• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

89 Comanche DD Build

Like a kid at Christmas over here. New tires arrived! Cooper AT3 XLTs in 32x11 50R15. Wheels are Mammoth Boulder 15x8.
6f7df8ca54ff4ec468660446d36a81c2.jpg
 
Wheels and tires are on. Adjusted the trackbar finally. I thought about buying new premade battery cables, but figured I'd make my own for a lot less, so I'm running 2ga cable.
*
I plan on having quite a few circuits that need relays, at least 5 for the low beam, high beam, fogs, low and high fans. I don't want all those relays hanging out on the fenders, so I snagged the fuse box from a Mercury Mountaineer we have at the shop. It's PLENTY of room to expand into. There are 13 relay slots. Can't beat free.
*
Now I need to relocate the coolant overflow bottle. Any ideas?
fbabf8112b4e6f57164dce674f8e583a.jpg
266f388e5d8499106fbe8db7c96f2188.jpg
ef99697954be3eda221534c145057c26.jpg
05d020f0ff29d539a9d8fa04264c28a5.jpg

*
*
 
A few more things done.

Heater hoses, radiator hoses, trans cooler lines finished. Filled with coolant and burped.

Most of today was spent with wiring. I finished the battery cables, all 2 AWG including a new run to the new fuse box and a mega fuse for the alternator. I have the relays in the new box wired to be ignition switched and I'll just have to run network cable to my switch panel for relay grounds.

I got my fans wired and the Trinity V2 fan controller wired as well. I'll have fun dialing it in. Currently, I have the center fan wired for low operation, then the other two as a medium, then on high, they all 3 run.

Guys, she moved under her own power today for the first time since being torn down 4 years ago! Kinda tricky still since I haven't finished the brakes. I still have to run new lines from the WJ master to the brake block and replace the front hoses. I used a 95 Dakota rear brake hose to extend the rear.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/YuPCWiIEr84?feature=oembed
2e188601a44af65e7f7ba328262c15c2.jpg
 
Another day of work. Starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel.

I made new brake lines to run from the WJ master cylinder to the distribution block. It was a lot easier than I expected. Plus, I managed to remember to put the nuts on before I flared the ends!

Then I swapped the stock front brake hose for new extended ones from a 90s Chevy C1500. After pressure bleeding, I have brakes again! Still need to adjust the rear drums a bit, I think.

I trimmed the carpet a bit more, installed the center console, ran the cable for my fan controller, swapped the 2 door XJ driver's bucket seat onto the MJ bucket track. It didn't want to fold, but the cable wasn't broken, turns out the corner zip tie was missing. It folds now. That's my kind of fix.

I got a decent bit of the blue interior parts painted grey with SEM ColorCoat.

Next step is headliner and dyeing the rear carpet panel.
5a60f5f5149320ee8c3c07c0307717d2.jpg
1ddd19577392782e8177456e6a695e48.jpg
28c3348a864fcf55f961c4d5104d38f3.jpg
 
Headlight relay harness is done. All wired into my auxiliary fuse box. For now, the headlight setup is Autopal Ecodes, with Hella 100/80w H4 bulbs.


Painted the front bumper, grille and headlight surrounds satin black. Still want a 10 slot black grille. I like the chrome/ black look. Getting close to registering and hitting the road.
bcc85012c6b6d344d7e88914a46e51f5.jpg
0a6fb08f698eee1257bf297126abb76c.jpg
 
The black grill/headlight doors with chrome "accents" looks good. Really freshens up the look compared to straight chrome, doesn't it?

Those autopal housings are great value - I've been running a set for something like 10 years now. Far, far better than regular sealed beams, even on factory wiring. Mine may be coming due for retirement though, starting to see the coating on the reflector bowls degrading, but they're on their original bulbs so they've only cost me about $4/year for the 10 years I've run them!
 
Lined the ol girl up last night. Afterwards, I drove her home, first time on the road in 4+ years. Open header was a bit loud, but hoping to have exhaust run soon.
b38110cad6a5e5b264c5d1255ee34c1a.jpg
 
The interior is slowly coming together. Waiting on headliner fabric. It was a real pain fitting all the HO XJ dash to MJ rear adapter harness, all the power window and door lock wiring, and everything else behind the driver's kick panel with the parking brake right there.

It's in need of some cleaning yet. The passenger window motor is slow, but I'll deal with that when I put new window seals in.

I hopefully have all the parts now to piece together a mashup of the original condenser and evaporator core with the 94-96 R134a compressor, accumulator and lines.
d7995082a8fa135c0a7cd2c2e34b86e4.jpg
 
Rewired the door lock relays to be ground triggered and added a parking light relay so that the lights can flash with the keyless entry.

The remote start/ keyless entry is installed now. It has a pretty good range.

Installed NVX 4x6 speakers in the rear. Have some cheapos to toss in the front until I figure out a component setup.
21b2166e00b6e34b76dd515b30a01d29.jpg
 
The interior is pretty much together. I redid the headliner. It came out decent, not perfect at all but, so much better. I need to get the passenger seat cleaned up and installed and the interior will be done other than a few minor screw caps, etc.

I put the old blue visors back in for now till I can get good gray ones. You can also see the Euramtec B pillar lights, and my new footwell courtesy lights.

The AC is working well, finally got the vents working, there was some blockage in the hard vacuum line on the firewall.

Guys, it's actually getting close. Feels weird to see the list of things shrink.

Gotta figure out these axle bearings yet, but she's doing good otherwise.
34552f30028d0c79c0a5507038dc7340.jpg
88ffba4ac11407956850dae8a7f7bfbc.jpg
6e5ff20d408d8d18be0823d50b141095.jpg
a0c90342d983669c62f726db65107f08.jpg
 
Back
Top