“Although hauling 4x8 plywood means leaving the tailgate down” lol it still doesn’t pass the tailgate. Try and haul that in a Gladiator it sticks out 3 feet
Commanche was a truck geared toward working guys in a working culture. Gladiator is an excessively priced lifestyle vehicle geared toward wealthy adventurers in a spoiled culture. Just depends on what you want.
Since I don't need 4WD in my pickup, I prefer my 2009 Ranger (but I own a 1989 Cherokee as well.) :-) The Ranger gets significantly better gas mileage. The new Ranger with a turbo and 10 speed auto only; I don't know. Reliability may suffer.
Today's "wine and cheese" pickup owners couldn't drive it because it had a manual transmission, and manual shift transfer case and no electronic safety nannies to save their dumb asses from their complete lack of driving capability.
As an owner of a plushtruck.. i would have purchased a manual transmission if one was offered, would have gotten a 2wd, single cab,and an i6 in a base truck.. but i bought mine used, loaded, with 32k miles for the same price as a base model.. and since none of them come with a stick, i got what i could..
David Aubin and it does. If you are shorter than 6’ you either can’t push the clutch in all the way or you can steer with your teeth. Never was comfortable in one of these
@@amass16 yeah, that's why I didn't count the Colorado as if you add a single option then you lose the manual, it's also a case of dealers hardly ever order the base models since they rarely sell
Got to love those low hp and tq numbers from the 80's! The later model years had the inline 6cyl 4.0L which had much better hp and tq numbers. Upload a review of the later model comanche as well!
@InfiniteMushroom let's not forget the i6 was in the process of being reengineered by AMC/Renault to become a 4litre Renix powered engine like the 2.5l and 2.1l td.
@@ftffighter Thats because it was GM's 2.8 V6. I had one in a 84 S-15 Jimmy 4X4. The only saving grace was a 5-speed. It got great mileage but was sooo underpowered, spun a bearing when I got it hot pulling people out of snowbanks in a blizzard. If it hadn't been starting to rust I would have tried to put a 4.3 Vortec in it and see what that would do. CAR COMPANIES. MAKE SIMPLE RELIABLE TRUCKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!
I worked at a local hardware store. There's a local surfer dude who daily drives a Comanche Chief and picks up stuff from the store almost every day. Such a cool pick up, 5 speed manual as well.
It's funny because every once in a while I will see one of these still on the road today. Just shows how durable it really was just like the old Toyotas.
@@justinluttrell1769 Yeah, but you have to admit Trucks are becoming a bit too big. I mean, if you want it big you should get a F350 or F450 (for your work, they are work horses not "Carry your family to school" horses. But small business owners now have to pay a lot more for a truck simply because of coal running arseholes using it as a status symbol. They want an efficient small truck, and don't wish to spend more than they have to. So all this luxury and size added to trucks like the F150 isn't helping. It's just adding to a problem for both the Environment (as let's face it Diesel really isn't a clean burning fuel), and costs for a small businesses. My work truck needs to be: Reliable Practical Four wheel drive if I work on the land (can be 2 wheel drive if not necessary and thus save fuel and costs) And cheap. It shouldn't be an SUV/Crossover wanabe because Midlife crisis dads wish to able to offroad ;).
@@DehnusNorder While I agree with what you said, Diesels are much more efficient and therefore release less CO2 overall... that being said they don't need diesel v8s in those things. Big trucks are supposed to haul shit. And as you said before, most people just drive them because they have smol pps and what attention from other men.
I loved my 92 Jeep Comanche Eliminator, my first car, my first love, I drove it till it wouldn’t drive anymore and then some. I finally had to donate it to charity because I loved it too much to send it too the junkyard. Thank You ‘che you were the best.
Dad bought one brand new in 1989. Put over 300 thousand miles on it and survived a hurricane flood. But a second hurricane got it. I now have an 89 Eliminator sitting in my driveway. Love it. Stump pulling first gear is a good description. Super fun to drive!!!
@talldude123 They did.. I own long bed and the short bed style. I-6 4.0L with the 5 speed manual in both cases. just took the long bed to the 1/8 mile last fall. with Locker rear end.. starting at 2000-2200 RPM (Need more tire then then what i had on) Fastest Pass was 10.939 @ 63.63. and a 2.447 60 FT. thats with a stock motor only changed the Injectors for Ethical reasons and put a Header on it due to a cracked exhaust manifold.. A few new sensors. and 120k Miles on the Odometer So will agree the 4.0L is the better motor and a torque beast.. ... As a side note.. my first pass starting RPM at 4300 -- 4500 RPM.. Broke the tires loose way too much.. and that resulted in a 12.796 @ 61.46 With a 3.346 60 FT.. in both cases.. not fast.. tho i was racing against my 2006 Jeep Wrangler with the 4.0L 6 Speed manual.. And its best run was 13.088 @ 51.00 and a 2.933 60 FT. So 1988 Vs 2006.. was all for fun.. and it was alot.. But the V6 was a joke.. and there is a reason was only a option for a short time.
