Torq_Shep Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Picked this up about 2 weeks ago. It is a 1991 4.0/AX-15/2WD with a bad D35 axle. Plan is to make it an acceptable driver and probably hang on to this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 Nice Is it in the registry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted October 30, 2020 Author Share Posted October 30, 2020 Yup! I will have more pictures later of stuff I have started working on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammisox Posted October 30, 2020 Share Posted October 30, 2020 I'm pretty sure I saw the ad when it was for sale, I'm excited to see it on the road again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 It was in Wichita Falls so I assume you probably did. Guy ended up being super nice (name is Wren). After a bit of back and forth I gave him my straight up offer on it and decided to take a look. Managed to get it for $2k which I think is fair for a vehicle that isn't road worthy at the moment (blown axle). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 I am looking forward to the satisfying interior improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted October 31, 2020 Author Share Posted October 31, 2020 It is definitely going to get some help in that department. I pick up a 29-spline 3.55 8.25 and a set of ZJ rear brakes tomorrow. Waiting on door hinges to come in to fix that as well. Lots of mechanical things to do before I get to the interior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted October 31, 2020 Share Posted October 31, 2020 solid buy.another truck being rescued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted November 4, 2020 Author Share Posted November 4, 2020 Started working on the hinge last night. I think I can make a really solid repair. Also bought weld on reinforcement plates for when I get the hinge mounted back up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 Finished the top hinge, waiting on a bottom hinge to come in to make sure I got everything on straight. Then reinforcement plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted November 12, 2020 Author Share Posted November 12, 2020 Ripped out most of the carpet, the dash, and started on the hvac box. Very little floorboard rust. Some under the seam sealer and under the clutch master. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted November 14, 2020 Share Posted November 14, 2020 wow, those floors look decent! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghetdjc320 Posted November 15, 2020 Share Posted November 15, 2020 I swear the club must have all 91 eliminators ever produced! Clean truck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteXJSA Posted November 2, 2021 Share Posted November 2, 2021 Is the bed still available? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 Alright so I actually have a planned path for this truck and it involves my other truck. For the last year I have been stuck in Portland for work and have been mostly away from these projects. One of the guys that I worked with shares a resto shop with his dad. Big Mopar folks with a bunch of old Dodge's and Plymouth's. His paint and body work is immaculate and as I am still without a shop I plan to have this trucks body done by him. Body Plan: - Use the running 1991 and haul it and this truck to his place near Portland. - This cab/frame, the other 1991 bed from the running truck, a 1986 Junkyard tailgate, 1996 Junkyard doors, 1991 Junkyard header panel, 1989 hood from my old eliminator (sold to a friend), and the fenders from the running 1991 will all get media blasted. - Everything will be sprayed with Eastwood 2-part epoxy primer, and everything will be edge painted with Nason Red Base and re-assembled on a rotisserie. - Underbody and bed frame rails will be Raptor Lined - Body work will be completed and sealed with Nason (or other brand) sealer. - I plan to tuck the harness (custom year 2000 engine harness), and I will also be cutting a hole in the drivers inner fender to accept a 1997+ washer bottle. - BDF Hidden Winch Mount - Factory front bumper (with fairlead cutout), factory fender flares (not sure if I am going to use the aggressive 1996 flares or the earlier normal Comanche ones), Factory rear bumper Engine Bay Wiring Plan: - 2000 Manual Trans Cherokee ECU with HP Tuners and OBD2 - Custom engine bay harness that will be tucked behind drivers fender and through cowl. Based off 2000 model harness but modified and probably will have my harness guy source all new connectors and I will custom fab once I have the prototype finished and working. - Coil packs instead of Dizzy - ECU control to relay for dual factory electric fans (LHD Standard + RHD Standard). Not sure if I will run single relay or dual relay and not sure if I care to individually control fans. I think I may just have them set up to both come on or both stay off depending on ECU command. - Jeep Cables for heavy duty cables - Relay driven headlights