August 2026 - Grandpa's Truck

[89 MJ]

August 2026 - Grandpa's Truck

Preserved by @jodawill

 

 

Build Thread
https://comancheclub.com/topic/75321-grandpas-truck/

 

 

Year/Model
1990 Pioneer

 

 

Drivetrain
2WD, 4.0 liter, automatic transmission

 

Cooling
Stock

 

Electrical/Ignition
100% stock

 

Suspension/Steering
100% stock

 

Interior
It's nearly 100% stock. I installed a new stereo recently, but I intend to have the original repaired eventually. Besides that, I've upgraded to Infinity Reference speakers and replaced the carpet padding with Dynamat and Dynapad. I also removed my grandpa's cup holder from the window after I replaced the weather stripping because I was afraid it might have caused the leak that ruined the original window regulator. (Sure, the cup holder wasn't stock, but it had been there since the beginning!)

 

 

Brakes
100% stock

 

Lighting
100% stock except for the headlight relay harness I just installed.

 

Exterior
100% stock with the original bed cover my grandpa bought in 1990. Interestingly, it still has a sticker on the back window that he added before he bought the cover. Since it's always been behind the cover, it still looks like new.

 

Wheels & Tires
I'm using the original rims. Two of the caps are missing due to wear around the rim. I won't take any chances driving with them on until I get the rims repaired.

 

Best MJ Story
This truck has been a constant throughout my life. My family moved around a lot when I was younger, but my grandparents always lived in the same house, and in the garage, there was always grandpa's truck. He used to pile us up in the front seat to go get some ice cream at a local diner called Poor John's. It was the place where all the old men would gather to drink coffee and smoke cigarettes. The smell of the place is burned into my mind forever. Vanilla soft serve, coffee, and cigarette smoke.

 

It was always just "grandpa's truck." It was so unique, I could only associate it with him, but I never really thought about the fact I had never seen one like it before.

 

In June, 2023, someone called to tell me that my grandparents had listed the truck for sale. My grandpa wasn't in good health, so they had decided he shouldn't drive anymore. It had never occurred to me that there would ever come a time that they would try to sell it. I guess I had always assumed that my uncle would have inherited it, then it would probably sit in a shed for decades.

 

After a very short and panicked discussion with my wife, I called and asked if I could buy it from them. They said someone had already agreed to buy it and they were waiting for him to come pick it up. Thankfully, the guy never showed, and I became the steward of this truck on June 20th, 2023.

 

I drove it straight to my father in law's house to repair a few problems it had, including a broken window regulator. Several people stopped to look at it while it was in his driveway. That was the first time I had realized how special the truck was. It wasn't just grandpa's truck anymore. It was special in its own right.

 

That December, my grandpa fell and had to go to the hospital. He became very ill while he was there, and we eventually lost him in February, 2024. For a long time, the truck mostly sat in the garage. I didn't want anything about it to change. I felt like every part I replaced put more distance between us.  I think that started to change when it didn't smell like him anymore.

 

Around late fall of 2025, I finally felt like I was ready to do something with the truck. I started with the gas springs. The window on the cover wouldn't stay up anymore. As silly as it sounds, it was hard for me to throw out those original springs. But I knew he would have wanted me to do it for him if he was still here.

 

I bought a bunch of tools during the black friday sales, then I got to work. Once I got in there, I was surprised by how much work it needed. He had always taken care of it, but a vehicle that old just ends up with a lot of worn out parts that just haven't "failed" yet. Eventually, this project turned into a full restoration, which is still ongoing. I knew almost nothing about automotive work when I started. I'm not sure if I would have had the guts to take on this project if I had known from the start what I would have to learn and do, but I've enjoyed learning all these new skills, and it's been a big confidence boost.

 

It's definitely hard to see things change, but I realized that the alternative is to allow the vehicle to rot. I know my grandpa would have loved to see this truck fully restored. It's my way of honoring him. I think one of his biggest fears was that he would be forgotten when he was gone. I hope that by preserving this truck, he will be remembered for many generations to come.

 

CC is Awesome! Why?
I'm not sure I would have been able to do much of this work without the forum. For every question I've asked here, I've probably solved 20 other problems by reading through old threads. I've never considered myself mechanically inclined, but with the help of all the members here, I'm finally learning. I'm grateful to all the members here who've put countless hours into researching and helping strangers like me who pop in and out over the years. This website is an invaluable resource.

 

[fiatslug87]

Congrats! Great story, great tribute, great truck!