Nodrama43 Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 In February of 2015 I had just finished the build of my 2001 XJ. It was a rust free Jeep from southeast South Carolina that was the perfect specimen. I often do things in pairs (mustangs, Broncos, old trucks, boats....etc.) so I began a search for the perfect mate to the XJ. I had a few requirements. The truck needed to be a short bed, rust free, original paint and drivetrain. After several months of searching I bumped into Yellaheep here and ended up buying one of his many Comanches he was hoarding. It's a 1990 Eliminator, original pint, drivetrain, short bed, Dana 44 rear diff, time capsule. The perfect truck for my plans. Over the past 6 years I have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours working on the truck and I have also been documenting the progress with photos. I am getting close to getting the truck finished so at the urging of a couple members here I am going to start a build thread. Enjoy. First a few photos of the condition upon purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 A few more pictures of purchased condition. Truck still has the original date coded spare tire on the correct wheel. It appears the truck had blown a head gasket and had been partially disassembled. All the removed parts were in a large plastic tub in the bed of the truck. The AX15 and transfer case appear to be the original pieces and do not look like they have ever been out of the truck. all the tags are in place on the diffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Looking forward to some after pictures!!! Is this already in the registry? If not please add it, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 @Torq_Shep you sold it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torq_Shep Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 Just now, eaglescout526 said: @Torq_Shep you sold it? Not yet... His just looks identical. Mine is an 89 2wd Auto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eaglescout526 Posted January 20, 2021 Share Posted January 20, 2021 7 minutes ago, Torq_Shep said: Not yet... His just looks identical. Mine is an 89 2wd Auto. Wild! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 5 hours ago, fiatslug87 said: Looking forward to some after pictures!!! Is this already in the registry? If not please add it, thanks. Yes it’s in the registry. Added it a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 After getting the truck delivered to Ohio it needed a good pressure washing and I took inventory of everything I had. Just about every single piece was there except for a few small bolts and screws probably lost along the way. I started the disassembly process. I also started stripping the original paint in prep to take it over to my painter. I completely disassembled this truck without using one single drop of PB blaster and i didn't break any bolts or find any rust. I was amazed at how easily it came apart and how clean ever y thing was. Rust free Colorado truck for sure. the floorboards look like new after i got the carpet pulled out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsalagi Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 now THAT'S a project space! plenty of room to spread out the parts while you work. my truck just barely fits on our outbuilding. I can see that this truck is in good hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All around mj Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 I thought my floor boards were nice with just having surface rust, but dang yours are nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 On 1/29/2021 at 11:33 PM, All around mj said: I thought my floor boards were nice with just having surface rust, but dang yours are nice. Thanks. The floor boards in the truck would pass for new. I was shocked myself. Low humidity and no roads salt, plus the factory undercoating kept this one really nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 I have lots of room. Best thing I ever did was build a 106x60 shop. I have a paint room, two parts rooms and plenty of heated space to work on this stuff all winter. One thing I am lacking is a lift but hoping to fix that this spring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 after disassembly I took the engine down the road to a machine shop/engine builder. Guy builds 3000 horsepower tractor pulling engines so i figured he could make the little 6 cylinder all better. I'll post up the engine build specs tomorrow. I finished disassembling the truck and took it to my painter. Although the truck was original paint it had a hundred dents in it. it had not been babied for sure. It was supposedly used as a farm truck to haul hay to cattle in it's later years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 My painter does some of the best work I have ever seen and when it comes to black he is an artist. The truck came out laser straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 I went to Idaho elk hunting for a month and when I got home it was painted and waiting on me. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89 MJ Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 That is going to be very pretty! Do you plan to keep the factory 10 whole Eliminator rims? You should try to get it ready to go to the All Breeds Jeep Show in Carlisle PA at the end of July. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 28 minutes ago, 89 MJ said: That is going to be very pretty! Do you plan to keep the factory 10 whole Eliminator rims? You should try to get it ready to go to the All Breeds Jeep Show in Carlisle PA at the end of July. at this time I am not going to use the factory eliminator wheels. I am going to have Keystone refinish them though. I have a set of low mile 16" TJ Moabs for it. As for Carlisle I might make it, depending on some other factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jesse J Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 1 hour ago, 89 MJ said: That is going to be very pretty! Do you plan to keep the factory 10 whole Eliminator rims? You should try to get it ready to go to the All Breeds Jeep Show in Carlisle PA at the end of July. you changed your pfp and it totally threw me off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 3, 2021 Author Share Posted February 3, 2021 I use the same engine builder for all my projects and I dropped the engine off to him for a complete rebuild. The drivetrain is original to the truck. New engine specs are: original engine block hot tanked, checked for cracks and shot peened. over bore .040 with new SLP #H802CP40 14cc dish pistons Align honed, crank and rod journals ground .010, new bearings Decked to zero deck height new cam bearings and freeze plugs rotating assembly internally balanced ARP rod, main and head bolts new Melling HV oil pump Oil filter adaptor o-ring kit 2001 Main cap girdle with original 1990 oil pan Cloyes double Roller timing set Comp Cams #68-235-4 camshaft .477 in / .493 ex. lift with 254/262 duration @.006 Volvo 20 pound four hole injector upgrade. Three angle valve job with everything new except the valves. Spring seats machined for proper install load Head machined for a final compression ration of 9.644:1 Chamber CC is 56 New rocker arm kit Bead blasted and repainted the original Renix valve cover with black "crinkle" high temp engine paint Cruiser's valve cover mod completed. Autolite 3924 gapped .035 Mopar performance springs Mopar performance head gasket Stock Renix header ceramic coated by JetHot. Stock Renix throttle body bored to 60MM by Leigh Performance Machine EVERY sensor replaced with a new one. New motor mounts added as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurtisDgls Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 definitely following, this thing as well as the work being performed is phenomenal. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buxmj Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 This build is awesome. Thank you for taking the time to share all the info and pics, looking forward to every step. Buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 thanks for the compliments guys. It's been a long labor of love for sure. I have spent the last week looking for a new EGR valve for this. I tried everywhere and nobody had it in stock and nobody could order it from any distributor either. Today I found one in Canada for 267.00 CA. Then I found ONE on the pacific coast for 105.00 shipped. Their web site says it is in stock and it let me buy it so I am crossing my fingers that it shows up next week sometime. As for the other sensors the truck is showing 146 thousand miles on the odometer. The harnesses and plugs all look like new but I decided to change every single sensor when going back together. I am going to move the IAT to the air filter box as well so I am buying the Tomco piece and building a new harness. Spent the day today bead blasting misc. parts in prep for paint. Also sourced the rear Bilsteins and got them ordered. My plan is to get the rear axle and springs back in the truck and start pulling the front diff out next week. I also picked up the resurfaced flywheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nodrama43 Posted February 7, 2021 Author Share Posted February 7, 2021 And this morning the vendor on the west coast refunded my payment for the new EGR valve. He is “out of stock” like everyone else. I’m going to call Standard in the morning and ask them to build me one I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 the EGR is overrated anyways. that bodywork is magical! better than new! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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