We need more small pickups in the world. More small, 4×4 pickups. Ones with manual transmissions – that’s what we need. Who’s with me?! (crickets) Well, I like them and I would love to have this 1986 Jeep Comanche. It can be found listed here on eBay in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They have an $8,900 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer.
Based on the Cherokee, the Comanche is a truck that Jeep should bring back. I know, they just came out with a Gladiator pickup, but it’s based on the Wrangler, not the Grand Cherokee. That’s a tough one because certainly any pickup today will have to have four doors and the pickup hauling capacity of a Grand Cherokee-based pickup would have a tiny bed space in back if it kept its four doors. Maybe the Wrangler was the right choice. Still, I’d like to see a two-door pickup based on the Grand Cherokee, like this one.
The seller doesn’t show us the back of the Comanche but they do include a photo showing the hauling area, complete with toolbox, which I’m assuming is included. The seller says that this Comanche is all original but I’m assuming they don’t include the slight lift kit that it appears to have and the big wheels and tires. I could be mistaken on the lift kit, what are your thoughts? Is this a factory height for a Jeep Comanche? It doesn’t matter in the least, I like how it looks.
The interior looks great and you can see the shifter. The seats and dash and everything else looks great. I’m hoping that the steering wheel cover is for protection and grip rather than to cover any issues. The seller has uploaded a video here on YouTube. The underside looks solid and they don’t mention rust at all and there doesn’t appear to be any on this Jeep.
The engine should be AMC’s 2.5L inline-four with around 120 hp. Other engine choices in 1986 included a GM-built 2.8L V6 and a 2.1L four-cylinder Renault diesel. 1986 was the first year for the Jeep Comanche, have any of you owned one?
I’m a cricket chirping at high pitch for this Comanche ! Could honestly say that after browsing late model “light” duty pick up trucks, I’d rather spend money on something like this. I’ve always owned ford Rangers with long service life. Drove a base Isuzu many years. No manufacturer seems to want to build a small affordable truck anymore. The 2.5 in this is not impressive, but it is durable. Surprised the venerable I-6 4.0 wasn’t an option, but would not be hard to fit (?)
The firewall of the ‘86 needs modifying to fit the 4.0L inline 6 in and changing the way the radiator mounts so the wider ‘91 XJ 4.0l radiator will fit (it comes with a cap instead of an expansion bottle mid heater hose)
The ‘86 was only longbed and often had the ax4 transmission (except with the 4.0L they ran a weaker Peugeot BA 10/5 std transmission without running the better than Renault 2.1L TD Peugeot 1.7L diesel )
Between the Bo$¢h injector pump, and Pari$ Groan alternator with a starter that tended to snap the mounting ear off the transmission rather than turn the diesel over.
It’s nice that every model of the Comanche is capable of a 4×4 conversion using all stock parts, mostly from similar Cherokees.
The 86 Comanche had the 2.8 gm motor had the 904 transmission in the xls model you could get the i6 4.0 with the different trim packages, I have two of them
The price is now jacked up to $11900. In today’s economy, I would think that the price would be coming down. Must be all the Barn Finds traffic!!
They did not offer the inline 6 for this year. You had the choice of 2 GM power plants. The 2.8 V6 being the other option. I think the price is way too high on this one. Good looking truck but I would be looking for a 4.0 with the 4X4.
alphasud, You are correct, there was no inline-six for 1986, just the AMC inline-four, a GM V6, and a Renault diesel four as mentioned in the last paragraph.
To all above, pretty crazy that the 4.0 was not offered as it was. An absolute standard of the Cherokee chassis at the time. My dumb @ss guess is that AMC was obligated to use what was left in stock, pending being taken over by Chrysler. That Jeep I-6 was critical to success of the Cherokee.
To the Al Bundy poster, the designer had not yet given in to allow an in-line 6 into the XJ or MJ because AMC likely would have held onto Jeep from sales increase alone.
The 4.0L was not available until ’87 because Renix TBI was too notchy for a 4.2L longterm and the higher power demand of the 4.0L didn’t meet emissions. Yet.
Making the Comanche underpowered without phenomenal fuel economy almost killed it all. The later AW4 overdrive automatic on the 4.0L was almost bulletproof with just regular maintenance. They eventually added the 2.5L to their adapted to AW4 auto which opened a whole different collection of motors to swap in, like Caddy 4.9L Northstar Aluminum block.
But keeping it AMC, a Stoker six improved power without sacrificing emissions or fuel economy.
I owned an ’87 4speed 4cly, sport truck, pretty basic bench seat, no carpet but was a 4×4!
Nice truck but couldn’t get out of its own way, but perfect for my first year of college in Canton NY lol
I am a fan of small pickup trucks. The huge trucks I see these days only seem to be used to carry a few bags of groceries (if that).
