18,600 MJs left on the roads

[DesertRat1991]

On 1/4/2022 at 9:04 PM, 87Warrior said:

Have you been talking to my wife? 

 

It's the ugly truth about a passion for any vehicle. 

 

Agreed. That's why I think this VIO number would be most useful in a comparison between models of similar vintage. There's no point in trying to count the number of unregistered rigs awaiting restoration.  All enthusiast communities suffer from that same affliction so that figure washes out.

 

I'd love to see the VIO figures for the XJ or even the Dakota.

[ExpatMJGuy]

It’s funny right after this thread came about, the other night I spoke with a gentleman on Facebook via one of the Comanche groups that was hunting a new Comanche.  He complaining was about MJ prices didn’t understand why nicer MJs commanded 10k+! He showed me one he was looking at and I said the price was reasonable for what it was.  If I remember correctly it was $6900 for a Mechanically sound, straight body, 4.0, 4wd, long bed with no rust and complete interior. I said if it were a short bed I’d want it myself.  His response was that’s no worry cause I’m going to Bob the bed anyways.  I told him flat out his bobbing the bed comment was of concern to me so my very next question was do u know how many MJs were made?  His answer was of course NO.  I told him, and then told him how many were left.   And the answer was wow I’m looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

 My advice to him.  Know what you’re getting into before you put a torch to a perfectly good truck.  Don’t be that guy that starts one of these, destroys it to a point no one wants it, and now another good prime specimen truck with a good title gone is gone forever.  I said have a vision before you start and do your homework top to bottom before you get going.  I said to him I even thought after owning 4 of them that I knew a lot about XJs till I started on my MJ.  Turned out I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought! I also explained to him I don’t know why you need to find one in such good condition for a build like that anyways.  I really think it was just because finding a short bed in similar shape was too difficult.

 

My MJ is going I be all original due to import/export restrictions but I’m all about proper custom restorations when done properly.  The car can’t loose it’s lines and stylings that make it what it is.  Shows like American Hotrod with his Boydsters got me into working in the automotive industry in the first place.  There’s all kinds of shows on now with different shops putting out different styles.  The guys on Iron Resurrection are prolly some of my current favorites today.  Flip the coin and about 3 years ago there was a Comanche on Bleeping Jeep’s YouTube channel that drove me nuts.  He called it the Commancheep.  He started with a full Comanche. He basically didn’t have a bed on it and turned it into a crazy crazy rock crawler with an LS swap.  Now I don’t know the title status of that Jeep and maybe it was the reason for the crazy chop shop of a build for that Jeep, but when it was done it looked like just a cab with an exoskeleton roll cage attached to it with dang monster truck tires.  It was sad and barely resembled an MJ when it was done.  What a waste of another rare vehicle!

 

Every time I mention the production numbers even to Fellow Jeepers I’m ALWAYS met with surprise!
 

 I feel like Jeep lovers are some of the Comanches worst enemy right now!  (Yeah I said it!). It’s the new Comanche owner that picked one up cheap or on in a trade.  He’s had Jeeps before and loves them but picked it up just because it’s different or because he’s always wanted one but doesn’t know ANYTHING about it outside of the fact it looks cool.  It’s the Wrangler or Cherokee Non-Comanche owner that puts our tailgates on walls in bars or garages just because it says Jeep and they want to display it because of the big bold name Jeep on it.  The other day there was a guy on Facebook showing off a Jeep tailgate Park bench, and of course everyone in the comments were tagging someone who would want one and people were begging him to show how he did it!  I begged him not to and gave him the numbers.

 

When our parts dry up, our Jeeps will die! It’s a fact!  Low production numbers won’t help us in the remanufacturing of parts game.
 

It’s a double edged sword.  And maybe this is the natural way of things as a vehicle ventures further into classic status with cult following but I feel like we as not Just Comanche enthusiasts but Jeep enthusiast in general need to get the word out there about the rarity of these vehicles.  Maybe these Jeeps will stop seeing such senseless deaths of people know what they got their hands on. Maybe people will stop turning our tailgates into park benches.  But then again maybe the knowledge of our rarity will work against us driving vehicle and parts prices sky high.  I can see Non-Jeepers hunting these parts once word is out on the street and scalping us for our own parts.  Maybe we’re in for a market correction when it comes to the value of our vehicles and the prices for the parts to keep them running.

