Thibeault Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 Hey everyone! It’s great to see this group is so active considering these vehicles are approaching 30 years. Anyways let’s get to it... I’ve been looking to purchase a Comanche and I’ll be checking one out this weekend. I’m looking at a 1990 pioneer, 5 speed manual, 4.0L inline 6 and 2wd. The body looks really straight and since it’s a 2wd I don’t think it’s seen many dirt roads. What I plan to do is make it a daily capable of doing some off road fun but nothing crazy. Of course that would mean converting to 4x4. I’d probably want to do the 97+ front end and door swap too. The interior could use some work and I would perfer doing an interior swap too, but what I’ve read online that could be a much much bigger project than I want. Anyways, I’d love to hear your opinions on the rig. Is the cost right -seems it to me? Is the manual good or bad for the 4x4 conversion? Door/front end difficulty? Interior difficulty? I’ve got the time, tools, want to and shop to make it happen. I’m just newer to working on cars than most people in here. I put the CL add on here to give you a better idea of condition. https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/1990-jeep-comanche/6729232242.html ps. I picked up a straight Comanche tailgate from a junkyard today because I couldn’t walk past it knowing it was out there. If I don’t end up have a comanche I’ll soon be selling a tailgate haha! Thanks everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 looks like a solid base to work with. bring along a fridge magnet and check for bondo and rust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsalagi Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 I think people intentionally put the grills on that way just to bring attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 25, 2018 Share Posted October 25, 2018 Look like a good starting point. Sell that tailgate to me, since it looks like you won't need it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omega_rugal Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 looks good,see if you can bargain a few dollars for the mandatory upgrades... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SVPete Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 From the photos, the interior looks in pretty good shape. Can't see any cracks in the dash, headliner shell looks to be there. Pulling the carpet and washing it always makes things look better. If it was in my area, for that price, I would definitely give it a quick hard look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParadiseMJ Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 My travels on dirt roads, generally do not necessarily include 4WD. My buddy in his stock Tacoma puts his truck in 4WD the second he "ventures" on the same road as I've regularly driven on in my Nissan Sentra. 2K is a good price even for a 2WD MJ that is running and only needs a few minor maintenance type repairs. My sage advice would be to take care of all the little gremlins going on with it and get the truck up and running to an acceptable stock condition... and THEN, delve into converting it to 4WD if you think you need to. Even at stock, you can drive around on a lot of dirt roads and still have fun. One of my big Jeep regrets is chopping up my XJ to make it bad @$$ when I really never used it for off roading more than a couple weekends a year. EDIT: The truck looks good and having a straight, undented, no bullet hole tailgate is GOLD !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxyjeep Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 As someone who recently bought an MJ in California after searching for 2 years, that’s a pretty good deal. Keep in mind that a 4wd conversion would require new TC, front axle, drive shafts AND transmission. If you’re planning the 97+ swap anyway, you’d be best to find a rear-end crash 97+ 4WD XJ on Copart and just swap everything over (including engine, harness, dash, etc).I’m not sure if you’d run into issues with CA smog doing the engine upgrade—it should be okay based on the laws, but your mileage may vary.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 Looks like a good deal at $2,000. Straight, has the full gauge cluster and the sport steering wheel. If I didn't already have three I'd be all over that at 2 grand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParadiseMJ Posted October 26, 2018 Share Posted October 26, 2018 16 hours ago, Chargum85 said: I’m not sure if you’d run into issues with CA smog doing the engine upgrade—it should be okay based on the laws, but your mileage may vary. Did I miss the part that the OP said anything about an engine upgrade? However, just don't remove any of the stock emissions equipment (vac lines, intake or air box, cat, etc.) and you'll be fine with smog regs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxyjeep Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 Did I miss the part that the OP said anything about an engine upgrade? However, just don't remove any of the stock emissions equipment (vac lines, intake or air box, cat, etc.) and you'll be fine with smog regs. He would have to get the transmission from a close-year XJ, and wouldn’t be able to get the front clip, etc.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Chargum85 said: He would have to get the transmission from a close-year XJ, ... Why? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boxyjeep Posted October 27, 2018 Share Posted October 27, 2018 6 minutes ago, Eagle said: Why? Just realized he has a 5 speed, thought it was automatic at first. The AW4 went through a few changes over the years, so only certain years are interchangeable. But since it's manual, it wouldn't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParadiseMJ Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 On 10/26/2018 at 10:08 PM, Chargum85 said: He would have to get the transmission from a close-year XJ, and wouldn’t be able to get the front clip, etc. I'm confused with this reply. I believe that when the OP mentioned "97+ front end and door swap" the he meant the front clip, fenders and doors as a cosmetic procedure, not the entire engine, tranny, t-case etc.. One can do the sheet metal/fiberglass panels and the interior door panel swap without messing with the running gear at all. Also, you can swap a later model AX-15 (or even AW4) 4x4 trans., t-case, axles and shaft without even touching the engine. Much less complicated than it sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted October 29, 2018 Share Posted October 29, 2018 The thread drift is because it is only logical to get a whole 97+ donor if you wish to swap the cosmetic parts AND do a 4wd conversion. Unless you're looking to mix and match it some more than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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