and Fogs. Header panel connector will be swapped from the crappy one to a multipin Deutsch connector - Probably an OBA setup that I hope I can shove in the passenger cowl. If I can't fit it there then I may not do OBA. On/Off control will be engine bay only. - Still researching but I am likely to pre-wire for a wet shot nitrous kit as well. Engine Plan: - Running truck has an ATK "205HP" 4.7L stroker in it right now. I plan to use the bottom end on this motor as is (potentially swap for forged rods if I decide to run nitrous). - More aggressive cam, engine doesn't breath at all with whatever they installed on it. Have not dyno'ed it but I imagine that it drops off rapidly as early as 3500 RPM when it runs out of air. - Built head, still doing research on this but I am thinking a late HO head (pre-0331) with Chevy valves and mild porting. Try and keep compression in the same range of 9.3:1 - Coil packs instead of Dizzy, 2000 ECU, etc. - Roller rockers - I notice that I have a small increase in temp at idle (not related to fans) so I think I am just a tad low on coolant flow at that engine speed. I am going to try a high flow T-Stat and housing. Interior Plan: - Relocate factory fuse block to get it away from the clutch master. While I do not like additional connectors I will likely run a Deutsch multi-pin to the fuse block so I can put a bulkhead on the firewall and prevent air leakage around the craptastic fuse block connector. - Standalone audio harness, factory head unit modified to accept bluetooth through a mini-DAC/Amplifier mounted where the auto trans controller would be. Out to crossovers and Morel Tweeters in factory tweeter location and out to Morel 5.25" components in the doors. Behind seat location will have 5x7 Morel Components and a Kenwood self powered sub - Full sound deadening - HVAC fan will be re-wired to have a relay control for high speed with a more direct path to battery. - Clock VFD display will be run from a microcontroller to display AFR instead of time - Modified Cherokee overhead console with a scangauge integrated into it. - Chevy auto-dim rearview with temp and compass - Wire passenger side window for power - Have second switch on power controls on drivers side be for a latching relay for vehicle killswitch. - 5V converter under dash for USB power for phone. - Dash has full gauge set with 120MPH speedo, Oil P in Bar, Temp in Celsius. Black face instead of standard Gray - Otherwise stock gray eliminator interior Misc mostly from running truck: - NP242 from running truck - AX-15 - Dana 44 Rear (may swap trac-lok with tru-trac) - 3.55 gears - D30 non-disco front - Rear discs - May convert to WJ front brakes/knuckles/steering if I can shove them under the stock 15" wheels - Roll bar - Trucklites headlights Where it is now: - I have collected 90% of the above components and most of it will be salvaged off the other 1991 Eliminator. This Texas frame/cab is way better than the one that came with the other eliminator from a rust standpoint. The "Other" 1991 Eliminator (Eventual Donor) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 wait, why are we tearing apart a decent looking 91? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 The decent looking one needs rust remediation on the frame rails and floorboards again, the paint is failing on multiple panels, and it needs at least under dash wiring. I will not be tearing it apart until the other one is a perfect and painted roller. My easiest way to the best Comanche is to get the Texas one up to 100% as it has essentially no rust and both of them would need a repaint. edit: only thing coming off the good looking one short term is the bed and tailgate. Plan to fab the tank up so I can still drive it around the property while the paintwork gets done on the bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 ok. just remember that if we use the same 10% ratio of surviving MJs there are less than 700 total HO MJs left. you're out in the northwest now. there has to be clean beds around you somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 1 hour ago, Pete M said: ok. just remember that if we use the same 10% ratio of surviving MJs there are less than 700 total HO MJs left. you're out in the northwest now. there has to be clean beds around you somewhere. Plan is to make the decent looking one a bed-less roller and sell it to a member for scrap price so it can be used for another project! I refuse to scrap a salvageable Comanche at this point. But the decent looking one will need fairly extensive work done on the drivers frame rail. Its not rusted through but it will need to be fully cut out and a new piece welded in to be done correctly. Plus it has the engine, trans, drivetrain, bed, etc that I want. The doors and hood are okay on it but they are aftermarket and not originals anyway. But if someone has another perfect bed in the PNW and wants to trade for the North East roller with the Cali bed let me know =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 25, 