 

I just know after spending weeks hunting parts crap like that makes me sick!

 

I feel better now… whew!  Sorry.

 

 Thoughts?

[scguy]

I just thought of something for a comparison.  The All Things Jeep Comanche group on Facebook has 11k members.  I would think a good majority of them would own a MJ, and a good number of owners wouldn't have FB or be in the group. 

[ExpatMJGuy]

45 minutes ago, scguy said:

I just thought of something for a comparison.  The All Things Jeep Comanche group on Facebook has 11k members.  I would think a good majority of them would own a MJ, and a good number of owners wouldn't have FB or be in the group. 

I feel it’s a possibility but the correlation prolly isn’t there.
 

Well there’s 18,600 “registered” MJs and prolly at least triple that in a garage, barn, or driveway just sitting.  So 11k is a fair number.  But owning an MJ Isn’t a requirement to join that group.  It’s easy to do.  You literally just have to be able to spell Comanche.

There’s also all things Comanche buy/sell/trade which I think is where I ran into this gentleman.  You can join the group due to interest, check prices, and leave loose interest but not leave the group.  XJ owners can join the group to attempt to sell front end parts as another sales avenue.

 

Fyi, on FB there’s also Jeep Comanche Lovers, Owners, and Enthusiast , Jeep Renix USA, Jeep MJ buy/sell/trade and there’s many local buy sell trade groups on FB.  I’m a member of Jeep Classifieds of Georgia.

 

 One thing with Facebook groups.  I think pretty much any smuck with a keyboard and a Facebook account can create one.  There’s not much organization and they aren’t regulated well.

[tugboat95]

It’s funny right after this thread came about, the other night I spoke with a gentleman on Facebook via one of the Comanche groups that was hunting a new Comanche.  He complaining was about MJ prices didn’t understand why nicer MJs commanded 10k+! He showed me one he was looking at and I said the price was reasonable for what it was.  If I remember correctly it was $6900 for a Mechanically sound, straight body, 4.0, 4wd, long bed with no rust and complete interior. I said if it were a short bed I’d want it myself.  His response was that’s no worry cause I’m going to Bob the bed anyways.  I told him flat out his bobbing the bed comment was of concern to me so my very next question was do u know how many MJs were made?  His answer was of course NO.  I told him, and then told him how many were left.   And the answer was wow I’m looking for a needle in a haystack.
 
 My advice to him.  Know what you’re getting into before you put a torch to a perfectly good truck.  Don’t be that guy that starts one of these, destroys it to a point no one wants it, and now another good prime specimen truck with a good title gone is gone forever.  I said have a vision before you start and do your homework top to bottom before you get going.  I said to him I even thought after owning 4 of them that I knew a lot about XJs till I started on my MJ.  Turned out I didn’t know nearly as much as I thought! I also explained to him I don’t know why you need to find one in such good condition for a build like that anyways.  I really think it was just because finding a short bed in similar shape was too difficult.
 
My MJ is going I be all original due to import/export restrictions but I’m all about proper custom restorations when done properly.  The car can’t loose it’s lines and stylings that make it what it is.  Shows like American Hotrod with his Boydsters got me into working in the automotive industry in the first place.  There’s all kinds of shows on now with different shops putting out different styles.  The guys on Iron Resurrection are prolly some of my current favorites today.  Flip the coin and about 3 years ago there was a Comanche on Bleeping Jeep’s YouTube channel that drove me nuts.  He called it the Commancheep.  He started with a full Comanche. He basically didn’t have a bed on it and turned it into a crazy crazy rock crawler with an LS swap.  Now I don’t know the title status of that Jeep and maybe it was the reason for the crazy chop shop of a build for that Jeep, but when it was done it looked like just a cab with an exoskeleton roll cage attached to it with dang monster truck tires.  It was sad and barely resembled an MJ when it was done.  What a waste of another rare vehicle!
 
