It’s A Jeep Thing – I’m Trying To Understand

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54) 11/24/2015 at 12:12 • Filed to: jeep comanche

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It’s a little known fact that I learned to drive not in a car, but in my mom’s 1987 Jeep Cherokee. I never took it off-road (I’d die if I scratched the paint), but despite my love of fun, zippy, sporty cars, something about that experience must have stayed with me over the years. Yet so far in my driving career the closest I’ve come to embracing the off-road experience is driving and co-driving Jeeps and trucks as sweep vehicles at stage rallies. Not only are gravel roads still, um… roads, the type of driving we do in sweep is the exact opposite of the rough terrain, low speed, high precision driving of off-roading.

My fiancee, Elana, is definitely more of a truck and Jeep person than I am. As a former ski instructor, she was always off to the slopes when the rest of us waited out the storms at home, which is how she learned the proper use of four wheel drive. She’s had a few Ford Explorers, and she credits one of them with giving its life to save hers. When I met her she had a Jeep Liberty, and co-drove for me in sweep at the Empire State Performance Rally last year. (When she was crazy enough to put me behind the wheel of her Jeep to drive it like a nut, I knew she was a keeper.)

Read more on Right Foot Down or continue below

Recently, I jokingly sent her a link to a post on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

Selling my 1988 Jeep Comanche. Solid frame, new floors front end rebuilt. It’s a 4.0 automatic with the “big ton” package. That means OEM trans cooler and factory Dana44 with a 5000lb tow capacity. Good tires, cap included.

Needs… Interior reassembled, drivers door is rotten (same as four door cherokee, about 100 bucks) and paint to be perfect. (Front bumper not in pic, brand new one included)

I often send Elana “oh look, this car is neat” links. I never really expect anything to happen with them aside from her amusement, or sometimes pining over an inexpensive rally car that we can’t justify buying right now. But she was seriously into this Comanche. I thought it was cool, too, and not just because of their domination of the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in 1988. My mom’s Cherokee came to mind, and I always liked driving it. Having a truck would be a huge help in our impending move, as well as for general hauling duties after we’re moved in. Even though it has no trailer hitch, it can carry lots more than the Focus, reducing the number of trips we’ll have to make. With four wheel drive it would make a great winter daily driver for me. It would also make an excellent rally sweep vehicle once properly equipped. I’d feel right at home driving it after many miles in my mom’s Cherokee. The automatic transmission means that Elana could enjoy it as much as I would. Shifting her own gears in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! literally causes her pain.

Though the Jeep Cherokee (XJ, in Jeep speak) had a good long run from 1984-2001, the Comanche (MJ), its pickup truck variant, was only made from 1985-1992. Thanks to their age, the utilitarian “use it and dump it” nature of pickup trucks, and the Comanche’s nasty vulnerability to rust, they’re somewhat rare today. It’s an odd combination of the unibody front half of a Cherokee with frame rails added to attach the bed. It’s not a one piece “ute” design like the El Camino or VW Rabbit truck. Jeep called it, appropriately, a “uniframe.” Chrysler bought American Motors in 1987, just two years after the Comanche’s introduction. Although the Jeep brand was the primary reason for the AMC acquisition, Chrysler already had a solid lineup of Dodge trucks, and had no interest in competition among their own brands (unlike GM). So while the Comanche received updates along with the Cherokee for the rest of its production run (including the 190hp “high output” 4.0 motor), it was soon discontinued to leave the truck market exclusively to Dodge.

They say you should never buy someone else’s project car. There are good reasons for that. You never know if they weren’t quite as good a wrench as they thought they were, installing parts improperly or neglecting maintenance that causes more problems later. This Jeep is an unfinished project. It was intended to become a tow vehicle, only to be replaced before it was finished, and finally put up for sale to fund other projects. The important fixes are already done, namely rust repair on the uniframe, rocker panels, floorboards, and behind the doors. The rusty driver’s door is easy to replace, as are the front fenders. The passenger door has already been replaced with a rust free one. It has all it needs to be complete, including the front bumper (and factory tow hooks – important for sweep duty), and the interior which hasn’t been reassembled yet. It’s just a matter of doing it. The seller and I also know each other from the New England rally community, which immediately raised the overall level of trust significantly for all of us.

