Posted: 12/27/2014 3:34:50 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DarkCharisma][Edited]
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This was my late grandpas', grandma needed some money and I didn't want her to have to go through with meeting strangers and handling large sums of money, etc. So I went and picked it up on our way home from our cruise yesterday. It's a 1987, 2wd, auto, 4.0L (Renix I think?), 120k miles, one owner, always garaged. So far I've discovered the heater doesn't work--turns out my grandparents never used it in the 27~ years they've had it, SoCal has it's benefits; the brakes are dead until you bottom them out; I need P/N/D switch so it starts without having to jiggle the shift column with the key turned over. Other than that, it fires right up and drives great, no major mechanical problems... Here's my cheesy boy grin while loading it onto the U-Haul for the ~1000mi drive home. I've found a couple forums that cater to the MJ platform, and of course it's pretty much a truck XJ, so a lot of the XJ stuff carries over; not sure what plans I have for it since it's my 4th vehicle, but I'd like to restore the interior and do a 4x4 conversion soon. Likely going to stick with a D30/D35 since I don't actually do any wheeling anymore... also like the idea of a NP242 with limited slips for pseudo-AWD. 
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My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Originally Posted By garr: Convert it to 4WD, use Cherokee junkyard parts; pretty much a bolt on conversion. Post more pictures! Thankfully there's about a million Cherocars at the local yard ... should be an easy swap  I've gotta go shovel the driveway and get it off the trailer, but I'll get some more pics up ASAP.
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My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Originally Posted By Combat_Jack: Sell it before it starts costing you money... Grandpas truck. I am keeping it. Like I said I have three other functional vehicles, this is my keepsake of him since his passing.
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My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Originally Posted By Krochus: My dad bought one new in 91 and I learned to drive a stick on it. There are differences between these and Cherokees particularily in back Xj's are spring under axle and the mj is SOA some of wich had the very desirable d44 Pretty sure this isn't the metric ton, I think those were long bed only ... but it's been cold, I haven't spent much time looking it over for specifics today. Powertrain and front suspension should be XJ. They have a frame welded to the uniframe front behind the cab. Looks like an afterthought
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My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
Looks like fun
Originally Posted By optimus:
I would love one of those for a commuter type truck... if I could find one that wasn't completely rotted out from salt around here. I feel ya; I'm going to pull the bed and rust-proof it here before I drive it at all, I am sure the rust would have a heyday with this thing. Originally Posted By spectre556:
Holy crap that thing is clean. Thanks! My grandpa took pretty good care of it. Originally Posted By mancat:
you need to make some creative changes to the SPORTRUCK lettering. hint: the R is ripe for modification. living in Utah this should be a hit 
I wonder how long I could get away with it ... |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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If you have access to as many Cherokees as you say you do, you should consider doing the late XJ front clip conversion. Makes the Comanche look a bit newer. Of course there is something to be said for classic SPORTFUCK styling
Most of the interior can also be swapped but you would have to have the later CANbus engine controls to get the late XJ dash working fully. Consult XJ forums for that. 
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Originally Posted By mancat: If you have access to as many Cherokees as you say you do, you should consider doing the late XJ front clip conversion. Makes the Comanche look a bit newer. Of course there is something to be said for classic SPORTFUCK styling Most of the interior can also be swapped but you would have to have the later CANbus engine controls to get the late XJ dash working fully. Consult XJ forums for that. http://i.imgur.com/wuwLiN9.jpg  OP, nice MJ. I would love to find one that clean!
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The government cannot give to anyone anything that it does not first take from someone else.