Every time I mention the production numbers even to Fellow Jeepers I’m ALWAYS met with surprise!
 
 I feel like Jeep lovers are some of the Comanches worst enemy right now!  (Yeah I said it!). It’s the new Comanche owner that picked one up cheap or on in a trade.  He’s had Jeeps before and loves them but picked it up just because it’s different or because he’s always wanted one but doesn’t know ANYTHING about it outside of the fact it looks cool.  It’s the Wrangler or Cherokee Non-Comanche owner that puts our tailgates on walls in bars or garages just because it says Jeep and they want to display it because of the big bold name Jeep on it.  The other day there was a guy on Facebook showing off a Jeep tailgate Park bench, and of course everyone in the comments were tagging someone who would want one and people were begging him to show how he did it!  I begged him not to and gave him the numbers.
 
When our parts dry up, our Jeeps will die! It’s a fact!  Low production numbers won’t help us in the remanufacturing of parts game.
 
It’s a double edged sword.  And maybe this is the natural way of things as a vehicle ventures further into classic status with cult following but I feel like we as not Just Comanche enthusiasts but Jeep enthusiast in general need to get the word out there about the rarity of these vehicles.  Maybe these Jeeps will stop seeing such senseless deaths of people know what they got their hands on. Maybe people will stop turning our tailgates into park benches.  But then again maybe the knowledge of our rarity will work against us driving vehicle and parts prices sky high.  I can see Non-Jeepers hunting these parts once word is out on the street and scalping us for our own parts.  Maybe we’re in for a market correction when it comes to the value of our vehicles and the prices for the parts to keep them running.
 
I just know after spending weeks hunting parts crap like that makes me sick!
 
I feel better now… whew!  Sorry.
 
 Thoughts?

A lot of truth to what you say. My background is in restoring vehicles. (Done three now a 66 Fairlane, 67 VW Bug, 98 Suburban) And doing some southern redneck muddin' in Fords and Chevies. I do not have a "Jeep" background. The only one I ever "owned" was my father's 89 Comanche he bought brand new in 1989 when I was 17. It was a commuter nothing more. But I learned how to drive with it and did teenage stuff with it. Paid my Dad 50 bucks a month to drive it from Friday night to Sunday night. And I had to leave him a tank of gas in it for his Monday morning drive. And I usually got it on Friday afternoon with a full tank as well. Fast forward 30 years and I stumbled on one exactly like it (hurricane got the original). Nostalgia and a whim got me to buy it. I was also working with a Jeep guy that wanted a Comanche bad. Yeah he's pretty jealous. I love the thing. That's one going completely back to factory original with slight upgrades (modern radio, suspension, and open cooling system)

But i picked up another 89 cheap from a junkyard mainly for parts. But once I got it home and dove deeper, Its completely restorable but has been registered as a junk vehicle and can never be titled or have a license plate again. So this ones tailgate is now a table in my man cave, the bench seat is my couch and I've started selling some of the parts I know I'll never use. (I'm keeping the tail lights) Tailgate is also my spare if ever needed. This is one that's a perfect candidate to be bob tailed, jacked up, etc. And right now, that's what I'm planning to do with it. (Not going to cut up the perfectly good bed). Since getting into the "Jeep world" I found the one on Bleepin Jeep and that's what I'm going after. But I'm keeping the 4.0 but I may stroke it. Not sure about roll cage and everything he has done, but that thing can go anywhere. My junked 89 is the perfect candidate to chop up and modify etc. I've fallen in love with the Comanches so much I've spent the last 10 months and a sizable portion of my retirement savings (picture wife eye roll here) building a garage so I can do both of those projects. My next large purchase with be an enclosed trailer to haul the trail rig places (Moab is screaming my name again). But that won't be for a couple of years.

To sum it all up...The best of both worlds.