@Barry, I guess I’m the exception as we own a 2016 F-150 quad cab 4×4. It was bought strictly for a multi purpose vehicle. It has enough room to haul the grandkids, enough payload to haul bags of mulch and dirt along with wood for home projects, pulls a car trailer just fine and makes the wife happy in the winter with the shift on the fly 4 wheel drive. She would never use the 4 wheel drive in my older trucks that had the lever on the floor and you had to stop to put in 4 wheel drive. I don’t like how bulky they look but it does the work of 3 vehicles. Have a nice day !!!
Some of us appreciate small pick ups and don’t have to brag about capabilities. I know what I need for myself and family.
Jimmy, we are all very glad you made yourself feel happy today. Entertaining for us too !!!
@ALBundy, I love small pickups as much as anyone and I hope you didn’t take my post as slamming anyone who does. I was just stating we bought ours to serve a purpose and that was to have a multi purpose vehicle that made everyone in our house happy. I love the smaller Ranger pickups not the new one that’s as big as our 2002 Toyota Tundra was. Chill and sleep well my friend.
Who said all pick ups have to have 4 doors, must be some MARKETEER!!!!. Fca is making a mistake by not making a 2 door pick up with 2 wheel drive. Not every one wants a pick up truck where the ass end hangs out to next suburb. Two door pick ups with 2 wheel drive are good enough for small delivery vehicles, run around town vehicles, and something that is easy to park in grocery store, big box parking lots.Jeep should have made these pick ups with the same door as the two door cherokee from 1984 untill the end of the model run in 2001.By using the longer door one would have more leg room and space behind the seat. It would have been a much better pick up. I will always regret that I did not order and purchase the last year Eliminator pick up.
My dad had an ’86 Comanche he picked up in November ’85. It was very similar to this, long bed (black w/ tan interior) and AMC inline 4 w/ 4 speed manual and 4WD. It was a base model truck w/ vinyl bench seat and no interior carpet. I think it came with an AM radio, too. A great truck, but painfully slow, and that was without AC. Nice truck, but I’d consider adding more power under the hood.
I have no use for a large 4 door truck myself, but I get what Jimmy was saying. He either paid for in his truck in cash or has only 1 payment for a vehicle that does everything he needs. No need to cut on him for that!
I am going to be in the market for a mid to full size truck with a regular cab & 8 foot box in the next year or so, and pickins are really slim for that now, at least if you want to buy new.
Something like this Jeep would be fine if it had a longer box, but I still always prefer to buy new for my daily driver. I’m afraid that I won’t have that option by the time I am ready. I always prefer to go with a Mopar product when possible (except for my Korean economy car) and the only way I can get what I want is in the old style Ram “classic” in a more basic version. Kinda sucks lol.
Stevieg thanks for standing up for my comment, I didn’t pay cash but after trade in didn’t owe for 6 years and yes it’s paid for now. My neighbor who’s family owns 3 GM dealerships had a 510 Chevy single cab long bed pickup. I asked him was it hard to find one these days. He said no even if you family doesn’t own a dealership. You just need to find a fleet dealership that deals with contractors because they don’t want 4 door pickups with short boxes. They haul a lot of payload and are not concerned with fancy doo dads as they work them as they were built to do. I’m sure all of the big three car makers has a fleet dealership somewhere in your area so try googling one or call your local dealer and ask may be they will offer to order the one you want rather than lose a customer.
I wish I could somehow prove what I’m about to type here.
My name is Richard, I’m an AMC guy and love all AMC, INCLUDING PACERS!! I have owned three Comanches, although it has been many years since my last one. It was an extremely dark blue ’91 model, next to the last year. These are great little trucks with the 4.0 in them!
The 4.0 wasn’t offered until ’97. I remember it vividly. I had heard it was in the works and at the time I drove a wrecker and we towed for Jeep dealers. I ended up hauling one, a Cherokee, for a Jeep dealer, not one that had broken down, and it had the 4.0 in it. I opened the hood just to see our beloved 6 with REAL multi-port fuel injection, not some fake electronic carb throttle body injection. While it’s absolutely nothing today, it was 177 hp and that was more than many cars back then. Crazy I know!
But my first one was a red Comanche Eliminator. Yes, yes, I know that’s misspelled! That’s how it was on the truck, I’m sure on purpose. I bought it brand new in ’89 with the intention of autocrossing it and autocross it I did! They handled so well that I took it to the SCCA Solo ll (SCCA’s word for autocross) Nationals the same year. Me and my attention deficit I only managed 3rd in H Stock, now called H Street. But believe me, the truck was capable of winning H Stock! I knew there was a brake issue solely from getting the brakes hot at an event earlier in the year and I ended up blowing my best run. But the truck came in first AND second in the following Pro-Solo that same year. Fortunately I have a picture of it from the Nationals with all the stickers on it and the inside front tire off the ground from cornering. It was a blast to autocross and really opened a lot of naysayer’s eyes!!
Thanks for reading!