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Originally Posted By Krochus:
OP you need to leave the truck alone. It's an heirloom and well cared for near classic. Rednecked out mj and xj's are a dime a dozen but clean originals are getting to be the eye catchers Originally Posted By Krochus:
OP you need to leave the truck alone. It's an heirloom and well cared for near classic. Rednecked out mj and xj's are a dime a dozen but clean originals are getting to be the eye catchers Thank you! It is very clean. I hear you on keeping it stock, and in the couple days it's been mine I've gone back and forth on that quite a bit. My immediate goal is to tear it down, get it street safe, paint the frame and axles to inhibit rust, do a 4x4 conversion using XJ parts and enjoy it. Since I don't wheel, I think that no matter what I end up doing with it, it will be in good, clean, straight shape; I think grandpa would be happy knowing that it gets used and remembered, as long as it's not being rolled down some rocks
Originally Posted By mancat:
If you have access to as many Cherokees as you say you do, you should consider doing the late XJ front clip conversion. Makes the Comanche look a bit newer. Of course there is something to be said for classic SPORTFUCK styling Most of the interior can also be swapped but you would have to have the later CANbus engine controls to get the late XJ dash working fully. Consult XJ forums for that. http://i.imgur.com/wuwLiN9.jpg That is a very, very nice looking MJ. 
I'll Google for the CANBus swap. I'd like a more informative cluster at the very least. |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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This guy's thread has been an inspiration so far;
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f22/my-88-comanche-886068/index1.html I really like the direction he's taking--basically righting factory wrongs, doing a clean resto while not going crazy with lift or ground clearance. |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Originally Posted By optimus:
I would love one of those for a commuter type truck... if I could find one that wasn't completely rotted out from salt around here. I bought a new one in 88. 4x4 5speed Pioneer with the 4.0. I was a great truck |
NRA member, Wisconsin Gun Owners member, New York State Rifle and Pistol Association member
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Originally Posted By mancat:
If you have access to as many Cherokees as you say you do, you should consider doing the late XJ front clip conversion. Makes the Comanche look a bit newer. Of course there is something to be said for classic SPORTFUCK styling Most of the interior can also be swapped but you would have to have the later CANbus engine controls to get the late XJ dash working fully. Consult XJ forums for that. http://i.imgur.com/wuwLiN9.jpg I've always wanted to do that, but MJs are pretty scarce around here. |
"Everything popular is wrong."
-Oscar Wilde
-Oscar Wilde
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Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
This guy's thread has been an inspiration so far; http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f22/my-88-comanche-886068/index1.html I really like the direction he's taking--basically righting factory wrongs, doing a clean resto while not going crazy with lift or ground clearance. That is a sweet little truck! Extra special that it was your Gramp's. Those Commanches are so cool. Clean it up and keep it OEM, drive it just like your Grandpa did 30 years ago. It'll mean more to you that way as opposed to hacking it to make it some lifted abomination. Also, keep it out of the snow and ice, that thing is a nice CA car, but will rust away in your Utah winters if youre not careful. Slather the underside with some used oil every couple of months to keep the rust at bay. |
| The P/N/D switch usually just needs to be cleaned. By the time you pull it, your 3/4 done with the job. |
“When the family collapses, it is the children that are usually damaged. When it happens on a massive scale, the community itself is crippled.” - LYNDON B. JOHNSON
| Man, I really want a Commanche...and this thread makes me want one even more! |
Stuff I learned from A-Team: 1)Always pity da fool 2)Carry wire cutters (you may need to defuse a bomb or start a car) 3)Never trust a crazy fool 4)Carry grenade launcher/machine guns in the van 5)Know how to weld 6)Love It When A Plan Comes Together
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Originally Posted By mancat:
If you have access to as many Cherokees as you say you do, you should consider doing the late XJ front clip conversion. Makes the Comanche look a bit newer. Of course there is something to be said for classic SPORTFUCK styling Most of the interior can also be swapped but you would have to have the later CANbus engine controls to get the late XJ dash working fully. Consult XJ forums for that. http://i.imgur.com/wuwLiN9.jpg Damn that is nice! Not a small truck guy, but do want! 4bt in that baby. 
ETA: Need a thread on that baby RFN. Need some more pics too.
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Originally Posted By JellyBelly:
One of those beat my buddy's '87 Monte SS pretty decisively at the stoplight stomp once around 1990. My brother had one of those and it would RUN!!! It surprised more than one person from light to light. |
I can neither affirm or deny any evidence either confirming or disputing any answer I might give.
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My first "new car" was an '88 Comanche (MJ) 2wd, 4.0l AT and I'd have another one without hesitation!