1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[ExpatMJGuy]

@tugboat95 I understand the nostalgia.  Fortunately yet unfortunately my first car was my dads last car which was a 96 xj.  I got it when I was 15 a month from my 16th birthday.  And even more unfortunately a year after that a distracted driver crossed the center line and hit me head on before I even knew what happened.  I used insurance money and bought another 96 Xj with more miles and options in a color I would have picked and I loved it.  I felt not just the nostalgia but the fact I lived after such an accident to be a miracle.  I drove that same XJ for almost 20 years!  High school, stored in basic and deployments, drove it across the country when I got pcs orders to Fort Bliss and back home later.   Looking back I prolly could have kept it longer but it was pretty worn out and transmissions cost money when your a new parent of a second child.  I’ve had a TJ a KJ and a few more XJs since then!   But I originally fell in love with the XJ platform.  Fast forward even more so into home ownership which is synonymous with pickup ownership.  I bought my first truck to haul stuff from the hardware store.  Now I can’t picture life without a truck.  Man the things I’ve done with my pickup trucks.  One day I saw an MJ go down the road and I was like, “I want one”!  I almost traded my 2000 Frontier for one about 4-5 years ago.  But didn’t because I looked at it from a practical standpoint.  It didn’t have an extended cab and I have kids.  Fast forward to now I have a 2019 Frontier with a crew cab cause I have teenagers and I’m in a different place financially so that I don’t have to make it a work horse or a commuter so the time is right.  I also have teenagers willing to help me do the work.  
 

And listen I get chopping these things up when the title is crap.  Take the rare parts off them so they can be reused the turn them into whatever off road buggies at that point.  Just save the Rare parts when that happens. Again after hunting rare parts it’s just sad to see the MJs and the rare parts get destroyed by people and on the trails.  I have a clean title vehicle I’m taking Parts off right now.  I will most likely let it go at a loss due to its condition after what I take off it.  It sold prolly be parted from a practical standpoint,but it’s worth seeing them alive to live another day rather than wasted by being chopped up at this point when it can still be revived.  My thinking at this point even though it might be a loss at this point the parts I take are worth money in the end and I’m still coming out cheaper than piecing all the parts I’m after individually.

 

 But seriously when hunting proper parts for a complete restoration, times are tough out here and the supply chain is getting attacked on all sides and I’m finding sometimes it’s by people in our own community and that’s what really stings at the end of the day.

[Pete M]

at a time when renix Jeeps are becoming seriously hard to find in a junkyard, the aftermarket has seriously stepped up their game (Key Parts and guys with 3d printers in particular).  It's a weird time to be in the hobby.  some things are getting harder to find but others are now easy.  

 

there are cheapskates in most all hobbies.  the truck was cheap to them, so they expect all the parts to be cheap too and when it's not, they apparently get mad. 

[tugboat95]

@tugboat95 I understand the nostalgia.  Fortunately yet unfortunately my first car was my dads last car which was a 96 xj.  I got it when I was 15 a month from my 16th birthday.  And even more unfortunately a year after that a distracted driver crossed the center line and hit me head on before I even knew what happened.  I used insurance money and bought another 96 Xj with more miles and options in a color I would have picked and I loved it.  I felt not just the nostalgia but the fact I lived after such an accident to be a miracle.  I drove that same XJ for almost 20 years!  High school, stored in basic and deployments, drove it across the country when I got pcs orders to Fort Bliss and back home later.   Looking back I prolly could have kept it longer but it was pretty worn out and transmissions cost money when your a new parent of a second child.  I’ve had a TJ a KJ and a few more XJs since then!   But I originally fell in love with the XJ platform.  Fast forward even more so into home ownership which is synonymous with pickup ownership.  I bought my first truck to haul stuff from the hardware store.  Now I can’t picture life without a truck.  Man the things I’ve done with my pickup trucks.  One day I saw an MJ go down the road and I was like, “I want one”!  I almost traded my 2000 Frontier for one about 4-5 years ago.  But didn’t because I looked at it from a practical standpoint.  It didn’t have an extended cab and I have kids.  Fast forward to now I have a 2019 Frontier with a crew cab cause I have teenagers and I’m in a different place financially so that I don’t have to make it a work horse or a commuter so the time is right.  I also have teenagers willing to help me do the work.  
 
