When you begin any project, you have to start somewhere, and one of the easiest ways to take a stock truck and improve its appearance is by eliminating the factory rear bumper and replacing it with a roll pan. There are a multitude of styles and variations on the basic, smooth roll pan. You can go with a bolt-on roll pan or a weld-in unit.
You can pick one with taillights built into it and even have a license plate box installed. Any way you cut it, a roll pan -- in any form -- will dramatically improve the look of your mini with minimal cost and effort. In this story, the guys at Timeless Custom Manufacturing show us their version of the classic roll pan install on a Chevy S-10 Extreme.
 The first step is to unbolt...  The first step is to unbolt the bumper from the frame. Don't forget to unplug the license plate lights before doing so. |
 This is what a Chevy S-10...  This is what a Chevy S-10 looks like with the bumper removed. Unless you live Orange County, California, and are turning your truck into a lifted prerunner, this looks really bad. A roll pan will fix it. |
 In this photo, Tyler, owner...  In this photo, Tyler, owner of TCM, is seen grinding the paint and the primer off of the bed where the new roll pan will be attached. |
 Next, the roll pan is positioned...  Next, the roll pan is positioned inside of the gap between the sides of the bed and measured to ensure that it is straight. |
 Once the roll pan is lined...  Once the roll pan is lined up, Tyler tack-welds the pan to the truck. Care is taken to weld the pan slowly; otherwise heat will build up and warp the sheetmetal. The two side edges are tack-welded over and over until the seam is completely welded. The inside edge of the pan that meets the bed behind the lower tailgate area is only tack-welded in a few spots to hold the pan in place. No bodywork will be done in this area. |
 After the roll pan is completely...  After the roll pan is completely welded to the truck, Bill metal-finishes the bed until it is smoothed out using a 4-inch grinder. |
 When the bed and the roll...  When the bed and the roll pan are smooth and look like one piece, the rest of the truck is taped off so that the roll pan can be primed. |
 Once the primer dries, the...  Once the primer dries, the license plate and the frame is removed from the old bumper and installed on the new roll pan. |
 Here is the finished product,...  Here is the finished product, smoothed out and looking 1,000 times better than it did before. |