1987 Comanche build...The War Machine

[jeepcomj]

it's nice to hear it run for the first time in 2 weeks. I'm very happy with a couple things...

I already had the 99 bracketry and serpentine, and the alternator for the '99 bolted right in (found that they're not interchangeable between 95-98, and 99-01)


I got the interior completely gutted...modified the center consoles by relocating my tuffy lock box back a bit, and cutting down the tan factory center console (it was mint lol...oh well). managed to retain my cup holders. Afterwards, I wire brushed and cleaned the floors, and sprayed rust converter down. it's nice that this thing is still EXTREMELY clean rust-wise. in the morning, I'll spray down some undercoating and it will be dry by mid-afternoon when I'm ready to install the carpet.

I also started toying with my dual e-fan setup. should be fairly interesting...luckily, the second factory '96+ fan fits in without hitting the old fan pulley's bolts...so I can always swap back since I don't have to trim up those bolts at all.

pics

also got the factory cd/tape deck installed and tested. super stoked about this one

 

[austinaubinoe]

cool looking interior man! what center console is that? and how did you start it by just touching that wire to the battery?

 

[jeepcomj]

that's a tuffy lock box for a YJ.

I'm running swivel bucket seat bases from an older xj, combined with mj bench floor backets....so the seats sit 2.5" higher than factory, so the taller yj console is nice.


as to how I started it with that wire...that's the positive wire going to the starter solenoid. the battery is all hooked up, and the key works, but there is no neutral safety switch right now, and I still have the '95 starter in, which the '99 IGN wire won't plug into. so, I turn the key on, and jump it that way.

 

[jeepcomj]

so, I got the np242 installed and got the 4x sensor and speed sensor hooked to the engine harness, put the np242 shifter setup in it, and then proceeded to go to the junkyard in order to get the '99 transmission harness so I can splice a jumper to go from '95 to '99 tranny connectors.

so. while I was there, I found a "new" truck in the yard that I hadn't seen before...a little chevy luv (sorry Brent, didn't have the camera to grab pics). on said truck was a meyers e47 pump with quick connect assembly,, and a pretty good condition 6'6" meyers plow, complete with lights and wiring.

it just so happens that, other than the mount, it's identical to the setup for the Jeep...which my brother has. so, for $240, I picked it up and had them torch the mounts off.

now, I have no intention of using this mounting setup..I'm gonna make my own mounts to quick connect it to my brush guard.

but, this finishes off all the parts I needed to get the truck done. I'll need to get a new meyers quick connect wiring connector, as this one is fried, and maybe rebuild the e47 pump or buy a spare one and use this one for parts...it doesn't work at the moment, but I'll figure it out and have a plow setup for under $400. I also need to fix the center pin area of the plow frame, and put new ram pins in, as those have been heavily used.

pics

considering my brother paid $1000 for his setup in similar condition, I think I did pretty damn well. gotta sell more parts to make up for this, now oh well. customer's vehicles should pay for it, too.

 

[jeepcomj]

put the new front brakes on, bled the system out up front, plugged the rear. the rear wheel cylinders are shot, so rather than buy those...I'm going to pull the d44 from my '86 and pop it in this one, sell this d44, and put the AMC20 and metric ton stuff out of the '86 mj I just picked up into my '86.

steering and rear driveshaft compliments of 89eliminator, I drove it out today so that I could clean up the mess in the pole barn. I also sanded down the bedside and passenger cab corner real quick to throw down some white paint, just wanted to see what it looked like.

put the front bumper on

then dug out the lund visor I picked up from Rob (automan) and tossed it up to get an idea of the look.

I think I'll be going completely black on this thing, and probably adding the visor then.

 

[jeepcomj]

wanted to get some better pics of it as it is once it was inside (had to scramble as I was cleaning the shop up...it started raining, and I'm sorta missing a door )

black paint with rain on it...

Chrysler was smart about one thing...they designed ALOT of parts on LHD '97+ xj's to be interchangeable with RHD '97+ xj's...the gauge cluster mount, for example, has two headlight mounts on it. this will be handy so I can add the plow light switch into it, but on the right side of the column.