And listen I get chopping these things up when the title is crap.  Take the rare parts off them so they can be reused the turn them into whatever off road buggies at that point.  Just save the Rare parts when that happens. Again after hunting rare parts it’s just sad to see the MJs and the rare parts get destroyed by people and on the trails.  I have a clean title vehicle I’m taking Parts off right now.  I will most likely let it go at a loss due to its condition after what I take off it.  It sold prolly be parted from a practical standpoint,but it’s worth seeing them alive to live another day rather than wasted by being chopped up at this point when it can still be revived.  My thinking at this point even though it might be a loss at this point the parts I take are worth money in the end and I’m still coming out cheaper than piecing all the parts I’m after individually.
 
 But seriously when hunting proper parts for a complete restoration, times are tough out here and the supply chain is getting attacked on all sides and I’m finding sometimes it’s by people in our own community and that’s what really stings at the end of the day.

I get the place in life. I've only gotten "comfortable" in the last 10 years or so. Not rich just not paycheck to paycheck. Some good life choices and investments have enabled me to play. Up until I was in my late 30s life was a struggle like everybody. Mortgages, mouths to feed and educate. In general life happens. But now I'm 50, kid is in last year or his masters and its paid for. Only thing I owe money on in my house. And the garage I guess as technically I borrowed on my 401k for that. Bow I can do stuff with my vehicles That my dad did as I was in high school and off in the military. These jeeps are easy to work on and fun to drive. Once my lift is installed them "good" jeep will spend some lengthy time on it as I got thru the under side and then paint it. Once done the tail rig is going up on the lift and will be blown apart and redone. 10 years ago stuff like was just a dream. Now I'm able to make it happen while I still good health and earning a decent living. Cause in 10 years I retire and play time will be on a serious budget.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[ExpatMJGuy]

@tugboat95I have to agree.  Enjoy yourself.  You only live once!  I medically retired from the military after 15 years in Nov of 2019.  I unfortunately jumped out of too many airplanes and suffered a major back injury that followed me for 10 years through to the end of my carrier.  The current army Physical Training program has basically transitioned to Cross Fit and the new PT test is basically a test based on how well you can perform certain CrossFit moves and reps.  Yes there are even deadlifts on it now!  I was barely hanging on without running and in pain up from daily activities up to that point.  When I went to to have my permanent profile reviewed an honest conversation came up with the doctor and my ability to keep up with these new PT standards and it was determined that as hard as the old PT program was on me, the new PT program would definitely do more harm than good for me, and so it was time to go to the medboard.  On my exit physical it was also determined I have Rheumatoid Arthritis.  So my immune system attacks my joints.  With the pain I was in, I was a realist and in the end I honestly knew this day was coming.  There was a lot of hoarding money and prepping for an uncertain financial future even before we went to the medboard.  But on the other side of retirement with a solid lifelong retirement income, I feel better about spending on such things.   I'm also lucky enough to have a wife with a scientific background whose carrier is thriving now that we're not moving across the country at the whims of a branch manager at Ft Knox.  We're actually moving to Australia based on her work.

 

I decided to take a year off when my medboard was completed.  I wanted to take time to decompress and heal physically and mentally.  Then about a third of the way into my rest period COVID went down and I was like "good time to be in a rest period."  I don't off-road much due to pain being jarred on trails. Outside of that, Jeeps are a great retirement project!  I try to spend at least a few minutes with them each day even if I feel bad!  I can easily research the Jeep and lookup parts online when I feel bad.  I do more physical work on my "better days."  Word of advise as u build your garage.  ALWAYS build bigger than what you think you need.  Ex: If u think you need a 2 car, you need a 3.  Remember the space to store your tools and do prep.  Also remember your ceiling height because if you don't one day you'll want a lift.  This is where I am right now.  I was in the military, and even though I was a mechanic even then my priority wasn't building cars when we bought our house.  But here we are and were coming up 2 years into what was going to be 1 year and I'm ready to go back to work least mentally!  But I'll be selective for work because I can be!  Hopefully at a restoration shop somewhere where I can learn!