Pretty much it's a mixture, with the ignition system being Renix (Renault owned Jeep at the time) in spit of the French abortion, it all worked reliably. The Transmission was Asin (same one used in the Toyota Cressida) There is a sensor between the trans & engine that'll intermittently fail, it can be reached with three feet of 1/4" ratchet extensions and a 10mm socket. Most anything found/used on the Cherokee's interchange with the Comanche. The rear mains will leak, but it's easy to fix in a couple hours by simply dropping the pan (easily accessible) and the rear main cap. did that at 150K still looked brand new ALWAYS ran mobil 1 10W30 synthetic and NAPA filters. Rockers under the doors will rust/rot out. Look at the vacuum controlled heater control valve, also check the canister: battery acid will run down and eat away the plastic line to it. Utah is a long ways away from NY, but if you decide to part with it, I call dibbs!
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When you have your head in the sand, your ass is wide open.
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
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I took inventory of things that were broken, or needed repairing, over the last couple days, and started tearing into it.
Apparently my Opa was fond of unplugging things that bothered him, I found three plugs without a mate. The PCV valve crumbled, had to retrieve the part that fell into the valve cover with some pliers. The battery tray was gone, and replaced with a couple stacked 2x4's: 
It also needs a rear u-joint, although I think I probably messed that up during one of the many times I've had to undo the straps on it to trailer. Today: Brakes and PND switch Following this guide, got my NSS onto the bench, and scrubbed off some of the grime from the housing: 
Once inside, I found some really interesting looking orange fuzzy stuff ... no idea what it is, but I cleaned that up too. 
Broke the gasket in the process, going to have to use some RTV on the re-assembly. 
Got it all cleaned up with vigorous scrubbing, some 2000g sandpaper, lots of brake cleaner and a sheen of dialectric grease. 
I stretched the springs on the "arm" side, and sandwiched it back together with some RTV. While that sets, I decided to address the brakes. Here's what greeted me in the reservoir 
I used a hand pump to suck as much out, but there were still a bunch of slimy chunks behind 
After a roll of towels, some brake cleaner, and cotton swabs, I got it looking good 
Some new fluid ... 
...and we look much better. 
I was pleasantly surprised when I removed the wheels that the brake pads were relatively new and the rotors looked to be in acceptable shape, so hot wife assisted me in bleeding the brakes. Waiting to make a trip to Costco in order to exchange the battery, and then I'll be able to test the PND switch before re-installing it into the transmission housing. Also will be able to give the brakes a quick test drive to see if we're going to be able to get away with just doing a flush and fill, or if we need to replace (read: upgrade) the entire system. |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Originally Posted By fp1201:
My first "new car" was an '88 Comanche (MJ) 2wd, 4.0l AT and I'd have another one without hesitation! Pretty much it's a mixture, with the ignition system being Renix (Renault owned Jeep at the time) in spit of the French abortion, it all worked reliably. The Transmission was Asin (same one used in the Toyota Cressida) There is a sensor between the trans & engine that'll intermittently fail, it can be reached with three feet of 1/4" ratchet extensions and a 10mm socket. Most anything found/used on the Cherokee's interchange with the Comanche. The rear mains will leak, but it's easy to fix in a couple hours by simply dropping the pan (easily accessible) and the rear main cap. did that at 150K still looked brand new ALWAYS ran mobil 1 10W30 synthetic and NAPA filters. Rockers under the doors will rust/rot out. Look at the vacuum controlled heater control valve, also check the canister: battery acid will run down and eat away the plastic line to it. Utah is a long ways away from NY, but if you decide to part with it, I call dibbs! Yeah I really like this truck ... nostalgic/sentimental for me of course, but it's actually not a bad vehicle from an unbiased perspective. Kinda strange compared to the body-on-frame Ranger and S10 that existed around the same time, but structurually it is pretty well built and that 4.0L is a stump puller compared to the anemic Ford and GM offerings at the time. I don't think I'll part with it but you're welcome to live vicariously through my experience with my "new" old truck.
Where is this heater control valve at? |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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That cooling system tends to go south, if you have to refill the coolant or find it constantly overheating make sure you burp the air out of the block. I upgraded mine to an open (standard) system using a radiato from a newer model plus other parts.
