Son of Stink

[Gjeep]

I almost did that using some ‘87 XJ Laredo black door panels I have, replacing the inserted ‘Luggage” fabric with the Jeep logo’d. Thankfully I kept my selection/ decision to just 2 options. And even that I’m having a hard time with…

[Gjeep]

Finally, a decision on the door panels – going with the Jeep logo’d.  As excited as I was about the factory black panels, something just wasn’t right. Too much black inside without enough contrast. I intentionally removed all the chrome trim, surrounds, and bezels the factory blinged up the black interior with, so I needed a little more pop to balance out the dark. And the MJ with such a small cab needs that visual balance. Aiming to install these soon. The factory Chief panels will go to my red MJ.

 

 

Behind the door panels will go a NOS final rev of the first gen XJ water-barrier. This design is easily removed with little damage (typically found on 95/96 XJs). The earlier water-barrier, had to be cut, ripped, and stretched off.

 

 

And lastly, floor mats are in. Will put a rubberized one on top of these to keep clean.

 

[fiatslug87]

Great decision and thought process!!! They look fantastic with the arm rest in place.

[Gjeep]

Center console installed and looking sharp. Since I converted to power outside mirrors and an XJ hand brake, I decided to add a connector backside of the console overlay as a quick disconnect should I ever need to remove it. First gen ‘aftermarket’ cup holders will be in front of the console bin, it just hasn’t been installed yet. The power outside mirror switch goes on the driver side front panel of it.

 

 

 

 

One of the subtle changed made to the console first gen few years down the road was the hinge for the lid. Originally in the XJ and MJ there was no stopping the lid – it either hit the backwall in the MJ or swung near flat against the rear seat in the XJ. You can see the newer hinge design keeps the console lid off the cab backwall. I like that.

 

 

The inside of the console got a USB charger and aux plug should I ever got that route. The Scosche unit I found fit spot-on in the back panel and did not push on the MJ (ashtray) console filler plate.

 

 

 

And lastly, I got the driver seat belt buckle sleeved and installed. Height is just right, and it stays away from the center console as I was hoping. So many of the early center console were visually ruined by the seatbelt buckle sleeve dragging again it or being pressed against it when day after day after day. I put some velcro in key areas just in case.

 

 

[Red Mistress]

Gotta get a Scosche USB, great fit !

 

Hard take good pictures of black interior but know it’s top.

 

good pic of subs & fitment behind bucket seats, they look great and don’t take up space.

[Gjeep]

Wide awake at 2:30am so decided to get to the MJ. Passenger seat in, door water shields on...

 

 

 

And what was supposed to be an easy snap-in install has turned into a mini project. The NOS center console transfer case bezel is the latest rev, meaning they started splitting/ the top of the surround to fir over the larger shifter handle in '95/'96. The way this particular bezel was cut, the plastic was 'V'd' on the underside, so when i install it doesn't clip in properly and when I shift in to 4wd it pops up. Have several first rev bezel plates I can use -- spent way to much time carefully removing all the parts and pieces to make one good, NOS-ish bezel. 

 

 

[Gjeep]

Always hopeful to get more done, but time to call it a day. Driver side door panel is on (still need to attach handle bezel with screws). It looks like I had hoped it would. Success.

 

 

 

Also back to filling and sanding on the grille. Front side is more or less done, now the focus is on backside clean up and hardware placement. I'll be using stainless steel flange screws from the rear to attach the aluminum mesh. Total of 12 nylon inserts attached to recessed areas of grille. Letting it dry, then sand, more filler, let it dry, sand...

 

[Gjeep]

Got the passenger side door panel in today. Also noticed I need to fine-tune the door latch adjustment allen bolt for when the door handle 'catches'/ opens the door while pushing the handle button. Passenger side goes a bit deeper than the driver side, so want to get that evened out.

 

[watchamakalit]

10 hours ago, Gjeep said:

Got the passenger side door panel in today. Also noticed I need to fine-tune the door latch adjustment allen bolt for when the door handle 'catches'/ opens the door while pushing the handle button. Passenger side goes a bit deeper than the driver side, so want to get that evened out.

 

Your attention to detail continues to amaze.

[Gjeep]

MJ’s got new shoes! Steelies. Will be installing black bodyside molding and flares shortly. Bumpers and grille will be black also. (Grille will have aluminum mesh insert for pop.) Still deciding on tailgate lettering – I’m leaning towards white as it will break up the silver and black...and a bit more retro/ matches the Marchal 750 fog light covers on the bumper and sportbar. Will see.

 

 

 

 

Out back I swapped the 1.25” wheel spacer for a 1” spacer which puts it dead-on body to axle width identical to the front. As it should be. Torqued lugs to spec and done.

 

[Armyvet25]

23 minutes ago, Gjeep said:

MJ’s got new shoes! Steelies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I've got the exact same wheels I've been saving

 

[Gjeep]

It’s a good looking rim — I had an ‘86 XJ Pioneer trim that had them, beauty rims and all. Just looked right on the XJ (and MJ). 

[Armyvet25]

going to temporary hijack thread, which looks better, obviously after clean up and paint/center caps

 

 

[Gjeep]

I’d go with the white — it’s 15x7 and has a deeper dish. The silver rally’s from the factory are 15x6 and you can’t put much of a tire on them. I had mine widened to 15x8 with 5.5” back spacing so could run a 31” tire and deep dish trim ring off late 60’s Vette. 

