TALOS. The second Comanche project

[98REDXJ2]

This year I bought another 1987 Comanche.
Catch is it was a gutter stripped down shell with no rear axle and a blown up 2.5 in it with a title and vin tag.
It needed front floor pans, rocker repairs, bed repairs plus every missing part.
I’ve been slowly working towards my end goal to make this my winter daily and yard truck/work horse, taking over the roles of my other 1998 xj I sold.

So I have taken a rotted out 1994 4.0 ax15 231 xj and swapped every part possible essentially into this 87 Comanche plus bought all the Comanche specific gray interior parts.

Here comes the photos…

 

[98REDXJ2]

I threw some junk panels on it temporarily to feel a little better about it lol.
I think I started with just gutting the rest of what was left in it mainly the blown 2.5l and ax4 as well as the trashed vinyl flooring.
Unfortunately there was someone’s weird floor patch job on the driver side, that was not find to removed. I don’t know what kind of material it was.
I used xj front floor pans to patch up both sides.

 

[98REDXJ2]

I pulled the blown drivetrain and cleaned, degreased, and painted the engine bay and front end.

 

[98REDXJ2]

Stages of swapping the xj parts over

 

[98REDXJ2]

After trying many colors I landed on dark metallic copper for paint.
Swapped doors over. Installed 97+ mirrors and door handles and some Laredo door cards

 

[98REDXJ2]

Got a brand new windshield installed with the rubber gasket.
I made a adapter harness for 94xj dash to 87 mj body/fuel pump/tail harness. I fit an xj ebrake lever into the tunnel then started to assemble the interior. Picked up a silver dash bezel from a friend and installed a new used radio as well as some azzy gauge faces. Picked up some rear speaker brackets and installed some new kicker speakers. The interior is now almost complete minus seats as I’m still waiting on my seat sliders to arrive before I can mount them to my Scarborough floor brackets.

 

[98REDXJ2]

I’m working on modifying a free bumper and my rear axle.
I meant to mention I installed the VW beetle dome lights into the b pillar locations.

This is basically where I’m at with it now.
My list of to do’s is
Seats
Fuel lines
Clean up and swap a 3.55 d30 in
Finish cleaning up and swap in a 3.55 8.25
Finish brake lines and brakes
Install shocks
Finish modifying and welding front and rear bumpers
Make some bed armor as well as do some patching on the bed
Repair the rocker panels
Install front driveshaft
Build a rear driveshaft
Install add a leaf
Install tubular lower control arms

 

[XJ_ranger]

That's a lot of work. Outcome is looking cool though!

 

[98REDXJ2]

I’ve repaired the d30 I’m swapping in. Had rotted passenger coil bucket and bend passenger control arm bracket. Got those patched and bent back then welded Barnes control arm skids on the LCA mounts. Replaced both uca bushings and made my own passenger uca mount stiffener. Now the axle is ready to swap in when I have time.
Still trying to solve a fuel issue. It will run off starting fluid but doesn’t seem to be building enough pressure in the rail to run so I’ll be pulling the fuel sender out soon to inspect and put an xj pump in.

 

[98REDXJ2]

I got my 3.55 Dana 30 swapped in last week. I added some bump stock extensions to the coil buckets. I also got my seat sliders repaired with Scarborough’s mounts.

 

[98REDXJ2]

Solved fuel issues. It now has all new fuel lines, filter, tank, and a 94 sending unit in the tank. Running good.
Started 8.25 swap. Cut all old brackets off.
mocked it up under the truck after having to modify the incorrect spring perches I had ordered I did the ubolt strap mod on the pinion. I welded shock mounts to the axle as I didn’t have any mj ubolt plates to use and figured this way I can get away with running stock shocks on 3” of lift. I replaced every single rear axle brake part and lines.

 

[98REDXJ2]

Interior is complete for now. I bolted my seats intended for my 2door build in until I get some good skins for the seats that will be permanent in the MJ.

 

[SAMSET]

Reading this build thread and looking at the pictures makes me feel like its 2010 again