Ghost 1992 Base Build

[kryptronic]

Ghost: 1992 Comanche Base

 

This is the Ghost 1992 Base build thread.  This truck is special because it has a March 1992 build date, making it one of the last Comanches to roll off the assembly line.  Ghost is a High Output truck originally from Kentucky.

 

Vehicle: 1992 Jeep Comanche Base SWB

VIN: 1J7FT26S9NL215160

 

 

Engine: 4.0L HO (Chrysler Electronics)

Transmission: AX-15

Transfer Case: None

 

Front Axel: Dana 30 Solid 2WD

Rear Axel: Dana 35 3.07 Gears

Wheelbase: Short Wheel Base / Short Bed

 

Build Date: March 1992

Current Mileage: 242,100

 

Factory Options: None really except aluminum wheels

 

History

 

This truck was one of the last Comanches built at the Toledo, Ohio factory.  It's build date is March 1992.  It was ordered as a very plain base truck with an AX-15 and without 4WD.  It was sold to the original owner by Bob Allen Mortomall in Danville, Kentucky.  It spent most of it's life in Kentucky, and is very clean and rust-free underneath.  The original owner moved it to Ohio after around ten years in the south.  Apparently it was in perfect condition until the owner lent it to his brother-in-law, a painter, to use as a work truck for a month.  It came back to him with nearly every dent on the truck today.

 

In 2010, club member terrawombat purchased the truck in Ohio, and moved it east to New Jersey.  This pic is from 2010 when he purchased the truck:

 

 

During his ownership the truck was well-cared-for, and daily driven - mainly used as a work truck.  The damage to the passenger side fender and door happened when he loaned the truck to his father for a weekend.  There is not a body panel on this truck without a dent or ding, and every one of them happened when the truck was loaned out to family.  I've made a note of this.

 

These upgrades/modifications were done at some point in the past: Partial floorpan replacement; New Luk heavy-duty clutch and new flywheel in 2016; Leer SWB Comanche topper added; New SMS headliner; Carpet re-dyed; Steering rebuilt with Redhead steering box and all new joints/bushings in 2017; AX-15 was replaced at some point prior to 2010; Black grill and headlight bezels replaced with chrome.

 

In 2015 the truck was moved to Queenstown, Maryland, and was registered in Maryland with 236,000 miles on the odometer.  I purchased it from terrawombat on June 16, 2018 with 242,100 miles on it.  The gauge cluster reads lower mileage due to being swapped - that will be fixed at some point.  This is a pic of the truck in Maryland as it looked when I purchased it:

 

 

Chrysler Build Sheet

 

ALAP SE Decor Group 
APAS Monotone Paint 
BAPS 75 Amp Alternator 
BCCS Dual 730 Amp Maint Free Batteries 
BGAS Power Front Disc/Rear Drum Brakes 
CBAP Straight Back Bench Seat 
CKAP Carpets - Floor and Cargo Area 
CUMS Mini Floor Console 
DBBC All Manual Transmissions 
DDQ 5-Speed Manual Transmission 
DMMS 3.07 Rear Axle Ratio 
DRJS 175MM Rear Axle 
ERH 4.0L I6 Power Tech Engine 
GACS Tinted Glass Windows 
GBBS Tinted Windshield Glass 
GCBS Front Door Tinted Glass 
GEHS Fixed Door Vent Glass 
GFD Rear Sliding Window 
GRZP Left Remote Mirror 
GSZP Right Remote Control Mirror 
GTZP Manual Remote Mirrors 
HCDS Do Not Use - See HCA 
JAZS DO NOT USE - See JP, KA classes 
JCAS 85 MPH Primary Speedometer 
JHAP Var Intermittent Windshield Wipers 
JJAP Cigar Lighter 
LAPS Shift Indicator Warning Lamp 
LBCS Glove Box Lamp 
LMAS Halogen Headlamps 
MBJP Black Powder Coated Front Bumper 
MB1S Black Front Bumper 
MFFS Black Grille 
MHAP Black Windshield Moldings 
MMCS Rear Door Solid Window Insert 
MMGS Belt Moldings 
MMKP Lower Grille Surround-Painted Silver 
NAAS Federal Emissions 
NBKS EVAP Control System 
NF2S 18.5 Gallon Fuel Tank 
PW7 Bright White Clear Coat 
QW7S Bright White Clear Coat 
RAAC All Radio Equipped Vehicles 
RAFP AM/FM Cassette Radio 
RCDP 4 Speakers 
SBAP Power Rack and Pinion Steering 
SCGP Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel 
SFAS Standard Duty Shock Absorbers 
SGAS Rear Shock Absorbers 
SUA Tilt Steering Column 
TBCS Compact Spare Tire 
TBMS Tire Carrier Winch 
TMWP P265/60r18 BSW A/S All Terrain Tires 
TZAP Goodyear Brand Tires 
WJNP 15" Aluminum Wheels 
WLZC All Aluminum Wheels 
XBSS Pickup Box 
YAAS Build To U.S. Market Specifications