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So we went to see it for ourselves. It looked exactly like what we saw in the many pictures I was sent, both the good and the bad. It needed a jump start, and probably needs a new battery since it’s sat for so long. Steering and braking aren’t as good as what I’m used to driving, but I’m used to modern cars, not older trucks. So keeping in mind that I’ve been spoiled lately, it was fine. The engine is running a little rough, but that 4.0 inline-6 is a beast. It might just be old gas. A simple tune-up may help. There are also a ton of tips on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that may help (because every car in the world has its own web site and forum these days).

After driving it, despite its rough condition, we still liked it. So we plunked down a deposit and we’re buying it. Not only am I getting a garage, I’m also getting a project to work on. My first priority will be to do only what it needs to be in good enough shape to move and pass inspection. That means bolting in the seat, seat belts, and the front bumper and tow hooks. It’s legal to run without the bumper, but it looks a bit sketchy. I’m already scoping out a replacement driver’s door, but replacing body panels and reinstalling the interior will wait until after the move. Fortunately, being a 1988 model, it won’t be tested for emissions, so it should be fairly easy to pass once the obviously rusted body panels are gone.

After that, it’ll be a rolling project through the winter. Instead of moisture trapping, rust enhancing carpet, I’ll probably just spray bedliner on the metal floor and call it done. Headlights will be upgraded to H4s, because I do that on every vehicle with sealed beams I own. I like to see where I’m going. I’ll install a ham radio and antenna for rally sweep duty, as well as general chit-chat. I’ll add an LED light bar at some point, too, to light up those dark back roads and rally stages. The interior will eventually get some way to mount a tablet for the passenger to use as a rally computer, probably RAM Mounts of some kind. Trailer hitches are no longer commercially produced for the Comanche, and the Cherokee hitches are a different design, but there are ways to find or fabricate them. The rear bumper is already a heavy duty looking custom fab job, so maybe I can modify it further to add a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . We already have a D-ring shackle to slide into a receiver that we picked up for sweep duty in Elana’s Liberty, so it would double as our rear tow point. More investigation will be required.

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Once warm weather returns in the spring, it’ll be time to attack any remaining rust and make it all one color again. The truck was originally red, but from what I’ve seen under the hood it probably faded pretty badly, and was given a quick respray in black at some point. It’s not the greatest paint job, but that just means I don’t have to worry about scratching it, and it’ll be easy to touch up. I’m inclined to follow the Rolling Stones’ advice and Paint It Black , but that’s open for debate.

I’m excited to try something new, and Elana’s excited that my our latest project is something she can enjoy as much as I do. It’ll help our rally volunteering, and could tow a rally car of our own later. It’ll also let me finally give off-road driving a try, satisfying a curiosity I’ve had ever since being tempted in my mom’s Cherokee years ago. It’s certainly not what I expected to be picking up for my next project, but it’s the right vehicle at (almost) the right time. Now I can finally see what this Jeep thing is really all about.

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(Top photo credit: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Other photos by Brad DeSantis.)

Eberle-Hills-Cop > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 12:35

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Hey I know that hooptie

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 12:50

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I’ve never understood the “don’t buy somebody else’s project” thing. Personally, I’ve always felt that’s how you get the best deal...let somebody else spend the money on it and then steal it from them when they want to sell it.

Party-vi > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 13:05

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Fancy-ass Renix injection? I hope you like vacuum tubes. Borla makes a lovely after-cat exhaust for this, and Pacesetter had a good header for it as well. You couldn’t go wrong stroking it either. Good luck!