[tugboat95]

@expatmjguy garage was built precisely to house a lift. I'm too old to be crawling under stuff on my driveway. I built as large as my wallet would allow and then some. I also had to consider the footprint on my land for it. Built a large as I could, 24x36. And I wish it was bigger and I'm not even moved into it yet.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd

[89eliminator]

9 hours ago, tugboat95 said:

@expatmjguy garage was built precisely to house a lift. I'm too old to be crawling under stuff on my driveway. I built as large as my wallet would allow and then some. I also had to consider the footprint on my land for it. Built a large as I could, 24x36. And I wish it was bigger and I'm not even moved into it yet.

1989 Eliminator
4.0L 5 speed
2wd
 

 

no garage is ever big enough lol.  I'm about to break ground on my 36x40.  

[89 MJ]

1 hour ago, 89eliminator said:

 

no garage is ever big enough lol.  I'm about to break ground on my 36x40.  

Can confirm, we have a 44x63 and it is pretty much full. To be fair, my dad does work out of there for one of his jobs, but we all wish it was bigger at times.

[87Warrior]

2 hours ago, 89eliminator said:

 

no garage is ever big enough lol.  I'm about to break ground on my 36x40.  

GO BIGGER!

 

Seriously. I filled a 30x40 pretty quick.

[89eliminator]

2 minutes ago, 87Warrior said:

GO BIGGER!

 

Seriously. I filled a 30x40 pretty quick.

 

old house had 26x40 cause thats all i could fit.  new place i could've built really any size but wallet only allowed 36x40 lol.  

[Jesse J]

I hear these things and I get sad that I chopped up my truck   but then I look at it and love everything I have done to that truck and don't regret a thing. A chopped comanche is better than a crushed comanche. I like to thing I am a very good owner of my truck and am giving it new life. 

[89eliminator]

On 1/20/2022 at 3:48 PM, Jesse J said:

I hear these things and I get sad that I chopped up my truck   but then I look at it and love everything I have done to that truck and don't regret a thing. A chopped comanche is better than a crushed comanche. I like to thing I am a very good owner of my truck and am giving it new life. 

 

i thought the same thing at one time.  but then i realized i have way more fun with my truck how it is now.  

[MiNi Beast]

2 hours ago, 89eliminator said:

 

i thought the same thing at one time.  but then i realized i have way more fun with my truck how it is now.  

Growing up...

[87 MJ Chief]

I looked through the registry and it seems to me, there's only around 30 Chiefs listed. Some in the junkyard, some modified and a couple stock. My question is, how does that affect the value of the one's that are on the road? What I mean is- is there a different valve range for stock vs modified? I know any classic vehicle is worth what someone will pay for it, but you don't want put in more money than it's worth. My belief is to keep a classic stock, but is that still what makes a classic "valuable"? Is it ok to switch it to open cooling? is it ok to upgrade the ground points? At what point does it make a difference?

A '69 Road Runner is worth less if it has 18" TorqueTrust wheels, but a '69 Road Runner tribute build with a Hellephant and 6-speed SST will ring the auction bell. Has the classic auto world changed to the point that "original" means less than "stock appearance"?

Not a single 'classic auto value' website can tell us what Comanches are valued at. Why do we have to wait for the plastic surgeon to buy that $21.5 Eliminator to know what that Eliminator is valued at? That's my 2-cents! lol

[gogmorgo]

Really that only comes down to what people are willing to pay for. To someone who wants to trailer it to one car show and leave it in storage for the rest of the year, originality is going to be worth more. To someone who wants to drive it every day, they might value reliability enhancements. But to me it seems most people would prefer an original survivor in good condition to do with as they see fit, instead of paying for stuff done to it they may not necessarily want. Personally I’d rather have original patina and faded and cracked decals than a fresh paint job I don’t know was done properly, and some rust spots starting without having ever been addressed rather than a good-looking repair that may need redone because no internal rust prevention was done and/or magnets stick to the repair because there’s thin steel mesh right under the paint and it’s otherwise just bondo over cardboard and your “nice” rocker panel falls out the second time you take it down a gravel road, and the a few years later when you cut into the “better” but still failing rocker panel to hang some square tube, you discover it was all done with steel roof flashing with a skiff of bondo over it all, and there’s not a ton of structure to hang the square tube anyhow. But I’m not bitter at all. 

