Frankly my dear... I... do give a damn...

... he said to Scarlet...


World is an interesting place huh? Well let me tell you a tale of the 'other' Mj...

I bought her on June 6, 2001. She had belonged to a young couple who moved up from
Florida to New Jersey only to decide to move back home. They only made it to southern
Delaware before needing to unload the truck for something more accommodating. I paid
$2000, they bought a minivan.

She was my daily driver during my merchandising days, mostly as an effort to keep miles off
my other (then very sick) Mj Gracie. I have fuel logs as far north as Rhode Island and as far
south as NC.

Very late on September 10, 2001 I drove her to a job in Central Washington DC. She then
brought me home on the most surreal commute I have ever taken...

When the work dried up afterwards I was forced to make some hard decisions - one of which
was what Comanche to keep and which to let go. She was the one sacrificed. Secretly I hope
she isn't still bitter about that...

On July 15, 2002, a mere 405 days later, she was sold to a local electrician and driven off into
the sunset.



Aww....

So fast forward to the Summer of 2005. As I passed by a local auction house I noticed what
appeared to be a red Comanche tucked into the back. Naturally I stopped in to have a look.
Low and behold it was Scarlet... or more precisely what was left of her. I immediately
contacted the owner of the auction to see about buying her back. He said he wasn't
interested in selling yet so I asked that he contact me when the time came. He agreed and
we went on our way.

Years passed. Every so often I would stop in to visit her as she worked the lot. The owner
would give no reason as to why he didn't want to sell, but I figured if I were persistent
enough it would eventually pay off. As a lark I wrote a note with my information on it that
basically said "Do not crush this truck before calling Bonks" and sneaked it into the glove box.

More Years passed.

On a very cold Friday morning I get a random call from the brother of the owner. He says they
were cleaning out some of the junkers to take to the family storage when he came across the
note. He asked if I was still interested. I said I very well might be depending on price and
condition. He said "How does $500 sound?" I replied "Sounds like she's coming home..."

And she has:



Aww....

I am excited to announce that this morning one of my lost babies has returned.

1988 Jeep Comanche Eliminator - "Scarlet"

She is in rough shape and I am planning on using this thread to detail her upcoming...
rejuvenation... I say that because she is not going to be restored but going to be built into the
jeep I have always wanted her to be. All I know about her is what you see in the pictures
(and there will be more to come soon.) She hasn't been washed or inspected yet. Please
feel free to make comments or suggestions here. I will try my best to document
upgrades/repairs as I go (and more importantly as the weather improves.) I will apologize
now as my time is woefully limited these days with work so it may be the slowest build in the
history of the club...

Anyway, for better or worse, I am back to the Jeep Thing...

Thanks guys... here we go...

Day 1.

I went through every nook an cranny I could get into while the sun was still
out. Here are some fresh pics to get a better idea. At this point I have not
even washed it yet:

Passenger side:


Window vent bent open.
Windshield Cracked.
Passenger wiper arm missing.
Side mirrors jammed.
Decals.

Front fascia:


Fog Lights blown out and disconnected.
Front Grill cracked.
Headlight Bezels flaked.
Corner lens both shattered.

Drivers side:


Flat tires.
Door needs realignment.
Dent in fender.
Wheel well plastic replacements.

Roof:


Paint gone, light rust forming.
Hood paint gone, light rust forming.

Drivers side quarter:


Rear:


Bumper trim.
Passenger tail light.
Dent on Passenger corner.
Tailgate needs lube/alignment
Exhaust replacement.

Interior:


Cleaning.
Floorboard inspection.
Seat bracket lubrication.
Shift Knob.
Window handles.
Door panel refurbish.
New Ignition
New steering column.

Dash:


Cleaning.
Electrical gremlins.
Gauge gremlins.

Interior Roof:


Complete surface rust.
Headliner
Sun visors
Rear window reseal.

Motor:


Full Tune-up.
Battery.
Coolant.

Those are just the things I noticed with a quick look-me-over. Ultimately she
will have a factory roll bar, 4x4, and Ax15 upgrade.

Deadfeat:
I am sourcing a 96 XJ as a donor right now, but if that falls through I will
give you a call on that column. Right now I am more feeling things out than
actually fixing.. but we all know how that goes...

Ian:
I am really not a fan of the newer one-peice look believe it or not... I am however
considering a 4.0 to H.O swap depending on condition of the motor when I get her
started. I have some good sources on parts so I think it'll be more of a matter of
NOT spending huge $$ on the work... afterall I still have a pipe dream about getting
gracie back someday...
I

Quote from deadfeat

Wouldnt a 91-95 with ODB1 be much easier?

From what I've been reading it shouldn't be overly complicated... *shoudn't*...

Plus I am looking at picking up a 96 Xj for the Ax15 and 4x4 anyway so I would
technically already have everything I would need (minus the experience/ability to
actually do it.) Wouldnt have to buy another setup.

Of course, the moment I get her home the job decides to increase the hours... gonna
start with simple stuff these weekend and see where it leads...

HA!!! Aint that the truth!

Only took 8 years too... I think he liked me...

Day Six:

She Runs!!!
(video link:)

Not only does she run, but she runs well. No smoke, no leaks, gauges work,
lights work, transmission shifts - everything is is operational except the A/C
and turn signals! I am astounded. I type this in utter disbelief as she idles
happily outside for hour 4 now.

Work today consisted of simple stuff since I am still evaluating and waiting on
parts. Oil change and *ahem* new battery... (strangely the same Optima I
bought for her 14 years ago) were the only progress for this afternoon. I spent
most of the day PRYING the wheels off as they were sealed to the hubs. It
occurs to me that my biggest issue with this project isn't going to be rust like I
thought, but the clay concrete-like glue that is covering everything. I dug
about an inch of dirt from the drivers foot well - the carpet is shot, but I still
have faith the well may not need replacing.

Depending on the drive train, this may alter my immediate plans. I may just
go ahead and focus on aesthetic repairs and bodywork instead of the 4x4
conversion I was thinking about. If the motor and transmission are healthy
enough to survive a year or two, then it will give me more time to research
options... decisions...

Anyway, there's nothing else planned for this weekend, but I will update again
when I am comfortable with her moving under her own power.