1976 Scout Traveler, Ultimate Expedition Build

[ToolBox Guy]

Thanks for the kind words!

It's Friday afternoon, I thought I would alleviate some major concerns that many others, on this board and thru other means, have had with some of my fab work.





















The holes in the fold down tables do NOT allow your beer to fall thru. On the contrary, the dimple actually matches the bottom of a coors can perfectly, even allowing a "spherical" type motion enabling you to level your beer out, just in case your parking spot is not perfectly level.:victory:

Haha! Awesome!

I knew you thought of everything!!

 

[rube bonet]

Haha! Awesome!

I knew you thought of everything!!

One well respected fab guy I worked for and raced with used to tell me "I would rather be LUCKY, than GOOD, any day of the week."


I decided to start on the front bumper, mostly because I got excited to see the fenders and tires on. For everyone that thinks this is an unlimited budget build, check out the winch. For $300, we found an unused (cable has never even been unspooled) Warn 9000 lb winch that was in a receiver mount... tons of great deals on CL!

The bumper is composed of (mostly) 3/16 plate, internally braced where the winch mounts for strength.

My main goals for building any bumper are:
1)Build as light as possible while retaining necessary strength and protection to nerf slower vehicles/ animal strikes
2)Maintain approach angles, max clearance at the tires
3)Retain airflow to radiators/ coolers
4)Aggressive enough to scare old ladies/ chevy volt owners, facilitates passing on narrow dirt roads, two lane highways, lane merging, etc...

This is the main sections tacked/ mocked up into place, still a LOT of detail work left to do...

 

[DanimalsBurb]

Hey, my liftgate prop is a piece of steel strap! Mostly because the stick is currently serving as the hood prop


.

LOL. Ok so I was showing your awesome metal work to one of our mechanics here at work and he said he had a friend that used to have a vise mounted to a steel plate mounted to a piece of square tubing he would put in his receiver hitch for trail repairs. I thought that was a great idea!

 

[rube bonet]

I am torn on doing any sort of protection around the lights, haven't decided which way I am going to go. I decided to tack up a quick bend to get an idea of what the final product would look like. The final bend would have a tighter radius, and fit the body a little bit better.

I prefer the way the bumper looks without the light guards, but they would be a very practical addition to the bumper. I will leave the bumper in its current state until I can decide how to finish it later....any thoughts??

 

[DanimalsBurb]

I like the bar added. It looks like frowning eyebrows so it looks more aggressive. Plus extra protection.

 

[ExpoMike]

I like the bar added. It looks like frowning eyebrows so it looks more aggressive. Plus extra protection.

x2

I like the added bars. I really like the main section of the bumper and guard. I wish something like that was made for my Dodge Ram. Keep up the great work!

 

[rube bonet]

I agree on both points, I just tend to like things really simple. I also like things dented and smashed, so the extra protection really doesn't matter to me. :smiley_drive:

My main concern is saving the radiator/ coolers/ winch, I consider the lights and fenders "incidentals".

.

 

[rube bonet]

x2

I like the added bars. I really like the main section of the bumper and guard. I wish something like that was made for my Dodge Ram. Keep up the great work!

Whatever you want!
This one is actually a little "bulky" for me, the next gen version was slimmed down quite a bit Sorry about my lack of pic taking ability....

 

[fasteddy47]

x2

I like the added bars. I really like the main section of the bumper and guard. I wish something like that was made for my Dodge Ram. Keep up the great work!

x3

 

[d0va]

awesome built and skills ....

 

[ToolBox Guy]

Corner guards, for sure.

 

[jpeater]

Way cool thread

I found this sort of by accident but read through every post and stared at each picture looking at all the little details you have put into each bracket, tab and assembly. Amazing fabrication work and it is good to see that you aren't wasting it by applying it to a Scout I posted a link to this thread over at Binder Planet, hope you don't mind, but there is just way too much cool stuff going on to not let the IH obsessed in on this as well. Keep it up and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

[rube bonet]

I found this sort of by accident but read through every post and stared at each picture looking at all the little details you have put into each bracket, tab and assembly. Amazing fabrication work and it is good to see that you aren't wasting it by applying it to a Scout I posted a link to this thread over at Binder Planet, hope you don't mind, but there is just way too much cool stuff going on to not let the IH obsessed in on this as well. Keep it up and Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanks for sharing the thread! I hope the Scout guys like it, I am really trying to keep the IH mojo, even with all the mods.

.

 

[Clutch]

I agree on both points, I just tend to like things really simple. I also like things dented and smashed, so the extra protection really doesn't matter to me. :smiley_drive:

My main concern is saving the radiator/ coolers/ winch, I consider the lights and fenders "incidentals".

.

I like it without, starts looking like a surprised cartoon character with the "eyebrows", maybe something flatter and less radius?

 

[toymaster]

I prefer the way the bumper looks without the light guards, but they would be a very practical addition to the bumper. I will leave the bumper in its current state until I can decide how to finish it later....any thoughts??

I have to say go with the extra protection. Of course, I live where the deer and antelope roam. Form should follow function and my bumper on the f350 has more than paid for itself on multiple occasions.