We just bought our second Comanche to tag along with our nineties era Cherokees. I think this video came out a bit before AMC stuck the inline six cylinder in these. Both of ours were built with the inline six 4.0 litre engines. Sexy and macho at the same time, I recently walked away from a pristine 78 Chevy Sierra for an equally pristine 88 Comanche. LOVE THIS TRUCK!
@@seththomas9105 It was a 4x4 with a short bed. The only two items it didn't have that I would want was A/C and the fuel gauge pack. I'll find that dream one someday.
@@seththomas9105 I can understand wanting a long bed. I prefer the maneuverability and less over hang of the short bed. But I'm also not a truck guy, the Comanche is the only truck I've owned. If I were hauling stuff all the time, the long bed is the way to go.
Best Trucks Ever Made! I've Owned 2, one auto one manual, one 6 cylinder, one 4 cylinder, one 4wd, one 2wd. One long bed one short bed. Were both Amazing trucks & never had any complaints besides the fact they don't make them anymore.
I owned an '86 Comanche 4WD with the 4 cyl gas engine/auto and it was a very good truck. It ran very well and did not use any oil or smoked at 200K miles--and it ran when I sold it. Everything worked well and it got very good gas mileage. Looking back I forgot that it did stop very well for being unloaded most of the time and it was not scary to drive when it had a properly placed load in the bed. The bed was rusty as hell, but I still drove it with a lot of pride because it was so tough and dependable. Hope to own another Comanche one day, preferably with the 4.0 V6 and a 5 speed, but at this point, if it were possible, I would take my old truck back and put a stake bed on it.
The best Jeep Comanche has a 4.0 liter inline six cylinder carburated engine with a two barrel carburator, Four speed AX-4 manual transmission, rear Dana 35c solid live axle, front Dana 30 solid live axle, Np231j transfer case, leaf spring suspension, body on frame construction. It is possibly the finest Jeep pickup truck to be produced. It is basically a Jeep CJ-7 with a pickup truck body.
Still got my '86! Bought brand new as a work truck by my dad. Spent much of its life hitched to a trailer on dirt roads. Hopefully my boy will inherit it when he goes to college.
My mom had a charcoal grey 4 liter. I loved 4WD truck. Beautiful chrome wheels. Rancho Suspension. It read sporty and had plenty of power. Wish I had it!
I LOVED my Comanche!!! It was the 'Pioneer' edition. With a 4.0L inline 6 cyl. White with a grey cloth bench. Best truck I ever owned. I loved my Ranger 'Splashes' as well, but with this one, had I known how short it would be in production, and that I never see one on the road now, I would have kept it. My rust free one would probably still be running perfect, like most real Jeeps, from that time period. BEFORE the take over and killing by Chrysler
yes this truck has got to be reintroduced, my father had two of them 4 liter straight 6 automatic. they both had the pioneer pinstriping on the sides, shamefully my father drove them in the salt in the winter rotting them out if only he had one of them today. as for the new Jeep gladiator it's a shame they can't just build a single cab truck like they used to, it's what they should do.
I had a 86 Comanche. Straight six. It was my absolute pleasure and favorite vehicle. I bought it in 1998. Drove it for 2 years. It had over 150,000 miles when I bought it. It was freaking amazing and unstoppable. The only reason I don't have it is my wife became pregnant and it wasn't child adequate. I hope to God God allows me to have another one. I miss it. I wish I had known in 86 how few they made. Ho hum..
The last years of American Motors Corporation and the last years of AMC Jeeps, Chrysler would take over in 1988. These were the real Jeeps, I would love to buy an AMC Jeep anyday, simple to work on, simple to maintain and reliable as Hell.
I’m hoping to find one of these fairly cheap. I’m 21 and although I like new stuff. There’s just something you can’t beat about the older, simpler trucks
@@phatkatracing he's taking about the 1960s jeep gladiator which Kaiser created then when AMC bought Jeep it was renamed to the j series pickup. J10,j20,j30,j40. The military version of the gladiator was called fire m715 created by AMC AM general division. The new 2020 "gladiator" doesnt live up to the old gladiators which were full size trucks, the new is basically a crappier cj8 scrambler.