[mickeyd]

That is more than I

 through, don't ever see any around Okla. city.

[Hust01]

I've seen them on eBay for as high as 25k. Probably didn't sell though

 

[NC Tom]

On 1/4/2022 at 8:18 PM, gogmorgo said:

I'd say for evey one registered there's going to be at least another one languishing somewhere.

 

Agreed! I'm driving one-of-two MJs in Watauga County. That I am aware of, and I haven't seen that other one in a long time. There are more parked and rusting then on the road here.

[Classy Comanche]

It is sad that hardly any of these things are on the road these days. What few I have seen I will actively try to turn around and go talk to them. Either I lose them or I'm stuck in traffic. It's also sad teenagers get there hands on these and trash them. Granted I'm 21 so I'm probably considered a "kid" on here with limited automotive knowledge but seeking it where I can. I am trying so hard to get my hands on another 'manche with high hopes to save them. But I just can't seem to find them near me, if I do find them they're not for sale or on the verge of disrepair. Luckily mine is all original except my coolant tank few steering components and oil changed every 3k miles. It's genuinely sad these are junked. But It's so damn cool and fascinating we stick together and help keep each other running. Couldn't ask to be in a better car community.

[87 MJ Chief]

On 6/24/2022 at 5:02 PM, Classy Comanche said:

It is sad that hardly any of these things are on the road these days. What few I have seen I will actively try to turn around and go talk to them. Either I lose them or I'm stuck in traffic. It's also sad teenagers get there hands on these and trash them. Granted I'm 21 so I'm probably considered a "kid" on here with limited automotive knowledge but seeking it where I can. I am trying so hard to get my hands on another 'manche with high hopes to save them. But I just can't seem to find them near me, if I do find them they're not for sale or on the verge of disrepair. Luckily mine is all original except my coolant tank few steering components and oil changed every 3k miles. It's genuinely sad these are junked. But It's so damn cool and fascinating we stick together and help keep each other running. Couldn't ask to be in a better car community.

Here's 3 Carolina Comanches together! (me, @Classy Comanche@NC Tom). I'm 2 counties east of Tom in Alleghany. I know of two others on the road here and 3 on the road in Ashe, which is between tom and I. I don't think those are on here but they are registered.

 

I'm trying to buy 2 Comanches now. I have to buy both of them to get a couple of parts off of 1 of them. If the "good one" is good enough to put back on the road (fuel problem took it off the road) it will be for sale. Yeah, that's putting the cart before the horse but when I'm going in halves with a 12-year old you have to work 3 steps ahead!

[NC Tom]

On 6/30/2022 at 2:35 PM, 87 MJ Chief said:

Here's 3 Carolina Comanches together! (me, @Classy Comanche@NC Tom). I'm 2 counties east of Tom in Alleghany. I know of two others on the road here and 3 on the road in Ashe, which is between tom and I. I don't think those are on here but they are registered.

 

I'm trying to buy 2 Comanches now. I have to buy both of them to get a couple of parts off of 1 of them. If the "good one" is good enough to put back on the road (fuel problem took it off the road) it will be for sale. Yeah, that's putting the cart before the horse but when I'm going in halves with a 12-year old you have to work 3 steps ahead!

 

Glad to know there are a few of us rambling around the NC mountains!

I love my truck. However, it's starting to show it's mechanical age and I'm getting nervous about the cost to keep it going. The biggest issue now is something ain't right with the steering. I get clunks and pops and vibrations.

Anyhoo, that's for another post.