There are a few really good sites on modifications for those. That I6 is a tank of an engine. |
R.I.P. Curtis Eccleston, Feb 6 2011
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad
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Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
Where is this heater control valve at? Follow the heater hoses from the water pump and thermostat housing along the top of the engine, 2/3rds the way back to the firewall on the curb (passenger) side....might have to follow the lines around the coolant tank; it's been a while. While that battery is out, look for a 1/8" black plastic line going to a plastic "ball" behind the bumper and inner fender: that's the vacuum chamber that opens/closes valves, and doors in the HVAC system: I'll just bet you battery acid ate through the line somewhere along the way. |
When you have your head in the sand, your ass is wide open.
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
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Originally Posted By fp1201:
Follow the heater hoses from the water pump and thermostat housing along the top of the engine, 2/3rds the way back to the firewall on the curb (passenger) side....might have to follow the lines around the coolant tank; it's been a while. While that battery is out, look for a 1/8" black plastic line going to a plastic "ball" behind the bumper and inner fender: that's the vacuum chamber that opens/closes valves, and doors in the HVAC system: I'll just bet you battery acid ate through the line somewhere along the way. Originally Posted By fp1201:
Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
Where is this heater control valve at? Follow the heater hoses from the water pump and thermostat housing along the top of the engine, 2/3rds the way back to the firewall on the curb (passenger) side....might have to follow the lines around the coolant tank; it's been a while. While that battery is out, look for a 1/8" black plastic line going to a plastic "ball" behind the bumper and inner fender: that's the vacuum chamber that opens/closes valves, and doors in the HVAC system: I'll just bet you battery acid ate through the line somewhere along the way. Thanks!! |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
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Refinishing the PND switch seemed to work well. I plugged it into the harness, and used a screwdriver to turn the sensor to where "park" would be. Hot wife turned the key, and voila, it fired right up.
Looks like I also have a cracked injector housing. Bummer. #4 had a nice fog coming from the injector port. The rest looked okay. Oh well, a project for tomorrow. |
My brim is flatter than yours.
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
"The AR-15 is the brodozer of the gun world." Stoney0102
"I'd like to drown those types of women in the ocean, but unfortunately, they'd probably float." XCRmonger
| 2wd 4.0 is probably going to have 3.07 gears in it- good if your keeping it on the highway, bad if your swapping in a front axle. PM me if you need any info you cant find elsewhere, I am VERY well versed in these. Ive owned something like 4 cherokees of that vintage and worked on tons of others. |
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Originally Posted By anthem_of_the_mind:
2wd 4.0 is probably going to have 3.07 gears in it- good if your keeping it on the highway, bad if your swapping in a front axle. PM me if you need any info you cant find elsewhere, I am VERY well versed in these. Ive owned something like 4 cherokees of that vintage and worked on tons of others. You know, I should have thought about the gearing but it slipped my mind. That is something I am going to need to take care of. I'd love to go 4.10's or deeper, but I'll be the first to admit that I like gear in underpowered vehicles; how hard is setting up a 8.25 or D30? Harder than a Corp 10 or Ford 8.8? |
My bill is flatter than yours.
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Mine had 3:50 gears; never had any trouble towing and mileage ran around 22mpg highway.
Should be a little tag on the differential cover that will tell what it is and what's inside. Call bullshit if you want, but I had a tandem axle livestock trailer that we used to haul construction & demolition debris to the landfill with; once I rolled across the scales at 9,980. pounds (truck, trailer, load)
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When you have your head in the sand, your ass is wide open.
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
Sheep Dog cares not the opinion of the Sheep..
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Question for any of you; I am reading that there was a minor change in '88 that bumped up HP/TQ by a couple ticks, and it seems all they did was change injectors. Is that the case? Since I am needing at least one new injector, would it be worth buying injectors from a later model for a small bump in fuel availability?
Originally Posted By fp1201:
Mine had 3:50 gears; never had any trouble towing and mileage ran around 22mpg highway. Should be a little tag on the differential cover that will tell what it is and what's inside. Call bullshit if you want, but I had a tandem axle livestock trailer that we used to haul construction & demolition debris to the landfill with; once I rolled across the scales at 9,980. pounds (truck, trailer, load) No BS flag from me, I am pretty well aware of the torque these little 4.0's are capable of, and AMC/Jeep didn't skimp on the rear axle, relative to the size of truck. |
My bill is flatter than yours.