 

Day 1 Pics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current Issues

 

Needs to be registered and inspected in Pennsylvania; Partial floorpan replacement needs to be checked - looks good from underneath; Driver's window regulator replacement; Steering is a bit loose; Clutch slave is leaking slowly; Starter is abnormally loud; Vacuum line boots are cracked, vacuum issues; Load sensing valve is not operational;  Power steering pump is whining; General cleanup of wiring and engine bay; Every body panel from the doors forward needs to be replaced; More to follow.

 

Future Plans

 

This build will be done in similar fashion to my 1991 Silver Star Pioneer build.  They will be very similar sister trucks.  The body will be fixed up, and it will be converted to 4WD.  The Comanche Leer topper will go, it will eventually get a SWB factory rollbar.  Interior will change over to AMC black.  A decal package will be added.  Ghost will stay white, but she'll need to be repainted.  The paint is original right now.  Might convert to an automatic transmission.  Right now I'm thinking this truck will be given to my youngest son when he is responsible enough to own it (he's 5 now).  This will be a very nice father-son project over the years.  This truck will be brought back to better-than-factory specifications over a long/slow build.

 

This build should progress in tandem with my 1991 Silver Star Pioneer build.  Here they are together for the first time:

 

 

Thank you for following.

[HOrnbrod]

That's a hell of a fleet you have now.    Are they all at home?

[kryptronic]

On 6/23/2018 at 12:25 PM, HOrnbrod said:

That's a hell of a fleet you have now.    Are they all at home?

 

Mostly.  The YJ is split in half in the garage pending some final floor work and then complete reassembly.  Doing that project right has taken way longer than I thought.  The TJ is MIA on load right now.  The JK and JL are the daily drivers so they're always around here somewhere, and the MJs just sit there waiting for the YJ to be finished.  The 91 MJ is a good driver, in fine shape, so I do run around in that from time to time.  It just looks like a basket case with the terrible paint on it.  I'm out of space now, so don't expect me to get another one.  I just couldn't pass up a southern HO.  Had to do this one.  Plus my son is super-excited to have a manche like dad.

[Minuit]

Glad to see one of the precious few true '92s going to a good home.

 

 

[kryptronic]

53 minutes ago, Minuit said:

Glad to see one of the precious few true '92s going to a good home.

 

Thank you.  I will try my best to build her back up the way she deserves.

[HOrnbrod]

Sounds like you're getting spread pretty thin mate.  But heck yeah - good score on that 92. 

[kryptronic]

3 hours ago, HOrnbrod said:

Sounds like you're getting spread pretty thin mate.  But heck yeah - good score on that 92. 

 

I'd go crazy if I didn't have a bunch of these projects to keep my mind off work on the weekends.  The stable is full, though.  Couldn't do another even if I wanted to.  

