Topic: Modifying an ugly oversized bumper into something decent

[inmyownsummerami]

A few weeks ago my cousin gave me a bumper of unknown make, or application that was on his '86 Toyota, and then on his '90 Toyota. It looks like it was originally made for a full size truck, and was sectioned on each end to fit a mini truck.





The damned thing weighs about 80lbs. Now I could build a bumper from scratch, but I'm custom building too many parts for this truck as it is, so I'm just going to cut this one up until I end up with a half ass bumper that will protect the radiator, and head lights.
 Here's a few shots of it about where I would mount it.







Right now the tires would hit the tubes on compression, and the center hangs super low and far forward.
As of now I plan on cutting off the horizontal tube where they wrap around at the vertical tube connecting them, and capping them off. Then on the center ?Shopping cart pusher? cutting off the upper an lower horizontal tubes leaving only the middle tube.



There's not much that can be done to improve the looks of this ugly b*std, but other than cutting it up for scrap what would you do with it?

[79coyotefrg]

flip it over  and see what it looks like,  i think it would fit better

[red]

that center part is upside down, flip it over and it will look alot better.

[CTENG in KS]

OK, here is what I would do...
Cut out the upper horizontal tube inside the grill gaurd thing and replace with a winch plate.
Then cut the bottom tube off at the corners and remove the outtermost verticle tubes.
Notch the bottom tube where shown and bend the bottom tube up to meet the top one at a triangle...weld it up.

[inmyownsummerami [OP]]

flip it over  and see what it looks like,  i think it would fit better

that center part is upside down, flip it over and it will look alot better.

If I flip it over it would move the forward most part of the bumper lower, and mess up the decent(aprox:75*) approach angle that I have now.

OK, here is what I would do...
Cut out the upper horizontal tube inside the grill gaurd thing and replace with a winch plate.
Then cut the bottom tube off at the corners and remove the outtermost verticle tubes.
Notch the bottom tube where shown and bend the bottom tube up to meet the top one at a triangle...weld it up.

I think that once it's time for a winch, that bumper is going to hit the scrap pile. The rest of what you said would look a lot better, but you can only polish a turd so much before you end up with on your hands.

[DTB]

it aint that bad...ive seen much uglier

[Doof]

it aint that bad...ive seen much uglier

 

[CTENG in KS]

If I flip it over it would move the forward most part of the bumper lower, and mess up the decent(aprox:75*) approach angle that I have now.

I think that once it's time for a winch, that bumper is going to hit the scrap pile. The rest of what you said would look a lot better, but you can only polish a turd so much before you end up with on your hands.

I don't know, there is a lotta good stout steel there...you just gotta werk with it.  Make it like your leetle bonsai bumper.

[DTB]

I don't know, there is a lotta good stout steel there...you just gotta werk with it.  Make it like your pregnant dog.

fixed it for ya 

[86bobbedtoy]

I bought a 79 with a solid 4"single tube rear bumper, it hurt when it fell on me, I didnt know it was solid and  like 300 pounds, it only got my knee.  But yeah I say build one.

[inmyownsummerami [OP]]

I bought a 79 with a solid 4"single tube rear bumper, it hurt when it fell on me, I didnt know it was solid and  like 300 pounds, it only got my knee.  But yeah I say build one.

So it was solid 4" round stock Thats just crazy. I'm always amazed by the heavy ass bumpers people make.

[rednk1980]

Thats a pretty sick looking 1st gen you've got there. Looks like you've done alot of work to her. I would look here
http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=16284.0  he started with a smitty built bumper and it turned out pretty sick at least that what i would do or something of the sort. 

[86bobbedtoy]

So it was solid 4" round stock Thats just crazy. I'm always amazed by the nuke proof(Heavy ass) bumpers people make.

yep SOLID, a old guy had the truck, go figure.

[Doof]

so you more or less have a wrecking ball on your bumper