DougNuts > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 11/24/2015 at 13:42

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Where, would you say, any money was spent on this project? ;-)

Azzy > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 13:43

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These are RARE beasts. As if a non-rotted MJ isnt hard enough to find.

Azzy > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 13:47

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Renix is easy enough to maintain once you figure out what needs to be set and whats been screwed with.

Heads from an HO will fit on, and then your header options increase greatly, as does a minor amount of horsepower.

My biggest problem with the Commanche... all that added boxing they did to make the frame more truck like ate up interior space. Seat options are slim, although I hear recently that SRT-4 seats are a direct bolt in.

OgJeep > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 13:47

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Makes me miss my Comanche. A lot of the parts from a 97 and newer Cherokee can be swapped to the Comanche to make it what it would have been if they continued production.

ElanaR > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 13:49

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Our car balance is tilting precariously truckwards. Welcome to my world

Justin Hughes > OgJeep 11/24/2015 at 13:59

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Yes, I’ve seen some examples of that. Personally, I’m nostalgic for its resemblance to the ‘87 Cherokee I learned to drive in, so I’ll leave it in 80s-tastic condition.

Justin Hughes > ElanaR 11/24/2015 at 14:00

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All the better to tow the bikes and rally car someday...!

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > DougNuts 11/24/2015 at 14:03

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Good point! In general I stand by what I said...I think generally when people talk about buying somebody else’s project they mean one that was actually started, and I still think that’s a good way to buy a car. This one was more a project somebody else bought but didn’t start, haha.

JayhawkOne > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:09

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Tune up the 4.0L? No.... Unlock the final from of the AMC straight six. Stroke it!

You’re a couple grand (or less)away from 330+ lbft.

I’ve had two strokers, a 4.6L and a 4.7L....So much torque! They sound like nothing else on the road too.

Stroker “recipes”

http://www.jeep4.0performance.4mg.com/stroker.html

http://www.jeepstrokers.com/forum/

Nobi > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:10

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As the owner of a 2000 Grand Cherokee, I still don’t understand the Jeep thing, and I’ve given up on trying.

Reason22 > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:12

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All the MJ/XJ post are making me want to buy another. I cant afford another project Jeep. Just Empty Every Pocket.

Justin Hughes > JayhawkOne 11/24/2015 at 14:22

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That’s definitely worth keeping in mind - thanks!

dogisbadob > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:24

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It’s a sportruck

StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:28

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As far as the headlights go, I HIGHLY recommend the Hella upgrade kit. I have these in my XJ and they are literally night and day better than the stock sealed beams. Lots of guys with XJ’s swap these in, awesome cut off line as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…

Andrew Pascarella > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 14:30

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The Archer brothers have an amazing history of racing Mopars.

Justin Hughes > dogisbadob 11/24/2015 at 14:44

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Sportruck was one of the Comanche’s trim levels.

Justin Hughes > StndIbnz, Drives a MSRT8 11/24/2015 at 14:45

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I ran these in my Miatas, my Mazda B2200, my Saturn SC2... Yeah. This is a must.

dogisbadob > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 15:03

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Yeah I know, I was just trying to be funny :p

They turned the sportruck into a real sport truck!

Justin Hughes > dogisbadob 11/24/2015 at 15:07

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Yes, yes they did!

dogisbadob > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 15:14

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If Hella is too much money, get the GE Nighthawk sealed beams.

Justin Hughes > dogisbadob 11/24/2015 at 15:23

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I used Autopal E-code conversions on my last two Miatas. They cost far less than Hellas and worked just as well.

MHunter905 > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 15:45

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I really want this! I’m not sure why but I really want this. Trackday Truck!

kenhitch > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 15:54

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So wait, is sweeping a rally course just driving the course fairly fast in a truck/SUV?