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There's tutorials online for cleaning and adjusting the neutral switch (located down on the trans on the AW4). As far as rearend, I would go ahead and spend the 350ish for a Dana 44, unless you never plan to go bigger than 29's. The leaf srpung ones out of 87-89 Cherokees are relatively cheap. I will second the bit about grabbing the front and transfer case out of a Cherokee-all suspension up front is the same on these. Just make sure the ratios match-most 4.0's will be 3.55, 4cyl will likely be 4.10. Nick |
If the enemy is range, so are you.
Don't mind Sylvan, he's fond of throwing intellectual Molotov cocktails.
Don't mind Sylvan, he's fond of throwing intellectual Molotov cocktails.
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Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
Question for any of you; I am reading that there was a minor change in '88 that bumped up HP/TQ by a couple ticks, and it seems all they did was change injectors. Is that the case? Since I am needing at least one new injector, would it be worth buying injectors from a later model for a small bump in fuel availability? Google 4.0 injector swap, a lot of folks are using new four port fuel injectors, I still need to do mine. There is quite a bit of info on it. |
R.I.P. Curtis Eccleston, Feb 6 2011
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad
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Time to sit down and really consider your end game.
You really want a 4wd project vehicle or can you be happy with a 2wd around town commuter? Most simple projects take on a life of their own and every time you change or swap something out three other things really need to be swapped to make things right. Clean it up and fix things that don't work and you have a pretty decent vehicle that you can likely put quite a few economical miles on Also consider any project vehicle will have near zero resale once you start making changes to stock stuff . Do it if you enjoy the work and results for yourself but don't expect anyone else to give a crap |
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Originally Posted By nhsport:
Time to sit down and really consider your end game. You really want a 4wd project vehicle or can you be happy with a 2wd around town commuter? Originally Posted By nhsport:
Time to sit down and really consider your end game. You really want a 4wd project vehicle or can you be happy with a 2wd around town commuter? Funny you mention that. My end game is a solid, reliable(ish) Commanche with 4x4. 2wd isn't really an option around here 5 months out of the year, especially with it being as light as it is. The 4x4 is more of a requirement than anything else. Getting it in confident shape requires a few things; good tires, better brakes, swapping in 4x4 parts of course, and some engine attention. I'm not into off-roading much, so I don't really have an itch to make a trail beater, and I already have a fast car, so I don't need to squeeze a bunch of power out of this, and I already have a 3/4 ton pickup truck, so I don't really need a hauler/puller, either. Originally Posted By nhsport:
Most simple projects take on a life of their own and every time you change or swap something out three other things really need to be swapped to make things right. Clean it up and fix things that don't work and you have a pretty decent vehicle that you can likely put quite a few economical miles on Also consider any project vehicle will have near zero resale once you start making changes to stock stuff . Do it if you enjoy the work and results for yourself but don't expect anyone else to give a crap Preaching to the choir. I have a CTS-V in the garage that's my project car, I know that dynamic all too well. Like I touched on before, the truck is sentimental for me, I don't have any intention of letting it go, so resale doesn't mean much at all.
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My bill is flatter than yours.
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Originally Posted By 2T2_Crash:
Google 4.0 injector swap, a lot of folks are using new four port fuel injectors, I still need to do mine. There is quite a bit of info on it. I put in some due diligence, and think I have an idea of what needs to be done. Shame on me  ... it looks to be an easy fix.
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My bill is flatter than yours.
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Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
I put in some due diligence, and think I have an idea of what needs to be done. Shame on me ... it looks to be an easy fix.Originally Posted By DarkCharisma:
Originally Posted By 2T2_Crash:
Google 4.0 injector swap, a lot of folks are using new four port fuel injectors, I still need to do mine. There is quite a bit of info on it. I put in some due diligence, and think I have an idea of what needs to be done. Shame on me ... it looks to be an easy fix.I wasnt meaning to be a smartass either, I just posted from my phone and dont have my favorites otherwise I'd have a link for the injector swap to post for you. 
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R.I.P. Curtis Eccleston, Feb 6 2011
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad
Proud Member Of Team Ranstad