ok.. let me try this post again.

I stopped by to pick up a tire that needs fixed on one of my new toys, and I saw another 88 down the street with no rear bumper. it looked kind of slick, and I was wondering how they got it inspected like that. I do remember Ive seen some yr PU trucks that the rear bumper was an option and thus not needed for a state inspection.
the "good" one of the pair I bought has a ratty back bumper thats been bent, I was thinking if it was an option i can just remove it to slick down the overall appearance, and add a tow hitch later for my pop up camper.
is the 88's rear bumper an option?
A Friend of mine had an early 90's Nissan truck with no bumper, and it didn't come with one so it wasn't needed for inspections.

whats the scoop on the 88s?

 

i beleive it was an option, my 1985 4x2 pickup didnt have a bumper on it when i got it.... i did however have little 2"x2" rubber bumper pads in the rollpan/bed crossmember.... here is a pic of my truck with the tailgate removed....

 

Since you mentioned tow hitch..maybe you could buy or have something built
like this

 

That bumper is kinda cool...
I do like the bumperless look, but it leaves nothing between you and careless drivers.

I have a feeling this is going to cost me a lot of cash before to very long.

 

Yep, on the base models bumpers was optional, as is/was the case with most pickups. Mine has never had one, but will shortly.

 

Mine had one to start with, I took it off for about 6 months. It looked good, but everytime i saw someone coming up behind me kinda fast I would get really nervous. Now the new one that I built is really strong. I now could care less if someone plowed into me!

 

the older bumpers were pretty much made out of pop cans and spit, or at least held up like it. my '84 didn't take too well to a 5mph rear ending in the high school parking lot...

 

my yota recently got plowed into by an f150 supercrew doing about 50 when he hit me, i was doing 40 ... the bed is pretty much shot... pricing the same bed at the junkyard was $300 out the door and they would load it in my truck for me.....

 

I might be wrong, but I don't believe pickups to this day are required to have rear bumpers. Probably a state-by-state thing, but I know that at least for a long time it was an option. Like it's been mentioned, the stock bumper that came on pickups was pretty much a place to hang bumper stickers and that's about all.

BTW, Y+T=F, that bumper looks great. Stick a 2" receiver in the middle of that and you got exactly what I plan to build.