Blcktpgsr's '97 transformation

[quicksilvr]

:naughty::naughty::naughty::naughty:


:thumb3::thumb3::thumb3:

 

[quicksilvr]

Ok, i want an ARB like THAT. That is awesome. Your truck deserved better than a stock ARB anyway.

 

[fightman80]

Ok.... it's official.... you're a jerk! lol! I love that man! Wanna Trade?? Mine's a year newer??!!! lol!

I like the grill change up, and the bumper looks sick dude! Definitely my style man! If I had a black 4Runner, I'd build it just like yours man! (I ended up with my Evergreen Pearl though.... so rolling with it! )

Nice work once again! :trophy:

 

[blcktpgsr]

Thanks SCRunner, quicksilvr and Fightman......The new winch bumper has been my project since 11 days ago...I've got tons of photos of the process and changes, and I'll make sure to share those to you all as well..Right now there's somewhere I gotto be.. see ya tomorrow!

 

[t4r4life]

haha Ed told me and i didnt wanna spoil anything so i kept quiet lol good job on those. maybe make some light hoops for the headlights later down the road

 

[Beach Runner]

Just when I think this rig can't possibly get any better, you go raise the bar yet again! Pure awesomeness! :trophy:

 

[Hepar]

Now THAT'S an ARB!

 

[CodyX36]

Nice modification, which ARB is that?

 

[BigFishAllDay]

I HAD to see a before/after side by side, so I cropped a couple of your pictures....

That's genius! :trophy: It's not even an ARB anymore man. The only thing ARB about it anymore is the mounts, and you even modded those for the body lift.

Looks like you're getting pretty comfortable with that welder already... if you didn't have the time in this bumper, I'd say sell it and build your own. Who knows what you'd come up with if you started from scratch.

Oh yeah, congrats on the new winch too! I'm curious to see how you fabbed in the mounting plate for it, because I can see you changed that up too.

 

[t4runner604]

sweeet! looks great!!

 

[Hepar]

I do think I like the darker grille better. Makes the TRD emblem pop more.

 

[CodyX36]

Just realized it's the same bumper, just fabbed around a bit. Looks real good man!

 

[rickashay]

re-dic-u-lous. I think i'm crying at the beauty of this....

:wow2:

 

[GottaBeTRD]

dammit blcktpgsr, now some of keys on my keyboard don't work cause of too much drool, that looks epic!

what year grill did you use for that?

 

[Blackdot]

My wife even approves of this, she asked if we could do this to ours. Fantastic.

 

[blcktpgsr]

You're missing some tubes. Just thought I'd let you know.

Well unfortunately that's all the tubing we'll ever see on the re-designed bumper,,,no more no less..

Ok, i want an ARB like THAT. That is awesome. Your truck deserved better than a stock ARB anyway.

Maybe I'll try and submit this prototype design to ARB and hope they will consider it an update.:lol:

Ok.... it's official.... you're a jerk! lol! I love that man! Wanna Trade?? Mine's a year newer??!!! lol!

I like the grill change up, and the bumper looks sick dude! Definitely my style man! If I had a black 4Runner, I'd build it just like yours man! (I ended up with my Evergreen Pearl though.... so rolling with it! )

Nice work once again! :trophy:

Thanks Rob! I like the newer grille because it now matches the hood scoop insert grill as well.

haha Ed told me and i didnt wanna spoil anything so i kept quiet lol good job on those. maybe make some light hoops for the headlights later down the road

He told you about it did he? Thanks for keepim it to yourself and Thanks.

Just when I think this rig can't possibly get any better, you go raise the bar yet again! Pure awesomeness! :trophy:

Awh thanks man!

Now THAT'S an ARB!

Glad you approve of it!

I HAD to see a before/after side by side, so I cropped a couple of your pictures....



That's genius! :trophy: It's not even an ARB anymore man. The only thing ARB about it anymore is the mounts, and you even modded those for the body lift.

Looks like you're getting pretty comfortable with that welder already... if you didn't have the time in this bumper, I'd say sell it and build your own. Who knows what you'd come up with if you started from scratch.