Justin Hughes > kenhitch 11/24/2015 at 16:00

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We drive above the normal speed limits, but we also stop to help competitors who have broken down and/or crashed. Sometimes we give them a yank back onto the road and they continue on. Other times we tow them to a safe location and help them get in touch with their service crew to come and get it. So that’s why I’ll need the tow hooks front and rear.

MoreGone > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 16:07

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benn kinda interested in getting an XJ recently and kind of forgot about these. Of to listo de craigs I go. Admittedly, a truck would compliment my MDX better than another SUV. Miss having something offroad worthy but looking forward to it not being my DD and getting all squeamish when the trail bites back.

Jeep until it MHz > Party-vi 11/24/2015 at 16:25

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The vac lines are easy once rip it all out and start fresh.

Jeep until it MHz > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 16:27

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I would suggest welding on a set of frame stiffeners since since these babies are as rigid as wet noodle, perfect add on will you are doing obligatory rust repair.

Justin Hughes > Jeep until it MHz 11/24/2015 at 16:34

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The bodywork is already done. I’m just replacing body panels. But, I’m about to move to a garage attached to a house. I’ve been wanting to learn to weld for years. Maybe now’s the time to pick something up and practice under my Jeep where no one’s going to see my ugly welds anyway.

TheBlightOfGrey > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 16:52

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About a month ago, while in my built JK, I pulled into a bank parking slot next to a Comanche. The MJ was awesome. Not a speck of rust, about a 3” lift, nice tires, custom bumpers (like nice custom bumpers not bubba had a few extra pieces of sheet metal, a welder and a six pack bumpers) and was a stick. Leather seats. I swear. I’m not saying I would trade my JK for it, but I certainly was envious.

Justin Hughes > TheBlightOfGrey 11/24/2015 at 16:54

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This one is... not that nice. With enough work I could probably pull off most of it, but despite the extensive repairs I’m afraid this one will never be free of rust. That’s why I don’t feel terrible using it as a workhorse instead of a museum piece.

Party-vi > Jeep until it MHz 11/24/2015 at 17:02

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How do you run a Renix with no vacuum lines?

kenhitch > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 17:42

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That sounds almost as fun as the rally itself!

Justin Hughes > kenhitch 11/24/2015 at 17:54

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It is!

Jeep until it MHz > Party-vi 11/24/2015 at 18:30

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The “start fresh” part, no edit

Jeep until it MHz > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 18:40

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Welding is a great skill to pick up, I’m still bad to mediocre at it, but with cheap 110v HF welders the entry barrier is low.

The hard part is not blasting through the thinner jeep metal but then again you can just weld another piece on to fix any mistakes.

XJDano > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 18:58

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I used to have a Dana44 in my XJ.

BengalsGrief77 > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 19:26

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Welcome to, or back to, the jeep family.

Just a Dana44 with an ARB air locker. I’m having to fix the coil spring mounts, previous owner welded them on at improper angle passenger side.

Billy Suter > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 20:53

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Mr. Regular talked about one of these in a Road & Track article:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a2…

Dusty Ventures > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 21:23

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It’ll help our rally volunteering, and could tow a rally car of our own later.

Why not cut out a step?

Gene > Justin Hughes 11/24/2015 at 21:46

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Thank you for proving once again that a Pick Up is always the answer. :)

RocksAndRollies > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 01:01

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First thing I learned after buying a black truck was to never buy a black truck. If you actually want to use said truck, it’ll show every nick, scratch, mark, and piece of dust. If I were set on black, i’d just coat the whole thing in bedliner, or just buy another truck to do truck shit with.

hobiecat111629 > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 08:12

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I owned an 86 Comanche with a plaid interior for a while, and it was a solid little truck. Unfortunately, in ‘86 they were using a carbureted GM 2.8L V6 that actually put out less power than the 2.5L 4 cyl. Had it been a bit newer and had the 4.0 I would have kept it. Swapping in a 4.0 just wasn’t an option because the fire walls were different.