My first new truck was a 89 Jeep Commanche my dad made me buy a 2 wheel drive but I liked it came off the showroom floor it had the 4.0 air 5spd and nice wheels.
My boyfriends 2nd car was a 99 XJ and it's his baby. he had a 4runner but the tranny took a shit and he almost got a chevy pickup but it was rusted out badly. When it came time to me being able to afford my first car, I got a 95 ZJ in rough shape but good miles. We've been working on it and finding all of the confusing quirks from previous owners since last fall, all through the cold winter. I'm happy warmer weather is here, he's getting a lift on his XJ and I need new bushings and upper control arms on my ZJ. Since owning my own Jeep, I've definitely grown to love them. all of the older ones at least. We've fixed my ZJ up as nice as it can be after years of neglect and it being as old as I am, but once it takes a shit it'll be my off road toy and I'll be looking for a newer XJ. I really hope to own a Comanche one day, but they're so hard to find. Even in Colorado Springs where these jeeps everywhere, I haven't seen a Comanche.
The base 2.5L 4-Cylinder was the only engine available to the Comanche this year that was decent. Rock solid reliable and made more than plenty power for the time period. The 1986 Ford Ranger with a 2.3L I-4 only made 73HP for instance. The Chevy 2.8L V6 made LESS HP than the 2.5L I-4, was heavy, and were prone to a few issues with higher mileages. That 2.1L I-4 Renault turbo diesel....just let your imagination take you away because that engine sure won't LOL. This truck was letdown by imperfect powertrains until Chrysler made available the phenomenal 4.0L I-6 which finally united an amazing chassis to an equally amazing powertrain.
The 4.0 was not a Chrysler engine. AMC developed it in 1986. It took 24 months to perfect. The Comanche eventually set several land speed records with the 4.0. That caused GM to contract with Gale Banks and the (stupid) Cyclone was born. The Comanche caused the birth of the Cyclone/Typhoon. GM wanted the record back. You can read about it at Allpar.
@@BuzzLOLOL Why? AMC designed and built the 4.0 I-6. That engine is in legendary status with the Chrysler slant six, the Ford 300 I-6 and the Chevrolet 292 I-6. Zombie apocalypse engines.
Neat little truck. I wish some of these were sold in the UK. The Cherokee was extremely popular at the time, even though its 4.0 engine used quite a lot of fuel (which has always been quite expensive here), because it combined a bit of American "glam" and power with that 4.0 (it was like the Cayenne Turbo of its day, as fast 4x4s go) with a low price and, most of all, it was just the right size for here. Things like an Escalade or a Ram don't really work here, but the Cherokee did. This pickup with a 4.0 would be an awesome second hand purchase these days, provided it wasn't too trashed from "being a pickup", though even then the Jeeps were quite robust and tough, so I imagine this Comanche would be too.
I love my comanche. It's a great truck, and surprisingly comfortable on the road, although I just installed new shocks. Mine is the more updated 1990 with the 4.0 "Litre" and the 5-Speed. Although I should be honest I would much rather have that diesel :D The only real issue with these trucks is that they are not rust resistant by ANY means. The floors on most Comanches these days are completely rusted due to both design and driver negligence for not undercoating. No matter what I would still choose a Comanche over any other truck. Just about to redo all of my bushings and sway bar links baby. It's gonna ride even better!
Wow, I never realized there was a model year that didn't offer the classic 4.0 straight six. It's hard to imagine the Comanche without that engine for me.
First year only. Their contract with GM was ending and they intended to switch to the AMC 6 ASAP so it was designed from the beginning to fit in there. The AMC I6 was a much better engine. More horsepower and torque, smoother (Though barely) and more reliable. All with about the same mileage. Plus AMC didn't have to pay a competitor for something they made themselves.
I had a Comanche with a 4.0 and stick, and would much rather have it back than a Gladiator... I'd probably still have that truck but it was totaled by an old man in a minivan. I replaced it with a 96 Cherokee, that was almost 25 years and over half a million miles ago, still have the Cherokee and will probably take it for a drive today.
Was gonna say, let’s consider inflation and all that, but the $8600 4x4 would still only cost ~$20,400 in today’s dollars, which is a goddamn steal. Wowza.
@@RobCamp-rmc_0 35 years of Govt. safety crap and the public wanting more BS options for soccer moms killed the cheap, manual transmission work truck in the USA.
