Is this worth $8K

[AMC86Kid]

There’s a Comanche for sale here in town 

My question to you guys is how much do you think it’s worth ? 

Do you think anyone would spend 8k on it?

 

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/ctd/d/phoenix-1986-jeep-comanche-xls-4x4/7094550303.html

[Dzimm]

I personally wouldn't with that drivetrain.  It's a very nice looking truck but even to a collector, it isn't original nor does it have desirable upgrades done to it.  If it were to have factory front and rear bumpers with original wheels it may be worth it for someone who wanted an original truck.  Granted those things could easily be changed.

[ghetdjc320]

Some may pay 8k, some may not and there is no real metric other than opinions. It looks clean, has bucket seats, factory sport bar, and is 4x4, all of which are desirable. The long bed and 2.8 are the less desirable features from a market point of view. But to some this will be just what they’re looking for. The question is: what’s it worth to you? 
 

p.s. Not sure why this is in the mod section

[Liketosmash]

Assuming it is in as good of shape as presented, I'm sure I could put 8k into the body work and paint on my truck and it might look that nice.  So from that perspective it may be an ok deal. 

[DesertRat1991]

The x-factor is the value of your own mental and physical energy that you would need to invest to turn a sh*tbox with rotted floors, roached paint and engine trouble into an equivalent truck.  Everyone values their time and effort differently.

 

That may be worth 8k + shipping to some guy in the rust belt.

[derf]

In a word... no.

 

Two core problems:

 

1.  The 2.8 V6.  It's just not a good engine.  If I had that truck, my plan would include finding a mid 90's F-Body and swapping in the 3.4 V6/4L60E.  And that's probably $10K at least when it's all said and done.

 

2.  New paint.  I'm always skeptical of used car dealers who paint cars and then put them up for sale.  What got hidden?  What are they covering up?  How good of a paint job was it?  What am I going to have to fix and do over?  How soon before it starts peeling or fading?

 

It's pretty in the pictures but there's no telling what gremlins lurk under the surface.  It may be possible to give it a thorough going-over, starting with a Carfax.  An Arizona truck wouldn't have much rust and that's a good starting point.  But I'd want to verify that first.

[JustEmptyEveryPocket]

14 minutes ago, derf said:

wouldn't have much rust

That is the key IMO. How many 34 year old MJs can be found with no rust? If that claim can be validated, then its worth the price. Everything else is nuts and bolts, which is easy. Pop a 3.4 in there and drive away.

 

However, I would be very concerned with what is hidden. As Minuit has pointed out in his recent threads: rust likes to hide in the sandwich layers of these trucks. But if it really is rust free, then that price is almost a steal.

[Minuit]

1 hour ago, derf said:

In a word... no.

 

Two core problems:

 

1.  The 2.8 V6.  It's just not a good engine.  If I had that truck, my plan would include finding a mid 90's F-Body and swapping in the 3.4 V6/4L60E.  And that's probably $10K at least when it's all said and done.

 

2.  New paint.  I'm always skeptical of used car dealers who paint cars and then put them up for sale.  What got hidden?  What are they covering up?  How good of a paint job was it?  What am I going to have to fix and do over?  How soon before it starts peeling or fading?

 

It's pretty in the pictures but there's no telling what gremlins lurk under the surface.  It may be possible to give it a thorough going-over, starting with a Carfax.  An Arizona truck wouldn't have much rust and that's a good starting point.  But I'd want to verify that first.

Mmm hmm. I'm even more of a hardliner on this.

 

I would have absolutely no interest in swapping a 3.4 V6. All of that work to still end up 30 hp short of a 4.0 HO, and that's if you do the work to swap in the fuel injection. Supercharged 3800 if you HAVE to put a GM V6 in there, otherwise it's a square Jeep and square jeeps should have an inline 6. The 4.0 swap isn't really worth the work on an 86 either, when you could just go spend $8k on a clean '87 or newer 4.0L truck in the first place.

 

I'd love to get a close-up look at this paint job. At least they didn't even bother putting the Comanche badges on the fenders in the wrong place. That's usually the first sign of a low rent paint job. I'm sure this one isn't much different.

 

"Rust free" - give me an afternoon with a spot weld drill and I'll tell you how rust free it really is. Chances are I wouldn't even need the spot weld drill to find the rust.

 

WTF is up with that carpet?

 

I don't believe the V6 ever came with a 4 speed transmission, and even if it did I definitely wouldn't expect it on an XLS. That means either their description is wrong, they don't know where 5th gear is, 5th gear doesn't work, it just has the wrong shift knob, or the transmission was swapped out with a 4 speed. None of those things are a good sign, some of them worse than others.

 

Clever repair to the seat covers, I guess. I still hate the porno red interior. I bet it smells like cheap booze, Vaseline, and cigarette smoke. With a little of the signature musty old car smell mixed in.

 

I don't like the  90s style aftermarket wheels or front bumper. I consider an aftermarket rear bumper to be excusable on all but the pickiest restorations considering the scarcity and price of quality original rear bumpers, but I'll be completely honest when I say that I think almost all aftermarket front bumpers are ugly.

 

A third of the description is talking about how good of a used car dealer they are.

 

 

[derf]

I'm less beholden to the straight 6.  There were plenty of CJs using the GM designed V6 for a long time.  The full size Jeeps had a couple varieties of straight 6's.   Given all of the different engines that have been in Jeeps over the decades, I'm not excited about any one of them over others per-se.  A GM V6 swap would be easier in that truck than a 4.0.  And I ignore horsepower numbers.  They are only measured at peak which doesn't tell you anything meaningful.  The torque curve is all that really matters in how the truck performs.  That still might favor the 4.0 but I could get on board with the supercharged 3.8.

[Eagle]

The GM 3.4L isn't a bad engine, and it's a MUCH easier swap in an '86 MJ. If I had to do one, I would do the 3.4L before I would even consider trying to convert to a 4.0L.

 

What I want to know is why, if this truck is so pristine and rust-free, were the wheels and both bumpers replaced?

 

[Minuit]

4 minutes ago, Eagle said:

The GM 3.4L isn't a bad engine, and it's a MUCH easier swap in an '86 MJ. If I had to do one, I would do the 3.4L before I would even consider trying to convert to a 4.0L.

 

What I want to know is why, if this truck is so pristine and rust-free, were the wheels and both bumpers replaced?

 

Clarification: I wouldn't want to swap a 4.0 into an 86 truck either. I'd just buy an 87+ truck with a 4.0 in the first place. If I had to buy an 86, I would only want the 2.5, and I don't think that's a very controversial opinion on this site.

[ghetdjc320]

As I said, everyone has an opinion lol. However, what is it worth to you? Maybe you like gm engines and maroon interiors with a long bed. The reality is, none of us can really tell you what it’s worth to you, only what we would pay for it. I personally had considered many MJs about 7-8 years ago. Once I narrowed down what I wanted (Chrysler era mpfi 4.0, 4wd, bucket seats, short bed, and sliding rear glass) I just waited until I found one, and it took quite a long time. If you like that truck and want to buy it and feel it’s worth the investment then go for it! If you have a tech question about something (like the reliability of the 2.8 or if the interior may or may not be original) than that’s another story and to me those are great questions. Just my $.02

[JMO413]

I think it all depends on how good the paint job actually is. And then what you want it for.