[terrawombat]

Glad to see you made it back without any hiccups, but I knew she would get you there safely except maybe for a quick top-off on the clutch slave cylinder.  A couple years ago, Maryland changed the laws regarding vehicles tagged "Historic" and put tougher restrictions on when and how they could be used.  They essentially made it illegal for me to use my "Historic" tagged MJ to get me to and from work.  It was around this time that the utilization of the MJ dropped off significantly.  It was also around this time that I began taking my infant son to daycare in the mornings and the MJ bench seat is not the ideal setup for a car seat!

 

It was real cool to meet another fellow member and my wife and I both thank you for helping us transport all those boxes of vinyl plank to our second floor - you saved me a bunch of time and back pain so thanks again!

 

Looking forward to seeing your build based on your plans.  I had contemplated converting her to 4WD but couldn't justify the need to since I have always had other 4x4 vehicles available.  I was always torn on the Leer topper as it hinders drive-ability, but it's always nice to have if you need to transport something in the rain or something lightweight that would fly out the back if not properly strapped.  I bought it from another member on here who lives up in North NJ and I didn't want it at first, but then I found out how difficult it is to actually find MJ-specific tops so I decided to grab it.

[kryptronic]

13 hours ago, terrawombat said:

Glad to see you made it back without any hiccups, but I knew she would get you there safely except maybe for a quick top-off on the clutch slave cylinder.  A couple years ago, Maryland changed the laws regarding vehicles tagged "Historic" and put tougher restrictions on when and how they could be used.  They essentially made it illegal for me to use my "Historic" tagged MJ to get me to and from work.  It was around this time that the utilization of the MJ dropped off significantly.  It was also around this time that I began taking my infant son to daycare in the mornings and the MJ bench seat is not the ideal setup for a car seat!

 

It was real cool to meet another fellow member and my wife and I both thank you for helping us transport all those boxes of vinyl plank to our second floor - you saved me a bunch of time and back pain so thanks again!

 

Looking forward to seeing your build based on your plans.  I had contemplated converting her to 4WD but couldn't justify the need to since I have always had other 4x4 vehicles available.  I was always torn on the Leer topper as it hinders drive-ability, but it's always nice to have if you need to transport something in the rain or something lightweight that would fly out the back if not properly strapped.  I bought it from another member on here who lives up in North NJ and I didn't want it at first, but then I found out how difficult it is to actually find MJ-specific tops so I decided to grab it.

 

It really is a great truck, and I appreciate very much everything you did to make the deal happen.  I did hit a five mile backup going east back across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and was sweating it just a bit.  She made it all the way back before I could feel any difference in the clutch at all.  And it was exactly 100 miles away, which I thought was odd.  I just got some work done yesterday, about to post a build update.  It's going to take a long time to get the truck where I'd like it to be, but it's going to be really fun getting there.  You really took care of it well, and I thank you for that.

[kryptronic]

July 2018: Unboxing and New Shoes

 

I haven't really done much with Ghost over the past couple of weeks until yesterday.  Just been looking at the truck, and contemplating build plans.  The 4WD conversion is a certainty, but I'm up in the air as to whether to go with an AX-15 or AW4.  I knew that the Leer topper was going somewhere else, as the plan was to hunt forever for a SWB factory rollbar.  As luck would have it, krustyballer16 was able to pick one up at Big Johnson Jeeps in Indiana, and will be bringing it east with him for the All Breeds Jeep Show in York, PA in two weeks.  This club is awesome - the best people ever.  Here's a shot of the rollbar at krusty's place:

 

 

So I sold the Leer topper to Mossmj, who came by yesterday to pick it up.  Really nice to meet him, and his fiancee.  They were really nice.  So, I had to clean out the back of the truck.  So I finally dug into the swag that terrawombat sent back with me.  Totally hooked me up.  A factory original hitch, one of the first ones krusty built, full set of Felpro gaskets, clutch master and slave cylinders, front bumper, tow hooks and brackets, ZJ hood vents, a brand new truck cover, sun visors and interior plastics and more:

 

 

So I got the topper off, and Mossmj was happy and on his way.  And I got my first real look at the bed.  It looks pretty rough, but it's mostly just scratched up.  There are some sizable dings and dents, and a small hole cut in the floor towards the rear, but not bad at all.  And no rot:

 

 

As luck would have it, I had an extra SWB bed liner here.  This one is an OEM over-the-rail Perndaliner stamped model and came with Silver Star when I bought her.  I switched that one over to an OEM under-the-rail COMANCHE stamped liner, so I had this one here to put in:

 

 

The tailgate cover won't go on with the diamond plate on the back of the tailgate.  Will deal with that some other time.  So here's the first look at Ghost without a topper in a number of years:

 

 

I'm going to eventually put Turbine wheels on her, probably wrapped in 31x10.5x15 BFG A/Ts.  The tires on Ghost were 30x9.5x15 Goodyear Wranglers, and two were in great shape and two were at end of life.  I had recently taken off of the 2004 TJ a set of five Ravine wheels and new Goodyear Wrangler 235/75/15 tires.  The PO painted them black, poorly, but the tires are new.  So I decided to switch them up. 

 

 

The lug nuts were absolutely nasty and rusted.  Luckily, HOrnbrod sent me some nice new lugs in trade for the LSV from Silver Star last year.  Finally put them to use.  Man they look good compared to what I pulled off:

 

 

So here's a shot of Ghost with the black Ravines sporting 235s and no topper.  This is how she sits today.  I really don't like the black wheel and tire look on this truck, but we've got new rubber, which is nice:

 

 

With the All Breeds Jeep show coming in two weeks, I'm hoping I might be able to pick up a few parts for her.  Maybe some stuff to do the 4WD conversion or new fenders and doors.  We'll see.  Thanks for reading.

[HOrnbrod]

Gonna look good when you get the roll bar in. And yes, the black paint on the wheels has to go.      What's with the front flares?

[terrawombat]

The front bumper is missing the drivers endcap and there's a whole mess of bent up brackets under there.

[HOrnbrod]

17 minutes ago, terrawombat said:

The front bumper is missing the drivers endcap and there's a whole mess of bent up brackets under there.

 

Thanks - blew up the pic and saw it. No biggie.. 

[kryptronic]

July-August 2018: Newer Shoes and More Stuff Acquired

 

Last month was the All Breeds Jeep show, and krustyballer16 came for the weekend to stay here.  He went through hell and high water to locate and bring me a factory SWB rollbar.  

 

 

Which, funny enough turned out to be a LWB rollbar.  Here it is next to the SWB rollbar I got from Gjeep for Silver Star.

 

 

I was able to measure and verify that a factory LWB rollbar can be cut and welded and made into a SWB rollbar.  And it would be as if it came from the factory that way.  So this one will go under the knife unless another SWB rollbar magically appears somewhere.  Will be a long while before we cross that bridge, though.

 

Recently found a really nice 98 Cherokee.

 

 

It was sporting either new or recently refinished Ravines on it, wrapped in brand new Hankook 235/75R15 A/Ts.  So we did a three way tire and wheel swap.

 

 

Ghost got the Ravines and new tires off the 98 XJ.  The TJ got the blacked out Ravines I put on Ghost a few weeks back (really hated the black wheels on the MJ). The XJ got the wheels off the TJ, which funny enough originally came off Silver Star.

 

So after playing musical chairs with wheels and tires, Ghost came out looking good again.

 

 

Krusty also brought a couple factory rear bumpers in rough shape for me to use to rebuild one for Ghost.  He also traded me some black interior pieces for a porno red interior I had here.  This fills out the AMC black stash. .I should have a full black interior for each MJ at this point.  Also shown here is a full black HO era grill and headlight bezels.

