03-19-2021, 03:09 AM
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#1
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I said YOLO and ordered a Weld-It-Yourself bumper kit! (Surprisingly Cheap!)
So I've been driving around with a missing bumper for a few months now because my mom spun and ran my T4R into a guard rail, crumpling the bumper. The only real damage was to the bumper and the cab mount that the bumper attaches to, so a stock bumper would be hard to re-attach, basically only leaving the option of a steel bumper mounted straight to the frame rails. The quotes I got to put a stock bumper back on were upwards of $1500+.
So, my mom cut me a check for $2k and I've decided to take the opportunity to get a nice steel bumper and finally learn to weld along the way! With this budget, I can afford all the beginner MIG welding equipment, angle grinder, the bumper, a grille, and I am contemplating getting a Maaco paint job for a nice cement gray with the leftover funds because my roof paint is peeling and my hood paint is (still) nonexistent. (I'd do all the prep work for the paint job if I decide on that) Heck, I may even decide to go with a bed-liner job with a cool "monstaliner" gray or sand color.
I am so excited and amazed at the style of the bumper I could afford for only $645 shipped! It's not some lame tube bumper like I thought was all I could afford. I'll put the link below to the bumper and a photo of that style on a 3rd gen:
I ordered this exact bumper with the same cutouts for lights:
https://www.movebumpers.com/products/classic-square-force-front-bumper-kit
Any tips from you guys who have tackled a DIY bumper kit?
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
Last edited by wtfemery; 03-19-2021 at 03:14 AM.
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03-19-2021, 12:09 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
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Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: Monroe, WA
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Quite the ambitious project for someone new to welding following this thread
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Y2K Highlander Millennium Silver 3.4L auto @ 320k and climbing
Toytecs + 5100s / 7.5 wrap + OME spacers + Tokicos / JBA UCAs / Anonymous Fab. LBJs / Total Chaos Gussets / EimKeith PCK + LCAR / Extended Bump Stops; Brake Lines; Rear Diff Breather / True North Fab. Hybrid Bumper / CBI Hybrid Bumper + Tire Carrier / 4xInnovations Hybrid Sliders / Opt Offroad Trailing Arms / Lil Skip Gas Skid / BudBuilt Front Skid / ARB Rear Locker
Last edited by Devbot; 03-19-2021 at 08:16 PM.
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03-19-2021, 04:36 PM
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#3
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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While I wait for my bumper and supplies, I’m having trouble deciding what I want to do about my paint, because the brand new bumper is only going to make my peeling white hood look even uglier.
These look like my options from cheapest to most expensive:
(~$50) Cheap DIY (Black or carbon) vinyl wrap on the hood only
(~$120) Higher quality 3M vinyl wrap in a cool camp black pattern (hood only)
(~$400) Maaco color matched hood
(~$450) DIY Entire car wrap (will have to wait till summer to have that amount of spare time)
(~$500) Whole car Maaco paint job color matched
(~$800) Whole car Maaco paint job new dark (cement) gray color
I’m leaning towards a higher quality hood-only wrap. What colors/patterns do you guys think would look cool? I’m not afraid of going a bit crazy with it. The color-changing galaxy looked cool, and so did the dark gray camo pattern.
Here’s what my hood/roof looks like at the moment by the way. My paint color is a dark green/brownish color, i forget the paint name.
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
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03-19-2021, 05:12 PM
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#4
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not sure what the rest of the frame looks like but I personally would rattle can the hood and use some money to clean up and POR15(or something comparable) any rust. then again, this is coming from a guy with a clean, coated frame and almost no clearcoat on the horizontal surfaces of my 4runner.
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03-19-2021, 07:45 PM
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#5
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The bumper design is certainly more, uh, fashion-forward than I am used to seeing, but maybe I'm just an old Zoomer. Every time I look at your post my browser throws up a Lagunitas IPA add with this guy - LOL:
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03-19-2021, 07:46 PM
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#6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joelzy
not sure what the rest of the frame looks like but I personally would rattle can the hood and use some money to clean up and POR15(or something comparable) any rust. then again, this is coming from a guy with a clean, coated frame and almost no clearcoat on the horizontal surfaces of my 4runner.
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the frame is solid, there's just a bit of surface rust in the front area. It's a southern car. I'm moving to Colorado in a year and a half, I'll probably treat it the summer I move out there because of the snow.
I'm now contemplating doing a nice dark forest green Raptor Liner with black Liner on the bumpers and fender flares... hmm... that job would come out to under $300
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
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03-19-2021, 08:24 PM
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#7
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Devbot
Quite the ambitious project for someone new to welding following this thread
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Ambitious, yes, but I'm all for the challenge. From the pics of what's actually in the box, It doesn't look too complex, a lot of the bends and edges are already done. There are basically three big pieces and then the mounting pieces.
