it sat: And Here it is in my storage unit with the rest of the "projects." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 If you you look closely their was another MJ in the background that was a plow truck that was literally broken in half. The only thing salvageable on it was the taillights. It had been sitting outside with broken windows for years. I did take the taillights tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 Well after helping my buddy clear the rest of the property, and clean up around his house we found a brand new gas tank for the Comanche that came with it when he bought it and the really crummy sending unit. So now that I had a couple parts I set out to try and get it running. And I apologize for the lack of pictures, but it was all pretty straight forward. First step was to get the tank and sending unit back together. I ordered a Cherokee rebuild kit and fit everything over. I did have to modify the bracket on it to accept the new pump, cleaned the scale off the metal tubes and changed all the rubber hose out. I also took about the sender and cleaned the board. After that It all went back together with no issue. Before: After: And all back in the tank with all new rubber, and rollover valves: I installed the tank with hardware that was hidden under the seat and prayed I was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 After getting the tank in, I filled with a little fresh gas and bought a battery and tried to get it to fire. Well, after a while of no firing and checking things out I found that my injectors were pretty much clogged rock solid with sediment/varnish. So I bought the cheapest set of EBAY 4 hole injectors I could find. After changing them out I could get it to run, but it ran rough, and had a knock. Also It thin proceeded to leak from the pressure regulator. So off to ebay again for a pressure regulator. Once that was installed it would run somewhat decent but had a knock. A oil change took care of that and it ran pretty good. Here is the first pic of it moving under it's own power. Since then, I've put an alternator in it and pulled the broke fog lights off of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 This is where I kind of stalled. As I've got a 73 CJ5 in my garage I'm working on, as well as a 85 XJ, and a 78 XJ waiting in the wings. I really want to get it on the road, so it may be bumped up to the front of the list. It needs as of right now: - A tune up. - Radiator (Possibly going to open cooling system) - Brakes bled, it stops but it feels like Air is in the system, and the "brake" light is lit. -A GOOD cleaning/wax to maybe make it shiny again. -Pull the carpet, and try and figure out a plan for the rust. -Rockers / doors / bedsides and cab corners. (But not really that bad for the Rust belt of Chicagoland it spend it's entire life in.) - A seat, the bench padding is collapsed, and you can feel every wire in the seat. I've got to remember to get the vin next time so I can add it to the registry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeeppapa Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 You did really well on that congrad on your new truck and welcome. You saved it. 4X4 can’t beat that. I would consider that a barn find. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 30, 2018 Author Share Posted January 30, 2018 38 minutes ago, jeeppapa said: You did really well on that congrad on your new truck and welcome. You saved it. 4X4 can’t beat that. I would consider that a barn find. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Thanks I don't know about a barn find maybe a "field find". My "buddy" never titled it, and he bought it from the original owner. I've got the original title, as well as the bill of sale that matches the original name. I don't know the story of it, or why they replaced the engine at 175K. But someone put some love into it at one point. It's got new brake lines, new fuel lines. Newer tires (Their old now, but still have nipples on them, I don't think their are many miles on them.) It looks like they took care of it, just the rust is the worse part. It starts now and purrs, idles better then my other 4.0's with half the miles. No ticks, or knocks. The trans shifts well too. I just need to make a plan to make it look decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Looks like a good starting point and pretty original too. Other than patching it up, what kind of plans do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90BlackMJ Posted January 31, 2018 Share Posted January 31, 2018 Man what a nice find..looks real clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted January 31, 2018 Author Share Posted January 31, 2018 16 hours ago, Minuit said: Looks like a good starting point and pretty original too. Other than patching it up, what kind of plans do you have? Well at this rate, I just want to get it reliable enough to daily drive it. The little drives around the storage yard are a blast and I can't wait to get it on the road. I've got a very rusted out XJ that is going to be sold or scrapped, and I'm hoping to transfer the bumper, winch and possibly some of the lift parts over. I am trying to talk the wife into getting it reliable enough to cruse it 600 miles to the Bantam Jeep festival this year as I've always wanted to do a cross country trip in a $500 car. - Small lift -fix rust - cruise it, and keep miles off my diesel truck. 12 hours ago, 90BlackMJ said: Man what a nice find..looks real clean. Thank you, The pictures are kind of deceiving, its as original as it gets but it's rusty. Not too bad but it's been in the salt belt it's entire life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanLemons Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Nice find. Nice color too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 29 minutes ago, MeanLemons said: Nice find. Nice color too Thank you. I was just on your site shopping as i need new battery cables. Gonna have to wait and see what the groundhog does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeanLemons Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 34 minutes ago, Lthompson741 said: Thank you. I was just on your site shopping as i need new battery cables. Gonna have to wait and see what the groundhog does. Ha. Sound good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertRat1991 Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 On 1/30/2018 at 10:53 