Oh yeah, congrats on the new winch too! I'm curious to see how you fabbed in the mounting plate for it, because I can see you changed that up too.

I guess without the ARB badge, people will actually think of it as something else if they didn't know I had ARB to begin with.

If you're still on a hunt for a welder, I say go get one. The Hobart I have is a nice start and makes welding a breeze you'll learn how to weld nice and fast.
It's also so rewarding.

Thanks. The base plate is made up of 3/16" sheet reinforced with 4 vertical slats welded together and all around the bumper....just to think I over did things. Check Photobucket for the photos shortly!

sweeet! looks great!!

Thanks Roger..let's go wheeling again.

I do think I like the darker grille better. Makes the TRD emblem pop more.

It must be the light reflection off the aluminum but the TRD emblem is actually black and really stands out in person...

re-dic-u-lous. I think i'm crying at the beauty of this....

:wow2:

:cheers:

dammit blcktpgsr, now some of keys on my keyboard don't work cause of too much drool, that looks epic!

what year grill did you use for that?

:biggrin2: sorry man...lol!
The grill is made of rigid aluminum I got from Metal Supermarket for $12 and it measures 4' x 1'.

My wife even approves of this, she asked if we could do this to ours. Fantastic.

You have my approval as well.

 

[blcktpgsr]

I have been looking at what I could do to revise the look of the ABR bumper and since I also wanted to incorporate a winch to it, I started doing some designs with my truck in the Paint program.

The new look of the ARB is actually inspired by Armorology. I liked how they showcase the winch and the overall shape of the bumper itself.

This is what I came up with in Paint 12 days ago...I call this ARB-orology bumper:lol:



Here's a few pictures along that build

No part of ARB went to waste..re- the top bar and headlight hoops were re-used for the PIAA's new light bar. Instead of renting a tube bender I elected to chop up portions and welded them together.....A total of 6 pieces were used.

Here are photos of the trimmed squared bumper corner to give it abit of a rounded slimmer look.

To replicate the rounded edges, I used a 1 1/4" OD tubing.

For the winch base...I utilized some 3/16" plate with 4 vertical slats welded alltogether and around the ARB bumper itself. Where the feet of the winch sits, I slapped another 3/16" under the base plate to give it more rigidity....Also better piece of mind. And some plate gussets were later added under the plates. The fairlead plate mount was doubled and re-inforced.

Smittybilt X20....How could I hide such elegant beauty?

When I first did the ARB, I stupidly used some 1/8" angle iron for the frame end caps, simply because that was what's readily available..I know!..Now I doubled it up and replaced them with a 1/4". I had to borrow my friends plasma cutter to get access to the old end caps and boy, did that make things a whole alot easier. Talking about using the right tools for the job.

.....And have you ever seen a pile of cutting and grinding discs this much lately?

I would appreciate it if you'd go over the pictures I collected during the process....it's all in order from start to finish.

Go here guys and gals....Pictures by blcktpgsr - Photobucket

 

[Hepar]

Man, I'm so glad you took a lot of pictures. It really shows off the work that went into modding it. You really can't tell from the first pic you posted because the tweaks you did were all so tasteful and clean. Looks like ARB meant to do them.

And you're right about the reflection. Grille looks great!

 

[GottaBeTRD]

is it an OEM grill that you hacked up then?

 

[blcktpgsr]

Man, I'm so glad you took a lot of pictures. It really shows off the work that went into modding it. You really can't tell from the first pic you posted because the tweaks you did were all so tasteful and clean. Looks like ARB meant to do them.

And you're right about the reflection. Grille looks great!

:hatsoff: Some days I'd work straight hours without meal coz I wanted to see the flipped version much sooner. Although everytime I got something accomplished, I'd take a short break and appreciate the work, take a few snapshots and it delays me up abit.

Once i'm zoned in though, everything falls into place and I just get to it.

All good!
Thanks bud!

is it an OEM grill that you hacked up then?

Sorry I mis-quoted you earlier, but yah it's my old 97 grille..why spend on a new one when I can just fix it back to form.