1990 Comanche restoration

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 22:30

One day I went to a local High School Auto shop program to look a car for my daughter. Found her car and got a 2 for 1 deal on this: 1990 Jeep Comanche pickup. 4.0 6, 5 speed, 4x4, A/C, long bed. I had lusted after the Brute conversion pickups and always liked the Comanche’s. An impulse buy later it was mine.

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 22:31

Got it home and started looking it over.

It had the ‘Radio Delete’ option (Hole in the dash with wires hanging out), interior was really grungy, headliner was missing, sunvisors were trashed and the ends flopped around,carpet was shot and smelled of mildew, shifter boot had holes in it, pedal covers were worn through, front brakes were worn out, front grille was broken, wiper blades were shot, the insulation was falling off the battery cables, A/C doesn’t work, the front center axle disconnect is inop, and the engine/transmission/transfer case had enough grease all over them to solve the oil crisis. Good points were that the engine runs great, transmission shifts just fine, and the body and underneath has very little rust. It had a new battery and tires on it. Took these pix after scrubbing with simple green over two weekends and replacing the sunvisors with some from a 95 Cherokee.

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 22:32

Then degreased the engine three times with lots of simple green and brushing, replaced the battery cables and wiper blades, and a neighbor and I did a front brake job – new pads and rotors and flushed the entire system. It stops a lot better! Changed the air filter, engine oil and filter, trans oil with Redline MTF. Before buying the truck I had found a deal on a set of Canyons with BFG 30’s. I was going to flip them for more money but decided that they would look good on the Manche. Next came a good condition grille off a cash for clunkers Cherokee.

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 22:32

Started driving it daily and LOVED it! Gets about 20 mpg and is so fun to drive with the standard trans.

While driving, the rear suspension was squeaking like an old, overused bed on a honeymoon night. So out came the PowerTank and off came the rear shocks. On went some new ones from NAPA. It still squeaked! Turned out the e brake cables were rubbing against the frame brackets. Wrapped em in some rubber vacuum hose and the squeaking stopped.

**RescueJP** · 11-13-2009, 22:35

And next will be the bucket seat conversion and a lil welding right lol..

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 23:24

Originally Posted by rescueyj

And next will be the bucket seat conversion and a lil welding right lol..

Yup! thats the next step.

More was done and that leads to the welding............

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 23:25

I didn’t like the stock ‘Wide Angle’ or flag mirror, and it did not have a passenger side mirror from the factory. I researched the truck and decided that I wanted to install black full mirrors, swap the idiot light cluster for a full gauge cluster from a Cherokee, and swap the factory bench for buckets and a console after replacing the carpet and headliner. So I started collecting the parts. Some came from a 95 XJ that was being parted out on post and some came off of Craigslist

**JeepinSoldier** · 11-13-2009, 23:25

First cleaned up the cluster, polished the lens on it, disassembled the speedo and rolled the odometer to match the one in the truck. (Used a good writeup on the NAXJA site for this) Installed it in the Truck. Then replaced the idiot light switches on the engine with senders for the gauges. The coolant temp gauge was inop.