2022 Share Posted June 25, 2022 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted June 25, 2022 Author Share Posted June 25, 2022 Also I found one of the two possible dealer badges for the Texas truck and purchased it through ebay. Its the earlier Bruner Chevy, AMC, Jeep badge. Still searching for a plastic Bruner Chrysler Dodge Jeep. Looking at the Bruner history there could be another variation of Bruner Chevrolet Jeep if they dropped the AMC name instead of using up the AMC badges but it would depend on what month they changed the Jeep dealer over in 1990 to know which one is actually correct =P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 Okay. Update that I forgot to put up 2 years ago. I hauled both of these up to Portland from Texas ~2 years ago. Towing them up there I lost my taillight circuit somewhere in Utah. It was running a bit hot here and there but it was due to only being able to get 1-2 of the 3x 10" cooling fans working at any given time. While it was moving it had no issues. Otherwise it did great from San Antonio to Portland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 Update 2: I cleared enough space out of my 1 car garage in Seattle to justify bringing the running truck up. The truck had been parked on a gravel lot at my friends place. The failing paint is now really failing. Almost unbelievably letting it sit for 2 years did not fix the cooling fans or taillights =P Surprisingly, it fired right up after fogging the cylinders even on 2 year old gas. Smoked a little on startup but ran fine. Forgot to take a picture of it's parking spot. Spent an entire weekend trying to fix the brake lights. The whole circuit had issues and still has issues. Started by figuring out that I had a short on the Hazard Circuit (which also drives the brake lights) direct to ground. Started disconnecting harnesses until I found the first short. The brake switch completely left the chat. Replaced the switch and I still had a short. Figured out that the taillight harness had a short. I pulled the harness and brought it back to my hotel. The harness is not original at all and is highly modified so there was a lot to investigate. Redid like 6 connections and still could not figure out the short. I am pretty sure it is one of the sockets (which are not correct) but I just gave up as I wanted to get it back to Seattle. Ended up just wiring up a "trailer harness" to get rid of the short. Even after doing all of this. I had no power to the brake light switch. I don't know where it is broken but I was 100% certain that I was no longer shorted so I popped the pin of out of the new brake light switch and ran an "add a circuit fuse" kit to the marker light fuse and drove it back to Seattle. This way there was no chance of doing more damage to whatever is going on in the circuit. The paint that was peeling is now really peeling. However, I now have money and my paint guy has some time so he is going to get the roller truck in epoxy and start doing body work. I told him not to be in a hurry as I want to figure out the electrical and a few other things on this truck for when we swap everything over but I think I might see some progress there towards the end of this year and into next! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Glad to see progress on this build again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted July 5 Author Share Posted July 5 Found the issue with the brake lights. The Ignition Off Drain (I.O.D) connector was just completely missing on the battery side. I have no idea when this happened or how I had taillights from San Antonio to Salt Lake before they just stopped working completely but whatever... I made a new taillight harness with 18ga GXL wire, pigtails from ACDelco LS253 sockets and Standard S768 sockets. I tinned all of the wires and connected them with brass open face crimps covered with double wall adhesive lined heatshrink. The entire harness is wrapped in Flexon 3/8" solid sheath and I terminated the 6 pin with a deutsch as the 1991-1992 is not a plug I can find new currently. Overkill but I never want to do this harness again on this truck =P The parking brake was also not working. I had tried just adjusting the cable and that did not work. This truck has a D44 with disc brake conversion on it so I had a feeling that the parking brake pawls were out of adjustment. Popped the back wheels off and manually adjusted the pawls and now the parking brake works fine. I will eventually convert it back to a foot brake. Last thing I did yesterday was to wash the truck. The paint is way worse than when I parked it 2 years ago but I knew it was going when I bought it. Still looks okay from 10 feet away. Just ordered plates for it so I will likely get it registered in the coming weeks. Washington is surprisingly friendly to registering old vehicles. I will even get to use plates for 1991 instead of modern plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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