My kid lost interest so I'll build it for the Lil Mrs. build

Well, that was fun.

 

Finally!

I guess I better by the new fenders, hood, and grill now... lol

 

I sent you a text with some tires a local shop has for sale. If you're interested I am taking the 4runner in for an axle seal tomorrow - I can pick them up for you if you'd like

 

Haven't been feeling well lately... so progress has been kind of slow.

But here's the progress.

 

A little more progress. The bar is running long, I'll trim it back. The lower bars are done on both sides. I'll work on the top bars and the braces from the bottom bar to the frame bracket tomorrow.

 

Another couple steps.

 

That's looking great!

 

Couple more steps

 

I like the design! Are you planning on adding a swing out?

 

More like a swing down.

The spare, on this one, will be mounted to the cage inside.

I'm going to make a swing down so if someone nerfs us in the rear, it will protect the hatch.

 

Started the swing down. The prototractors helped. But, right now I'm kind of "meh" about them.

First of all, they are supposed to work with 1 1/4 PVC. The nubs that insert in to the pipe are inconsistent. Some of them fit >kind of< tight. Others aren't tight at all. Had to wrap the nubs with blue tape to make them fit snug. ($400 for the set, I would expect them to fit correctly, or at least consitantly.)

Then, there must be a bit of a learning curve. I laid out the tube the way it should have been laid out, according to the numbers I got off the prototractors. The overall width of the bent tube was 1 3/4 inch wider than the width of the prototractor assembly... so, I had to cut and sleeve the main tube of the swing down.

I'm just glad I tested it out on this, rather than burning 8 feet of 2 inch DOM on a B pillar or something.

I'll get pictures of the actual tubes this evening.

 

@Kwikvette do you have any 1/8 or 3/16 sheet laying around?

I still need to get you to cut these out for me.

 

I don't but I do need to buy steel.

I'll hit you up after I'm back in town this Thursday.

 

Went by and grabbed another 20' stick of DOM. They were out of 1 3/4 x .120 wall so I grabbed a stick of 1 3/4 x .156 wall.

I needed the steel for the bottom bar of the swing down. And to shape the bypass mounting tubes for the front (that also re-inforce the coil bucket, and will incorporate in to the engine cage)

I think upping it up to .156 wall was actually better for those purposes anyway.

Bottom bar installed (heavy tacked). The swing out and bumper are pretty much ready to be pulled off and finish welded.

 

Ordered the R/L front fenders.



Was actually pretty happy with the price.

I needed the fenders, so I can get them on, to fit the front bumper as I build it.

 

Also ordered the grille... I built the one for the Tacoma, didn't really feel like doing it again. This one is pre-made as pictured.