body/bumper work

[cj ford]

Well I am goin to give the ol bronco a make over. After searching for a decent tail gate I have given up on it. I decided to bolt in a solid rear pan, get a rear plastic window made up with the white vinyl around it. It will be put on with snaps like on a boat. I had welded in a support bar since I didn't have a gate so I screwed the metal into that support bar because I do want it to be removable if needed. This is not finished I need to do the bondo on the welds and paint it still.

support bar to keep things in place



took the tin foil bent front bumper off and made a front bumper


I know everyone likes plate bumpers here but I didn't wanna do that. I used 1/4" thick channel iron 5" high and capped the ends cut a v in the middle and formed it to try and keep the contour of the front end.It is secured on with four 1/2" gr 8 bolts to the frame and the D rings are forged rated for 11,000lbs each and are bolted on with 7/16" grade 8 bolts also






goin to make a matching rear bumper then paint the tailpan blue
I plan on moving the rad up about 3" as well

[outalne94z71]

i hope you don't plan on doing anything other than tying it down with those bolt on d-rings.

there has got to be a tailgate somewhere, that idea just does not look right

two thumbs down

[cj ford]

ill use the D rings for dragging stuff out of the bush tie down the truck on the trailer and I wouldnt hesitate to do a light pull with them ..I wouldnt yank it like a mad man but they are pretty stout. I just wanna keep the weather out of the truck as I use it in the winter too and dont like gettin in with it full of snow .. I'm not doing it for looks I want function..

[outalne94z71]

those d-rings are tiedown rings, they are not meant to pull with.

theres a difference between function and making things not looked hacked, what does it cost for a new tailgate shell, they can't be that much.

how much you got dumped in your hotrod and you want to hack this decent truck

[cj ford]

ya because it would make sense to buy a $300 gate plus then buy all the hardware to make it functional and find glass and window motor for it and then go bash it up in the bush I may as well take $600-$700 and light it on fire

Its a trail rig not my hot rod there is no comparing the 2

[outalne94z71]

thats it now i'll have to find you a complete tailgate ok, its too decent of a truck yet to let you do that to it.

[cj ford]

have you looked at it close? its not that nice
trust me



door bottoms are gone, had to put a whole floor in it, some of the body mounts are getting rough, drivers door is bashed in .. its a mud truck



and its not done ... once its painted blue and cleaned up it wont look 1/2 as bad .. you will see ...lol

Ill update it later this week after it is done if I have time to finish it

[lilredflatbed]

hey to each his own, i like the bumper tho simple yet effective i agree with outlaw on the rings bad idea for recovery. Prob would be safe to use for pulling limbs tho imo

[cj ford]

I never said they D rings were a recovery point, they will have a use though..there is a reason they are there


Remember I tow for a living and have completed numerous courses in auto recovery and have wreckmaster certification, I know what is safe and I know what isnt.. It kills me that some people think they know what is in my mind when they dont have a clue

as for the bumper effective simple and strong that was the purpose the tin foil one wasn't cutting it anymore

[LegendKiller89]

Alright this is bulls***. Sorry I read this entire thread and this is crap. CJ tows for a living for god's sake and you guys think you can tell him what is safe and not safe when you guys never ask what he intends to do with it?? Just jump in and criticize him. And whatever happened to its your truck do what you want man. If CJ thinks its cool then damn it he should be allowed to do it without anyone getting on his backside about.

And while I'm at it, whatever happened to if you have nothing good to say don't say anything at all?? At least when I go through these posts I won't jump in all the time and [censored] brawl the guy, I just look at something else. It ain't worth the hassle.

I agree CJ has the coolest Bronco I've EVER seen. But it is his truck and its an off-road vehicle. This is what makes off-roading so cool because all vehicles are different. And they bring out the person who drives it.