Something like this:
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
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03-19-2021, 08:30 PM
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#8
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In regards to the options above, unless you're not concerned about the quality of the job I can nearly guarantee painting it yourself will come out better than Maaco. Just a word of warning, they're the definition of you get what you pay for. A decent respray should be in the thousands, easily - and that's unpainted door jambs+engine bay tier. Best way to get a good job from maaco is to bring then standalone body panels, or to do all the prep yourself as you said
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Y2K Highlander Millennium Silver 3.4L auto @ 320k and climbing
Toytecs + 5100s / 7.5 wrap + OME spacers + Tokicos / JBA UCAs / Anonymous Fab. LBJs / Total Chaos Gussets / EimKeith PCK + LCAR / Extended Bump Stops; Brake Lines; Rear Diff Breather / True North Fab. Hybrid Bumper / CBI Hybrid Bumper + Tire Carrier / 4xInnovations Hybrid Sliders / Opt Offroad Trailing Arms / Lil Skip Gas Skid / BudBuilt Front Skid / ARB Rear Locker
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03-20-2021, 03:57 AM
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#9
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
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03-20-2021, 05:06 AM
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#10
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Instead of worrying about the paint while waiting for the bumper, I'd be practicing welding.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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03-20-2021, 10:45 AM
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#11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patkelly4370
Instead of worrying about the paint while waiting for the bumper, I'd be practicing welding.
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^^^ This. Fab work is an art not a science. All this planning (and similarly, having armor) will be little worth it if you warp the metal or have little-to-no penetration. Start grabbing random bits of something mild like 1018, lay them up and odd angles and start practicing laying bead and managing heat, cut the joint in half on a saw to see how much penetration you have to ensure you're not just brazing
Edit: the blue is too FJ Cruiser for my tastes but that's just me, some people obviously like FJCs. If you like it go for it. Something I recommend looking into the ease of cleaning, since some bed liners are notorious for trapping dirt more than others. Nothing a pressure washer can't fix tho!
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Y2K Highlander Millennium Silver 3.4L auto @ 320k and climbing
Toytecs + 5100s / 7.5 wrap + OME spacers + Tokicos / JBA UCAs / Anonymous Fab. LBJs / Total Chaos Gussets / EimKeith PCK + LCAR / Extended Bump Stops; Brake Lines; Rear Diff Breather / True North Fab. Hybrid Bumper / CBI Hybrid Bumper + Tire Carrier / 4xInnovations Hybrid Sliders / Opt Offroad Trailing Arms / Lil Skip Gas Skid / BudBuilt Front Skid / ARB Rear Locker
Last edited by Devbot; 03-20-2021 at 02:58 PM.
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03-20-2021, 11:35 AM
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#12
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I only suggested this because I'm teaching myself to weld.
Successfully did a few projects so far, getting better. I personally wouldn't start with something like this.
I've been at it as a hobbyist for a year or so and might attempt it with supervision from my neighbor. Some of his welds are holding the International Space Station together.
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03-20-2021, 12:51 PM
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#13
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$645 for that kit just makes a $775 bumper from 4X Innovations seems like a steal. I certainly know who I'd give my money to if I was in your position. Good on you for taking on the challenge though.
In my opinion, the DIY bedliner paint job looks cheaper than the cheapest MAACO paint job. No thanks.
But hey, you do you, man. The only thing that matters is that you're enjoying it.
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03-20-2021, 03:08 PM
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#14
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Join Date: Oct 2019
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Quote:
Originally Posted by patkelly4370
Instead of worrying about the paint while waiting for the bumper, I'd be practicing welding.
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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Absolutely. I’ve been learning just about all I can learn from youtube vids these past few days. Now, as Destin from Smarter Every Day would put it, I have the knowledge but not the understanding. Practice is practice. I will definitely gather some scrap steel and take an entire weekend beforehand to practice and examine the cause/effect of different settings and techniques and see the penetration.
I appreciate you all making sure I don’t just dive right into this with no practice.
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1997 4x4 SR5 3" Lift @254,000 miles
I welded my own bumper!
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03-20-2021, 03:13 PM
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#15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aontkos
$645 for that kit just makes a $775 bumper from 4X Innovations seems like a steal. I certainly know who I'd give my money to if I was in your position. Good on you for taking on the challenge though.
In my opinion, the DIY bedliner paint job looks cheaper than the cheapest MAACO paint job. No thanks.
But hey, you do you, man. The only thing that matters is that you're enjoying it.
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4x Innovations has a 10 wk lead time plus shipping costs though, and I considered them, but the angular grille guard on the move bumper really hooked me. I know it’s either love it or hate it with that style of bumper. I guess that’s beginning to be the theme of my build... love it or hate it, but I’m the only one who loves it! haha
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