 

 

And I bought a D44 geared 3.55 with LSD from The Dude at the Jeep show. Having Silver Star entered in the show, it was cool - we just drove right up to The Dude's stand, and loaded up.

 

 

I ordered and received a Minuit Radio Emporium radio for the truck, so I'm going to install that soon and get the wiring straight. Hate the UFO head unit in there now, although it sounds good.  Other recent additions to the pile include a Mean Lemons 62mm HO throttle body (highly recommend), and NOS chief hood stripes to use as a template for a few sets for my trucks. Plus today I grabbed a factory rear slider window from a guy in Allentown, PA.  Its frame is a little rough, but has the original curved piece of glass I need to replace the plexi in Ghost's slider. 

 

Just like with Silver Star, I'm collecting the hard to find stuff at this point.  I'd like to get Ghost titled in PA and inspected by the end of September, so she'll see some time in the garage soon.  The YJ is still in full build mode at the moment, precluding real work on MJs.  Soon...  Very soon...

[kryptronic]

November 2018: Getting Started

 

I'm between major phases on my 1995 YJ build, so attention is getting turned to Ghost.  I need to get this truck tagged and registered in Pennsylvania and inspected.  So I'm going to start the process of fixing it up to achieve those goals over the next two months.  Ghost has been sitting dormant for a while.  I used him to store some MJ rollbars, factory bumpers and Dana 44 rears for about  a month in the garage.

 

 

 

I rearranged the space in the garage a bit so I could store the axles.  I have too many unused axles right now - a MJ Dana 44 rear in 3.07, a MJ Dana 44 rear in 3.55 with LSD, a YJ Dana 35 rear in 3.07, a late YJ Dana 30 Front in 3.07 (for parts), an early XJ Dana 30 Front in 4.10.  Parts from each (except the Dana 35) will be used on both MJs.  Once I was able to store the axles I found spots for everything else and then got Ghost into the driveway - to collect leaves.

 

 

I've set my goal to get parts for Ghost over the next few weeks - in order to start meaningful work on the truck as soon as possible.  I'd like to get it cleaned up and ready to pass inspection so I can register and get it inspected within the same couple of weeks.  I found a guy on the local Craigslist parting a white XJ, so I grabbed the doors off it for $20 a piece.  I've nicknamed the truck they came from Swamp Thing.

 

 

 

 

The door panels are grey, and in perfect shape with standard arm rests.  I'll use the entire passenger side door, but may only use the window regulator for the driver side.  I'm pretty sure the current driver side door can be straightened out (it's got a small crease on the leading edge where the hinge broke previously).  I'm keen to retain the original build sticker on that door.  Ghost has late XJ style mirrors that were swapped on at some point, and I want to go back to the early style, but unfortunately the mirrors on both these doors are busted.

 

I still have to go over the truck to figure out everything that needs to be fixed up.  I drove it up here from Maryland earlier in the Summer and it's been started only three or four times since.  From what I can recall: The driver window regulator is a must fix item.  I'll want to install a new Minuit radio that I picked up from Jeremy's Radio Emporium earlier this year.  The starter needs to be replaced, the rear brakes are soft, and I need to do a full battery of tests on the engine.  Plus run through the Pennsylvania inspection myself.  Right now the hood is stuck shut and will not release.  I need to replace the front grill with the original black that came with the truck and locate a driver side fender.  Probably a new power steering bump and internal slave replacement.  Cleaning, rewiring, etc.  Maybe some initial bodywork and cleanup, just so it looks decent.

 

I want to get this truck to the point where it's a reliable driver with it's current 2WD drivetrain.  So I'm moving in that direction. When the YJ is ultimately done I'd like to be able to look at both MJs in full working order and then make the best decision as to how to best build them.  I'm so anxious to build an MJ that when I get into a situation like this:

 

 

I can't help but want to take that fresh 36k original mile 4.0L/AX-15/NP231 and slam it into one of them.  It's really tempting.  The trucks will get the same treatment, though.  One day...

