Pete M Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 if powdercoat is an option, it should be the only option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 2, 2020 Author Share Posted May 2, 2020 2 hours ago, Pete M said: if powdercoat is an option, it should be the only option Then powder coated it shall be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted May 3, 2020 Share Posted May 3, 2020 The only negative is cost. everything else is a positive compared to paint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 3, 2020 Author Share Posted May 3, 2020 On 12/1/2019 at 8:54 PM, SiXJaK said: I’ve compiled a to do list stemming from what I know about the truck. I’m going to post this in my MJ naïveté because I’m curious as to how much “Reality” will change my list. Comanche to do list: Purchase Comanche ✅ Retrieve Comanche✅ Get driveshafts sorted and connected (waiting for a Ford Explorer flange Sort out suspension (Ordered Fox 2.0 shocks front and back and Crown trackbar from Quadratech) Sort vacuum leaks Clean up engine bay Fix wiring for tail lights. Securing a 96 Cherokee Donor car Strip interior and install dynamat Clean up and sort interior Reupholster seats and whatever else needs it. Find mirrors or decide if updating front end and replace doors fenders hood front clip with newer style. (I’m torn on this. I used to be so enamored with the newer Cherokee front end update but the original has kind of gained value to me.) Order Notch Customs M-Max fender flares✅ Order JCR front bumper✅ Order JCR rear bumper✅ (Dirtbound MantRay rear bumper and trailer hitch Order JCR rock sliders (These don’t exist Order Winch. ( I have a smittybuilt 12000# with remote and synthetic rope on my JK and man it has been very useful. Have never had one single issue with it.)✅ Order JCR roof rack or light bar clips.(I love having a lot of useful auxiliary lights on my rig. They come in handy so often so need to decide on just how useful an above cab rack would be. I cycle, kayak and paddle board a lot and haul lots of stuff.) Find 18 or 19 Rubicon take off wheels and tires.✅ Also ordered 5x4.5 to 5x5 x 1.5” adapters Buy XM head unit and back up camera speakers amp etc. Buy heated JWSpeaker LED headlights. Buy lights for front and rear bumpers and roof rack, and rock lights. Rigid Industries, KC Baja lighting Decide on paint color.✅StinGray Updated to do list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 4, 2020 Author Share Posted May 4, 2020 The Fox 2.0 front shocks showed up today from Quadratech. Doesn’t that sticker add 2” of articulation and 10HP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 I believe so, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 5, 2020 Author Share Posted May 5, 2020 Moar....rear bumper showed up. The fit and finish look really good on this piece. Nice work, Dirt Bound. Any thoughts on this set up? https://www.tntcustoms.com/jeep_parts/jeep_comanche_mj_long_arm_upgrade_87_92_jeep_comanche_tnt_customs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 6, 2020 Author Share Posted May 6, 2020 Word of the day: offset. its kicking my hiney. I thought 1.5” thick adapters would be enough for these JL wheels. And they probably would if I never planned on doing bigger tires. It’s very tight between the frame and the tire :/ And with the M-Max flares from Notch the stance would look not amazing. Currently on hold with Quadratec.....their hold times are insane. Also the rear Fox 2.0 shocks are on back order (COVID-19) until end of June. Think I’ll be sending back the fronts and doing something else. I need to get this rig on the road. Not by frkn July. Any advice would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 Pulled the stock bumper off today as the bed is coming off and a new bed and new Dirt Bound bumper are going on. Bolts were a bit rusty and stuck on...needed a little PB Blaster and why are they all different sizes? 15mm 17 mm 3/4 WTFlip? I have no plans for that bumper. It’s not perfect but if anyone needs a bumper and can get to it, it’s yours...pm me if interested. The bed is relatively rust free but a little too much around the wheel IMO has been cut out. If anyone is interested in that, it’s yours if you want it as well...PM me about that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 Update: After consulting with Safari Off-road Nixa, MO as well as a couple of local guys who’ve done XJ builds, the consensus among all of them was to just wait for the rear Fox 2.0 shocks instead of trying go with another brand. COVID has shut a lot of things down so its going to be a crap shoot anyway trying to find another brand who makes the shocks I need for the Ford 8.8 rear end. Still waiting on track bar to ship so I can at least have a somewhat stable front end. Gonna try to test fit rear bumper tomorrow. And then install front shocks on Friday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 Went ahead and mostly installed the front Fox shocks. Need to get the hardware to bolt in the bow ties down below. Test fit the rear bumper tomorrow. baby steps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 