In the fall of 2016, I took a NORA off-roading class with a friend in Ellenville, NY. After a year of trying to decide if, when and how I was going to take up this new hobby, I spotted a listing on ebay. So I purchased, sight unseen (except for a few pictures), a 1988 Jeep Comanche from the northern panhandle of Idaho. It already had long arms with a 7" lift kit and rolled on a set of 33s. 

It sports its original paint and original Dana 30/35 axles and has a nearly rust-free frame. New bumpers and fenders were installed before my purchase. She was in good running order but needed an upgraded brake booster, new pads and shoes, a new winch, water pump, serpentine belt and oil pan. The  original wiring harness needed to be replaced as corrosion of the fuse panel caused the interior lights and windshield wipers to only work sporadically. And, thanks to the great craftsmanship of The4x4Place, flimsy tie-rods and worn out bushings were replaced with a much improved, custom steering system along with rock sliders to protect the rocker panels and undercarriage from slinging mud and crawling over rocks. The power plant is a stock inline-6 4L engine -- which only made 170 HP from the factory -- and has a mere 125K miles.

Jeep Pickups

The first pickup truck ever produced by Jeep was in 1957, the little known Forward Control (FC-150). Lack luster sales resulted in very few every being made.

In 1962, Jeep attempted a different approach when it offered the Gladiator (SJ / J10) as a derivative of the popular Wagoneer.

And in 1985, Jeep tried a similar approach, taking the front unibody design of the Cherokee (XJ) to create the Comanche (MJ). Only two-hundred thousand MJs were ever produced during their limited run from 1985 to 1992. 

In 2019, Jeep released its Wrangler-based pickup truck sporting the original Gladiator name.