[kryptronic]

47 minutes ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

Did you find a good home yet for the lwb light/roll bar? I know Cody and Dom are on the lookout for mj/xj 44 limited slips too.

 

The plan is to make the LWB rollbar a SWB rollbar unless a SWB rollbar of equal condition magically appears before I do it.

 

Funny enough, I bought the 3.55 LSD D44 from Cody and Dom for one of the MJ builds back in July.

[kryptronic]

December 2018 - April 2019: Parts Vehicles

 

The intention is to convert this truck to a 4WD automatic, so I've acquired a couple of parts vehicles over the past few months from which parts can be sourced. 

 

In December 2019, I picked up a 1995 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0L/AW4/NP-231 with 180K on the clock.  The Cherokee is pretty much trashed, but has parts on it I need like good fenders and hood, brackets, etc.  It runs strong and shifts very well.  I got it for $600, and it does not have a title, so it's going to be used for parts only, then sent to the scrap yard.

 

 

 

Then, in April 2019, I traveled to Philadelphia, PA and bought a 1991 Jeep Comanche Eliminator 4.0L/AW4/NP-231 with 268K on the clock.  The bed on the truck is pristine, which is the main reason I bought it.  I bought this truck for $800 from the original owner, and it's got rust on the cab roof, the transmission slips in reverse, it's leaking coolant like a sieve and the vacuum and electrical systems are shot.  The engine is new and only has a couple of thousand miles on it.  Looks to be a pretty highly optioned HO Eliminator.  Perhaps when I'm done building this 92, there will be enough parts left to put the Eliminator back together.  I bought it with the title, and registered and tagged it in PA just in case it's more than just a parts truck in the end.

 

 

 

 

 

I've got to do an inventory, but I believe I have all the parts and pieces I need for Ghost to do the full manual-to-automatic conversion, 4WD conversion, and replace all the dented body panels excluding what's dinged up on the cab itself.  I've also collected more black interior pieces over the past couple of months and have a full AMC black interior for the truck now.  SO things are looking good - I just have to get a couple of other projects out of the way so I can start on it.

[onebigmj]

If the 2wd Ax15 isn’t spoken for I’ve got a good home for it haha. 

[kryptronic]

34 minutes ago, onebigmj said:

If the 2wd Ax15 isn’t spoken for I’ve got a good home for it haha. 

 

It was rebuilt around 20k miles ago.  Where are you located?

[onebigmj]

I’m in weedville PA. 15868. 

[kryptronic]

7 hours ago, onebigmj said:

I’m in weedville PA. 15868. 

 

Northwest PA - cool!  If you're coming to the All Breeds Jeep Show here in York in July (see sticky thread in the Pub) I could have it out by then.  I'm hosting a cookout and a bunch of members will be here.  A few members are bringing parts, getting vendor booths, etc.  PM me a list of what you need and I'll get you a price.

[onebigmj]

Pm sent! 

[terrawombat]

Selling?

[kryptronic]

On 6/28/2019 at 11:57 AM, terrawombat said:

Selling?

 

Yes, I am.  I'm still working on the 95 YJ and the 91 MJ.  Decided there's no time for a third project anytime soon, and have a lot of work to do around the house.  I'm hoping another member can do this truck justice.  Aside from needing body work and a few odds and ends, it's the cleanest HO survivor I've come across.

[kryptronic]

Change of heart: I was looking to sell this truck, however I'll be keeping it.  I was able to shed enough other stuff that I now have the driveway space and motivation to do the build when the time comes.  I was going to sell off a bunch of stuff I had collected for the build, but aside from a 120MPH speedometer and a D44 being sold, I still have everything else I planned to use for it.  Based on the way my 91 is running, I am thinking I'll finish up the YJ this fall, give the 91 a little love to protect it from the elements and turn attention right to Ghost.  Stay tuned over the next year or so - this build should go into full swing.