Oh, and best of luck finding body panels. I was able to locate reproduction cab corners and XJ rockers can be cut down, but good luck on bed sides and tailgates.

hobiecat111629 > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 08:16

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Also, not sure if the Chrysler build Comanches had them, but the AMC ones had a brake proportioning valve mounted above the rear axle that connected to the axle housing with a thin metal rod. When the suspension compressed the valve would send more braking power to the rear. They’re unavailable aftermarket and don’t work....rip it off. Also the vacuum actuated disconnect on the front axle is a pain. Find a Wrangler Axle with solid shafts, install solid shafts in your axle and weld a cover plate over the actuator and hope you don’t have driveline vibes, or order a cable system to lock the front axle shaft.

Justin Hughes > Jeep until it MHz 11/25/2015 at 09:24

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There’s a HF right next to where I work. It’s a dangerous place. I suspect a welder will follow me home at some point once I have the garage and the wallet allows it.

Justin Hughes > Billy Suter 11/25/2015 at 09:29

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Yup. It’s ironic and completely coincidental that this was published at exactly the same time I was seriously considering this one. I won’t be doing the race truck treatment - I already have a BRZ for that. But I definitely appreciate what that guy has done with his. In fact just yesterday I found his build thread on Comanche Club!

Justin Hughes > Dusty Ventures 11/25/2015 at 09:31

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I remember these guys! Maybe I should look them up for some tips.

Justin Hughes > Gene 11/25/2015 at 09:32

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It’s a lot like a Miata, kind of sort of...

Justin Hughes > RocksAndRollies 11/25/2015 at 09:33

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Black was not my choice. I certainly have an opportunity to change the color in the spring, when I already plan to repaint the replacement body panels. The cap is black but that matches anything.

Justin Hughes > hobiecat111629 11/25/2015 at 09:36

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V6? I’m sorry. But the plaid interior is cool, like a GTI, so that must’ve added a little horsepower.

Cab corners and rockers are fixed, but I’ll probably have to fabricate the bed side on the driver’s side to fix it properly. Oh well - it’s an excuse to learn to weld. At least the tailgate’s OK.

Justin Hughes > hobiecat111629 11/25/2015 at 09:38

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Good to know. I knew the Comanche had the brake proportioning valve, but didn’t know it was kind of useless. I don’t see myself carrying a ton of weight back there (even though it’s a Big Ton) but might use the towing capacity someday.

Alfisto > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 10:47

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An old college buddy campaigned his dad’s Comanche in SCCA autocrosses back in the ‘80’s. He found some loophole in the rules and as a result, he really tore up his class. He loved that truck.

scribble > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 14:15

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That red truck, I want it! I’ve always liked the Commanche and it looks even better with the front air dam and lower ride height, and damn those wheels are sweet!

Justin Hughes > scribble 11/25/2015 at 14:21

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You’ve seen Regular Car Reviews’ Comanche video, right?

scribble > Justin Hughes 11/25/2015 at 16:56

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No, but obviously I must check that out.

Coyote/Guard_PP > Justin Hughes 11/29/2015 at 21:15

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I had an ‘89 Comanche with the 4.0 and mt5. It would bark third gear easily. They are awesome.

MMILLER1188 > Party-vi 12/03/2015 at 12:20

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Remember! It won’t start unless you crank it for at least 35 seconds. If you clean up the head ground, run vacuum line to ONLY MAP and Fuel Pressure Regular, open up the Crank sensor ... it will only require 25 seconds of cranking to start!

And, of course, the best part of Renix is going after ever.single.sensor with a multimeter when it acts funny.

MMILLER1188 > Justin Hughes 12/03/2015 at 12:23

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91+ Cherokee won’t have the vacuum disconnect. Up to 99 Cherokee will be the better high pinion dana 30 ... and they will bolt right in. As will any TJ or ZJ axle (but they are low pinion)