Topic: marlin rear bumper on bobbed bed.

[79toy]

ok so i bought a marlin rear bumper and im trying to mount it up to my truck with a bobbed bed.  i have an idea of how to mount it but i want more insight before i hack away at such an awesome looking bumper.  i have about 10" of frame before the body mount for the bed.  i was thinking of just straight cutting the mounting bracket and welding it to my frame.  does anyone see a problem with this?  looking at marlins truck it seems like this is kinda what he did.  ive only seen pictures of it.  but my truck is an 91 toyota pickup.  not too sure how much i bobbed it just hacked away .  if anyone has done something similar with a marlin bumper please chime in.  i would also need to shorten the tube that wrap around the side of the bed.  any help would be awesome.  thanks.  i attached two ghetto ass ms paint pics to give you an idea of what im talking about. 

[jimbo74]

this is what i would do... sell the bumper and get one custom made becuase your truck is no longer bolt on

[79toy [OP]]

i dont care about bolt on.  i think it would be cheaper to modify this one than it would be to buy a custom made one.  i was just wondering if anyone had any ideas on how to do this propoerly.  i dont have the resources to make one and to buy a custom one would cost over 400 bucks.

[jimbo74]

in that case you have to factor in time, and original cost of something that is modified and if you ever try to resell it might get screwed....

my time is worth a lot....

[79toy [OP]]

i understand that but then again almost everything on my truck has been modified.  its been sas'd and has extensive work done.  i dont think this will ever get sold again and if it does that is why im asking for the proper way to go about doing this.  i know im going to be spending many hours trying to graft a bolt on bumper to a bobbed bed but to me it seems worth it.

[Rockcrawlintoy]

i would cut the bed below the tail gate and box the rear of the frame and just run some bars to it and weld it up

[skipnrocks]

I dont really see any problem with it.  SHouldnt be all that hard to get it set up again.

[BLACKDOG]

You could also do that straight cut, then weld the leg with the bolt holes back onto the bumper in the position you need it, and plate it, to keep the bolt on/off capability   if you want to go that way.  Either way I don't see an issue.  I'm actually interested to see what you come up with, because I've got a '91 as well, and will probably be doing something similar in the near future. 

in that case you have to factor in time, and original cost of something that is modified and if you ever try to resell it might get screwed....

my time is worth a lot....

Not to anyone else.  Factoring in time when working on a project is a lost cause, unless the end goal is actually to sell it.  You can never get the time back that you spend on these projects, but that is why these are hobbies.  It is something that we enjoy doing, and are willing to spend the $$ because it benefits US, not the possible future purchaser.

[79toy [OP]]

i cut it the way i drew it out.  i had to cut the support bars off the tubes that wrap around the side but i am heading to a local shop to pick up some tube and re-do the supports on the side.  ill have pics up tomorrow.  im cutting about 4" off the sides to compensate for the bobbed bed.  i just used cardboard and cut it out to 4 inches, wrapped it around the tube and marked them.  they will be cut tomorrow and welded shut.  im not that great of a welder but hopefully it will turn out good.


does anyone have pics of a 3rd gen truck that has the back part of the bed cut off right under the tailgate?  i see it done on 2nd gens all the time but i havent seen it done on a 3rd gen.  i might end up doing this.  not sure yet.

[BLACKDOG]

\does anyone have pics of a 3rd gen truck that has the back part of the bed cut off right under the tailgate?  i see it done on 2nd gens all the time but i havent seen it done on a 3rd gen.  i might end up doing this.  not sure yet.

I've considered it as well, but I don't think it'll look all that great.  The 2nd gens have a body line at the perfect location, but our 3rd gen beds dont, and they've got a body line a little higher up, so IMO it would look really goofy.  That may be just me though

[Rockcrawlintoy]

does anyone have pics of a 3rd gen truck that has the back part of the bed cut off right under the tailgate?  i see it done on 2nd gens all the time but i havent seen it done on a 3rd gen.  i might end up doing this.  not sure yet.

like that

[79toy [OP]]

love it!  thanks a lot.  i had my doubts but it looks good.  my bed is a lot shorter but im sure it will look just as good.

[Rockcrawlintoy]

love it!  thanks a lot.  i had my doubts but it looks good.  my bed is a lot shorter but im sure it will look just as good.

thats on a bed with 11 inches taken out

[BLACKDOG]

love it!  thanks a lot.  i had my doubts but it looks good.  my bed is a lot shorter but im sure it will look just as good.

That doesn't look near as bad as I thought it would

[79toy [OP]]

yeah im cleaning up the welds today then im going to throw the bumper on.  i need to do the cuts to the bed as well.