greenMarine
Member
The decision to go with the YJ front clip came from a need for more coverage where the front axle was putting the center-line of the wheels.
With a Commando front clip we were going to struggle to make it look right.
The good idea fairy showed up and we happened to have a YJ right next to my Jeep and so the hood and grill went on for a test fit and it lined up perfectly, to our surprise.
A phone call the next day got me a grill and a hood. The hood was in bad shape and had oil canned from a fire so we ordered a new YJ hood. It will be somewhat Commando, but I agree there isn't much left it truly is a "frank-en-Jeep."
Color choices - Jesus that was a laborious process. I thought about blue, red, "hugger orange", a couple shades of green especially the Neon Green that was used on TJ's and LJ's in 2004 and 2005. Then I decided on black with copper accents. Right before we ordered paint however, I was thinking about using Gold Bronze Metallic, which incidentally is the color of my 2011 F150. The other color I liked from that era of Ford Trucks is the Grizzly Brown Metallic - which is what we used. I love this color because it changes depending on the time of day. It can appear Black, but then also looks like a root beer brown.
The powder color for accents was a case of trial and error. We originally went the a Sahara Gold from Tiger Drylac, but ended up with Mystic Copper from Prismatic Powders. I was considering a few other accent colors with much more, "bling - bling" in appearance, and while I'll always wonder what they would have looked like I am happy with how the Mystic Copper has turned out. I just hope we don't get carried away with using the accent color.
I feel like black wheels have their place, but also think black wheels have run their course. Everyone is doing it - and so many have done it, so I had to go and do something different. Black Wheels were making their way into the Jeep world about 1998 and by 2001 when Jeep started building Yellow TJ's the use of black wheels really hit its stride. In my opinion black wheels have had their day; but to each their own.
By in large this "Commando Build" has been something I've been wanting to do since I picked up my first Quadratec Catalog sometime in the mid 90's. Although the 'dream Jeep' of my fantasy's typically involves an Aqualoo tub, a throttle down kustoms frame, and full width tons the rest of the build was much simpler in my head. The evolution of this build also charts the evolution of my relationship and ultimately my friendship with Derek of ATX in Amarillo. We speak typically three to four times a day and build the Jeep together when I can get to town. Our ideas are generally inline with each others, as our are creative mental blocks.
When I came across the Commando it was luck or fate. My buddy Justin Williams had built a Commando in the early 2000's and had bought the my Commando for the hard top that was on it. After stripping it of its hard top it lived an uneventful life in a barn for 6 or 7 years when he told me about it. So on a lark I asked to see it.
So by virtue of having a wad of cash in the front pocket of my jeans when we went to look at it the Commando it became the Jeep I would build. Having gone through this with a C101 - I've got my eyes open for another one. I need a hard top for this one, so I've got my eyes out.
With a Commando front clip we were going to struggle to make it look right.
The good idea fairy showed up and we happened to have a YJ right next to my Jeep and so the hood and grill went on for a test fit and it lined up perfectly, to our surprise.
A phone call the next day got me a grill and a hood. The hood was in bad shape and had oil canned from a fire so we ordered a new YJ hood. It will be somewhat Commando, but I agree there isn't much left it truly is a "frank-en-Jeep."
Color choices - Jesus that was a laborious process. I thought about blue, red, "hugger orange", a couple shades of green especially the Neon Green that was used on TJ's and LJ's in 2004 and 2005. Then I decided on black with copper accents. Right before we ordered paint however, I was thinking about using Gold Bronze Metallic, which incidentally is the color of my 2011 F150. The other color I liked from that era of Ford Trucks is the Grizzly Brown Metallic - which is what we used. I love this color because it changes depending on the time of day. It can appear Black, but then also looks like a root beer brown.
The powder color for accents was a case of trial and error. We originally went the a Sahara Gold from Tiger Drylac, but ended up with Mystic Copper from Prismatic Powders. I was considering a few other accent colors with much more, "bling - bling" in appearance, and while I'll always wonder what they would have looked like I am happy with how the Mystic Copper has turned out. I just hope we don't get carried away with using the accent color.
I feel like black wheels have their place, but also think black wheels have run their course. Everyone is doing it - and so many have done it, so I had to go and do something different. Black Wheels were making their way into the Jeep world about 1998 and by 2001 when Jeep started building Yellow TJ's the use of black wheels really hit its stride. In my opinion black wheels have had their day; but to each their own.
By in large this "Commando Build" has been something I've been wanting to do since I picked up my first Quadratec Catalog sometime in the mid 90's. Although the 'dream Jeep' of my fantasy's typically involves an Aqualoo tub, a throttle down kustoms frame, and full width tons the rest of the build was much simpler in my head. The evolution of this build also charts the evolution of my relationship and ultimately my friendship with Derek of ATX in Amarillo. We speak typically three to four times a day and build the Jeep together when I can get to town. Our ideas are generally inline with each others, as our are creative mental blocks.
When I came across the Commando it was luck or fate. My buddy Justin Williams had built a Commando in the early 2000's and had bought the my Commando for the hard top that was on it. After stripping it of its hard top it lived an uneventful life in a barn for 6 or 7 years when he told me about it. So on a lark I asked to see it.
So by virtue of having a wad of cash in the front pocket of my jeans when we went to look at it the Commando it became the Jeep I would build. Having gone through this with a C101 - I've got my eyes open for another one. I need a hard top for this one, so I've got my eyes out.