AM, Lthompson741 said: Well I've been a long time lurker figured it was time to post something. My build is going to be extremely slow going, as I've got more projects then I can possibly do. This jeep sort of fell into my possession. A friend thru a local jeep group I met was kind of a borderline hoarder of cheap jeeps. At one point I believe he had 15 or 16 on his property. Nothing overly special or rare, he would just scoop them off of craiglist, Facebook, etc. and park them behind his barn. Well last summer the county became aware of his personal collection and came in and gave him 30 days to clear the property. At the same time his father/farm owner passed away and the property is ultimately going to be foreclosed on. I had seen his collection several times an was always drawn this particular Comanche. He said he would sell it to me for $1500 and I always pushed it off as it was non running, and rusty. Well after a visit from the county he started panic mode and contacted me to see if I wanted anything as it was all going to go to the local junkyard/scrap by the end of the week. He told me I could have it for what the junkyard offered which was $500. I told him consider it sold and was onsite that weekend to load it up. It is an 88, with the 4.0L and a column shift automatic with 4x4. It has 220,000 miles on it, and receipts for a new engine at 175,000 miles. Of course it didn't run, and I had no clue what it needed. We did get it to turn over with a battery so I knew it wasn't locked up. Could of pics of how it sat: This is nicely optioned truck. Can you post a close-up of what's on top of your roll bar? If that's the factory adapter rail that converts the roll bar from 2 light mounts to 4, then that is a VERY rare option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crumbscomanche Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 I love that steering wheel design. something about those rivets lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share Posted February 2, 2018 20 hours ago, DesertRat1991 said: This is nicely optioned truck. Can you post a close-up of what's on top of your roll bar? If that's the factory adapter rail that converts the roll bar from 2 light mounts to 4, then that is a VERY rare option. I don't think its an adapter, i wanna say it's a piece of aluminum. The PO had the two lights and a CB antenna up there. I'll get some better pics tonight. It is optioned well, I gotta see if Jeep can give me a build sheet on it. - Roll Bar - Factory Tow Hooks - Matching Spare rim - It had a tailer package on it, but the PO cut it off for some reason. The brackets are still there. - A/C - Factory Front Fog Lights - The Turbine Wheels 23 minutes ago, crumbscomanche said: I love that steering wheel design. something about those rivets lol By far my favorite as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share Posted February 3, 2018 On 2/1/2018 at 5:14 PM, DesertRat1991 said: This is nicely optioned truck. Can you post a close-up of what's on top of your roll bar? If that's the factory adapter rail that converts the roll bar from 2 light mounts to 4, then that is a VERY rare option. here's a pic. It appears to be a piece of aluminium. I am a HAM so I'm gonna swap the cb antenna for a Ham antenna and mount a radio some where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDude Posted April 15, 2018 Share Posted April 15, 2018 I don't even want to know what happened to those poor white two door Cherokee's..Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted November 9, 2018 Author Share Posted November 9, 2018 On 4/15/2018 at 8:00 AM, TheDude said: I don't even want to know what happened to those poor white two door Cherokee's.. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Actually there were probably 3 or 4 2doors there. 2 ran and drove and were sold off to someone who was going to build them up. The other two were so rusted that they barely made it on the trailer and were parted. The 2 door in the pic with my comanche sold for $300 bucks, 4 banger 5 speed 4x4. I would of jumped on it if I knew, but the owner sold everything but the Comanche. He also had another 2wd 6cyl comanche that he sold for $800 that drove home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Finally brought her out of storage. Started tearing out the blown radiator and gathering the parts for a open cooling swap. I swear every bolt is fighting me, two nights later and the only thing holding me up now is the lower trans cooling line. Things to do: brakes (soft pedal) windshield figure out why drivers window will not close all the way radio plates and Insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 Side note: How the heck do you post photos from a Macbook? I can do it from my phone, easy as pie. Also I hate them all being clustered on the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 if you edit the post, you can drag the photos around. I don't use a Mac, but with Windows I simply drag the photo from my desktop and drop it into the text box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 our hobby is fixing up old Jeeps. Old Jeeps have a hobby too, and that is thwarting us at every turn. My Jeeps are particularly good at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lthompson741 Posted February 7, 2019 Author Share Posted February 7, 2019 2 minutes ago, Pete M said: if you edit the post, you can drag the photos around. I don't use a Mac, but with Windows I simply drag the photo from my desktop and drop it into the text box. Hmm, I'll have to try that. As far as adding pictures, It's easy on an Iphone by on a Macbook I have yet to figure it out. Apple has this arbitrary photo software that syncs with my phone and it has it's own gallery. I can "drag and drop" but It doesn't seem to do much of anything. Hopefully someone with a mac will chime in. 2 minutes ago, Pete M said: our hobby is fixing up old Jeeps. Old Jeeps have a hobby too, and that is thwarting us at every turn. My Jeeps are particularly good at it. Yeah I know, I've got 4 total projects and swap them when I get tired of one fighting me. It's fun but daunting. I figured it was the MJ's turn for a while in the garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 7, 2019 Share Posted February 7, 2019 you might want to post that Q in the pub so more eyes will see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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