My plan was originally to tie this into the existing headlight harness, but I don't think I will be doing that. The way plows are normally set up is that this switch is a "Upper/Lower" switch...What I will be doing is setting this up so I can turn on the plow lights seperately of the factory lights. then, I'll simply flip the running lights on and turn the plow lights on...I will have to tie into the hi/lo wires coming off of the turn signal switch, but otherwise they'll function perfectly that way. and no...the plow lights won't be quite that high...they'll be around 6" lower on the quick-connect plow subframe I'm going to make to work with this bumper.

 

[cordon00]

whats wrong with your tires there leaning out

 

[jeepcomj]

whats wrong with your tires there leaning out

nope, they're not.

 

[jeepcomj]

today was a good day.

new motor is on plow pump...$75 later, pump works. quick connector is still kinda fubar'd, but it works...will make it through the winter.

driver's door is modded to be removable, and installed. driver's fender installed, front end buttoned up.

truck is re-registered and insured.

tail lights are wired except brake lights...gotta figure that one out yet, can't remember what I did for last time with the '95 wiring...to the turn switch, i think.

to drive it, I just need to put the sway bar on, wire the brake lights, put something on for a rear bumper...even if it's temporary, and toss shocks on it. then it's driveable. hope to have it completely done on wednesday.

all I have left for wiring, aside from the brake lights, is to wire in the rear speaker and interior light wires, and install the plow wiring.

pics tomorrow.

 

[austinaubinoe]

Did you vote?

 

[jeepcomj]

Did you vote?

for what? and wtf does voting have to do with this thread?

 

[jeepcomj]

and if you meant for chapter stuff, no...i didn't. I'm no longer a paying member, let my membership expire, forgot to renew, and money is tight.

 

[XTurboJ]

i think he is talking about the stickers that were in some of your pics on the cluster.

 

[jeepcomj]

oh. no, those were from a previous owner. of course I voted. and of course, I'm intelligent enough to vote for the republican party...look wat the dem's have done...

 

[jeepcomj]

bit more progress. swapping rear ends with the 3800's this weekend, then the brakes will be done. also taking the 31's from the 3800 and putting those on it. swapping out to the '99 alloy rims in a few weeks. all lights work, interior wiring is done. need to do a headliner for it, put the interior together, wire up the new speakers, and put the door strikers in permanently. it's driveable, though.

plow mount is gonna be pretty easy.

 

[flazz85]

cool ride man, respect

 

[austinaubinoe]

hahaha sorry to make you so angry about the voting thing! just making a joke about that sticker!

get that thing painted! Dig the sun visor.

 

[jeepcomj]

thanks. not sure about the visor. just started working @ a job building semi trucks, 50 and more hours/week (rebuild wrecked trucks etc.), so I haven't had time to finish it.

 

[jeepcomj]

Sold this shortly after the last post, after removing a great many things. It has been sitting in a field half assembled for years, just agreed to buy it back this week, going to look at it tomorrow and whatnot, but it is 10x the project now. Still clean to fix up, but will need to be stripped 100%

 

[jeepcomj]

Well, saturday was set to be a good day.

Rob came up so we could pay some attention to his MJ trailer build, figure out the axle, and whatnot. We decided on a trailer axle, 3500#, custom built for the same cost as modifying a purchased one to fit.

Once we reached that conclusion, it was time to come up with something else to do. I recalled that there was a junkyard by me that the old man who owned it had died, his daughter inherited, and was only open saturdays to meet state law of 1 day a week. We got there just in time...they are scrapping EVERYTHING. There is only one MJ in the yard, which I will be going back to grab parts from. Some things in the yard haven't moved in 40+ years. I'm sure Rob will share pics at some point, but he has been busy with the bad luck on the way home with the accident.


After the yard, we took a hike to look at my old MJ. I have bought it back. It will be a project.

Here it is as it sits currently.