That’s great news Big DOG! Just checked and that Jeep double tube bumper is very well priced. It also appears Rugged Ridge bumpers (maybe Smittybilt knock offs) are even better priced.

Started sanding the tailgate this afternoon and it’s slow going. The tailgate is all over the place in terms of highs and lows.

Also forgot to take pictures of the bed front and cab back which each got bed lined. The bed is bolted back down now so it’s hard to see any lining.

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Come to think of it Big Dog there are a couple videos on gregstoyotarestorations.com of an incredible frame off restoration Greg’s crew did on a first gen Toyota 4 x 4 pickup for a SoCal client. In one of the videos Greg shows how they installed a Smittybilt double tube front bumper with some custom fabbed mounting brackets. He also discusses how they had to cut out the underside of the hood to clear the LCE supercharger. They’re great videos to watch with an internet TV remote in one hand and a cool one in the other.

 

I just checked out gregstoyota website and didn't see the front bumper fab section yet, I did see where they were trying to sell their own double tube front bumper for $2700! Yowzer! I wonder if they would just sell me the template for the Smittybuilt? Lol. I'll keep looking around and see if I can figure out what bumper he used, if I can find that shouldn't be too hard to figure out how to fab up mounts.

 

Be sure to go to gregstoyotarestorations.com and not gregsrestorations.com. The ‘82 Toyota is on the home page and it looks like there are two video links right underneath the pic of the finished Toyota. If I recall correctly one of the videos is a time lapse video of the project and the other video is of Greg walking around the truck in real time discussing the challenges of the restoration. The video with Greg doing the walk through is the one where he discusses the front and rear Smittybilts and shows the front custom built brackets that were fabbed up as I recall.

it looks like there’s also a link to a feature article in Motor Life on the truck and some other video links further down the home page. I’m on lunch break now but when I get home tonight I’ll check around and see if I can’t find exactly where I saw the front bumper brackets and let you know.

 

It looks like I gave you some misinformation Big Dog. Can’t seem to find where Greg’s Restorations focuses in on any custom brackets to adapt to a Smittybilt bumper. I’ll keep searching.

Found some time this afternoon to get some Herculiner in the tail light pockets, upper front fender wells, tailgate and the cab floor. The cab floor was done a few days ago but the product was lumpy in spots so those areas got scraped and then everything roughed up and wiped down for a second try.

 

Kind of sitting in a holding pattern right now waiting for the weather to warm up so the truck can get primered. Got the 1979 tail gate test fitted with the 1982 body after a few adjustments.

The tail gate stays arrived from an eBay seller. Here they are cleaned up and painted.


The stays didn’t quite line up with the stops on the newer model bed so the stops got relocated.

 

The front tubular bumper arrived today courtesy of Fed Ex. It’s manufactured by Barricade Off Road and marketed by Extreme Terrain. Smittybilt still has the double tube bumpers for sale on Smittybilt.com but their overall width was 56”. The Barricade bumper for the 1976-86 CJ7 is 61” wide which is just right. The right length plus free freight and priced at $239 was a good deal. Now to figure out how to bolt it up to the Toyota front end. Overall weight of the bumper is 28 pounds. Here are some pics.

Fresh out of the box. The dust spots are body filler sanding residue that transferred over to the bumper when I grabbed it.

Side view at the approximate finished install height. The bottom of the bumper in this pic is 29 1/2” off the ground.

Front view. The truck is close to the front wall of the garage so this picture isn’t the best.

Another front view. Optional light mount tabs are visible wrapped in packing insulation. 7

This is a side view showing the location of the OEM bumper stay bolts in relation to the tube bumper brackets that are designed to bolt directly on to the front end of a CJ7 frame. The bumper stay bolt visible in this pic is the bolt just below the green tape.

 

Got a cardboard mock up of the bumper bracket taped together today. The bracket will have five bolts securing it to the frame ends and front cross member. Here are a couple pics.

The vantage point of this photo is looking up at the bottom of the bracket. The two visible holes are for one bolt in the end of the frame on each side.

This picture of the passenger side of the bracket shows one bolt in the OEM bumper stay bolt hole in the front cross member and the bolt to the lower left going through the end of the frame.

The fifth bolt will go through the middle of the top of the front cross member. All five locations are factory holes so that is great.

Not too good a picture here. Just a verification that the bumper will slide over the mock up and everything is a proper elevation. Time now for a shopping trip to the local steel recycling facility this week for some 1/4” plate.

 

Wow. Two weeks since a progress post. Been busy gearing up for another sprinkling system install season. Good news in the mail today though. Just received a couple 3D printed window vent boots. Build quality is very robust. I was afraid to get a used pair off eBay since they’d be at least 40 years old. Also received a couple pedal pads 🙂. Cheers!



The shipping label pic is from the 3D place that printed the vent boots.

 

Finally found a little time this afternoon to get back to the bumper bracket. A steel cutting blade on a Skil saw was used to cut the 1/4” plate and it was shocking at how clean and easily the cuts were accomplished. After that the pieces were tacked together following the cardboard mock up as a guide and hopefully the holes can get punched in the bracket tomorrow for a test fit.

 

So the bumper to frame mounting holes got drilled today along with most of the welding. Bolted the bracket to the frame with a couple bolts, C clamped the tube bumper to the bracket and checked everything for level and square. Everything still looking like it will work. Just need to punch the bracket to bumper holes now.

View from engine compartment looking at rear mounting bolt and tab.

View from the front with top two bolts installed in bracket.

Angled view of bracket.

 

And three more pics I forgot to attach.

Front view of bumper. The bottom of the bracket is the shiny piece of steel beneath the bottom tube. Truck is parked too close to front wall of shop for a good picture.

Side view of bumper C clamped in place

Looking down at the left hand mounting point. Two bolts on the top and two on the bottom per side.

 

Finally got the truck sanded down and primed. It’s fairly cold here so I’m going to wait awhile before I paint. Did decide to paint the engine compartment so work can hopefully move forward this winter. Here’s a couple pics.

 

That color is gonna be sweet!!!!!!

 

Thanks Disco! I’m not too artsy fartsy but I’m thinking about going with a two tone paint job. Haven’t decided yet, kind of need to let the idea marinate a bit.

 

Found a few extra minutes today to get back to the reassembly. Took a quick pic, here it is.

 

What other color?? Darker brown? Two tone definitely screams retro though!!! Like a metallic brown flake would be sweet justice

 

Those are good combinations Disco! Thanks for the input! Thinking about going with something like this green but I need to let some time go by and make sure it’s not just a passing fancy.

 

That green is awesome, I would love to go full 80’s on my truck one day but it’s a 91 and wouldn’t pull it off as well…..but whatever you decide I’m sure it will be sweet carry on sir!!!!

 

Thanks Disco! I had a green like that in my mind but hadn’t seen it on any first gen four bys. Once I saw it on that first gen in the attachment I liked it.

Did a little more re assembly work this afternoon on the windshield squirters, hood hinges, underside of hood, etc. Still waiting on a throw out bearing and clutch master cylinder gasket to arrive. Here are a couple updated photos.