16, 2020 Author Share Posted May 16, 2020 Tightened front shocks and test fit rear bumper (enough) and sent it in for powder coat..learned a few things about powder coat. Learned that what I wanted to do is going to cost more than double and add at least 8 weeks lead time so just going to do black textured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 19, 2020 Author Share Posted May 19, 2020 Notch Customs M-MAX fenders. Packaged and shipped well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 21, 2020 Author Share Posted May 21, 2020 Excited to install this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 Installed steering dampening shock. Not too difficult. Fit pretty well. Also removed non functioning track bar. Waiting for the new one to arrive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 10, 2020 Author Share Posted June 10, 2020 Back at it today. Pulled the bed off today to begin mild frame clean up and just make it look better. Lots of red dirt under there. Owner before me was trying to make this rig into a hard core trail rig. He installed an oversized gas tank. Good grief! The tank unfortunately is trying to occupy the same real estate at the rear left shock absorber. Poorly thought out mod. I knew I was getting a project and a project I clearly have. I feel I am truly doing the Lord’s work here, Jeep Fam rehabbing this poor truck and saving it from the miserable existence of being cut up and bastardized hack mods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 10, 2020 Share Posted June 10, 2020 seeing a bed sitting on its side is kinda freaking me out more than I though it would. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 On 6/10/2020 at 12:05 PM, Pete M said: seeing a bed sitting on its side is kinda freaking me out more than I though it would. lol Ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 13, 2020 Author Share Posted June 13, 2020 Finally! Geez Louise this bumper took forever. Still waiting on long arm kit and and rock sliders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 On 6/10/2020 at 12:05 PM, Pete M said: seeing a bed sitting on its side is kinda freaking me out more than I though it would. lol Ha ha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 15, 2020 Author Share Posted June 15, 2020 Got the inside of the rear bumper properly coated. The inside of the front is next. Toying with dropping in a 427 big block. It’s a 69 truck motor with 15k miles on it. My friend who owns the shop my MJ’s been living in for 6 mos now also has a tow business and a scrap yard with some things “laying around”. Like this old fire truck with the 427 Chevy big block truck motor Sitting in it as well as a 400 tranny and transfer case. So.....if my Comanche was more pure when I got it, then I’d say no. But it’s an 87 with a 96 motor along with a mediocre attempt at a 96 interior, massively cut out fenders that all are useless for anything other than swamp buggy duty. I guess go big or go home. That is the question I’m grappling with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 The 427 truck motor is gutless and only Vera to about 3,000 rpm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 16, 2020 Author Share Posted June 16, 2020 7 hours ago, 89 MJ said: The 427 truck motor is gutless and only Vera to about 3,000 rpm http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=329299 I’ve heard this too but I’m not sure those claims are valid or relevant to this application. I also talked to an old guy (older than me he started fabricating and building in 1965 -the year I was born) at Summit Racing (Hal) earlier today for a good while about Chevy big blocks regarding motor mounts. He was very helpful. He’s built several 427’s, a 427 truck motor and a decent amount of 454’s. He said the low rev low power rap on the truck motor is “hogwash” and that his made over 570 on pump gas. I don’t need or want 570 but 400-450 would be fine with me. I’m not sure the Comanche chassis can handle that. He’s been working from home because of COVID but told me to call back and he’d get a catalogue from his office of an oddball company that specializes in marrying Chevy big blocks with various Jeeps. Anyway I’ll do some more research before I pull the trigger and go this route. Ultimately are the frame rails wide enough! Will be measuring tomorrow to see if it’s wide enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted June 17, 2020 Author Share Posted June 17, 2020 Frame rails are 25” wide and according to Hal that’s wide enough. 427 has 15k miles on it and is 500.00. RV cam, ignition and intake manifold supposedly wake these truck motors right up. Or just keep 4.0 and terry to marry 87 truck to 96 motor. Either way I have to start over with wiring. started frame clean up yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiXJaK Posted July 2, 2020 Author Share Posted July 2, 2020 Track bar finally arrived so installed that today and started in on tnt long arm kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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