[Armyvet25]

2 minutes ago, Gjeep said:

I’d go with the white — it’s 15x7 and has a deeper dish. The silver rally’s from the factory are 15x6 and you can’t put much of a tire on them. I had mine widened to 15x8 with 5.5” back spacing so could run a 31” tire and deep dish trim ring off late 60’s Vette. 

yeah I was thinking same

[Gjeep]

Got the header, parking, and headlights on the MJ. I was thinking about Holley RetroBrights but decided to keep all the forward lighting Sylvania Silverstar incandescent (headlights and both sets of Marchal fog lights a brighter white throw). 

 

 

Also, priming/painting my spare tire rally rim. Will mount it up on a 31” like all the rest.

 

[Salvagedcircuit]

Excellent, excellent work. I am going to copy that center console exactly on mine, but obviously match the honey gold interior. Awesome job!

[jpnjake]

On 2/4/2023 at 6:11 PM, Gjeep said:

Always hopeful to get more done, but time to call it a day. Driver side door panel is on (still need to attach handle bezel with screws). It looks like I had hoped it would. Success.

 

 

 

Also back to filling and sanding on the grille. Front side is more or less done, now the focus is on backside clean up and hardware placement. I'll be using stainless steel flange screws from the rear to attach the aluminum mesh. Total of 12 nylon inserts attached to recessed areas of grille. Letting it dry, then sand, more filler, let it dry, sand...

 

I love this interior combination so much, the truck looks great, good work so far 

[fiatslug87]

Saw it in person yesterday, the pictures don’t do it justice, it’s the nicest looking Comanche anyone will ever see. 

[Gjeep]

Back to stock – as much as I like the K&N air intake setup, I decided I want to keep the engine bay looking mostly stock on this build. No NOS out there on the filter box, so I used my ’97 XJ’s which is close enough. Only thing I need to do to bring it up to ’92 MJ emissions spec is add a port on the other side of the airbox tube for the charcoal canister connection. I also cleaned up the hardline routing. Just didn’t like the clutter driver inner fender area and how it came out middle of the wiring. I decided to route the hardline along the path of several other breather tube mess engine side of the brake booster. A new ‘97+ XJ breather tube line (same as I’m using from valve cover CCV to air box) worked perfectly, just need to source a rubber elbow to connect to the air box lid port I’m adding. 

 

 

 

For the rubber neck that connects the box to the TB, the only ‘bling’ I added was stainless steel worm-style clamps. I needed to carve away four tabs on either end of the neck that helped keep in place the factory plastic band clamps.

 

[Gjeep]

Got the transfer case center console bezel back together – and using a much earlier rev main plate, that is a solid one piece versus the later rev split bezel plate that wouldn’t stay in place because of how it was cut from the factory… but life is now good in center console land.

 

 

 

Also spent some quality time in the local wrecking yard this morning tracking down the right elbow for my modified charcoal canister to airbox line. I typically look for anything Jeep first to keep things authentic-ish, then Dodge. Was lucky to find a 5.2L ZJ that had what I need – and it even had a readable part# on it, so I ordered a couple new ones off eBay.

[Gjeep]

Got the rear flares on and tire coverage is exactly what I was hoping for. Glad I swapped to 1” wheel spacers. Front flares up soon.

 

 

 

Also, took delivery of a threaded hose adapter and NOS breather neck for my charcoal canister line – mostly back to factory spec with my airbox setup.

 

 

 

[Gjeep]

A bit all over the place, but I got a lot done… Started with plastic polishing an AMC logo off a NOS AM/FM radio, putting in its place a ‘Jeep’ metal logo (sourced from a 1/10 scale R/C Jeep) as I figure Chrysler might have done it if this radio was available in ‘92. Audio sounds awesome thanks to the Rockford amps and subs (though I'm going to dial them up just a bit more). I was hell-bent on getting all the digital displays from the same era so they would match. And in addition to displays matching, illumination of the lettering needed to be the same as well. First NOS AMC Renault radio I purchased had green lettering illumination – and I about lost my mind. There was nothing that could be done to change it either, as it’s painted as part of the faceplate assembly backside. (The rest of the functionality is the same, though the wiring and antenna exit the unit in different locations/ directions).

 

 

 

Also got the instrument cluster in and fired the MJ up. So far so good with everything seeming to work as it should. Will test a bit more before I put the dash overlay and lower panel on just in case.

 

 

Painted and again widened spare rally wheel and had it mounted up to a new 31” BFG KO. 31” seems to be the biggest size that will fit in the factory location without carving out the rear valance panel. I’ve got a Y tie-down strap coming that I’ll put over the top of the spare just in case.

 

 

[Red Mistress]

Look terrific as always !

 

good see 31 fit nice.

 

 

[Gjeep]

NOS sometimes disappoints… Have had this MJ bodyside molding for 25 years. Was planning one unpackaging, cleaning, possibly replacing the 3M tape backside and sticking it to the Comanche. Instead in looking at the strips I noticed there were 2 different versions of the trim – one with a narrower center strip. Good grief, got to pull out the reserve 2-door strips and cut them down so I can have everything matching. Nothing is ever easy.

 

 

 

But on the bright side, after I don’t know how many hours of trimming, styrene strip patching, filling, and sanding, the grille is ready for a high build primer and sand-down prior to final SEM trim black paint. Before painting however, I needed to bend and cut the mesh drill for a good fit. Did that with the help of a Dremel and the edge of my garage work desk.