Thankfully, most of our trucks are built from sheetmetal, which as we all know, has unlimited possibilities for custom modification. From entire front end swaps that update the nose, to full shave jobs, the ultimate goal is to change the look of your mini-truck so that it stands apart from the rest. With the quality of mini-trucks pushing the boundaries of truck building each and every season, it's becoming more difficult to stay ahead of the pack and to do something original. However, if you're looking for that next one-of-a-kind idea, Bob Grant of Grant Kustoms is your guy.
Bob "The Metal Man" Grant has been in the mini-truckin' scene for years, building mind-blowing rides, such as his Twisted Metal Toyota (where he actually cut the top off of a square-body Blazer and molded it to an '82 Toyota pickup) and Chad Lucas' body-dropped Pathfinder (Cover of the Nov. '03 issue). Every single ride or product that Bob and his crew put out always has that innovative edge, which sets him apart from the rest.
When he was building the Twisted Metal Toyota, Bob wanted a smooth front bumper that really followed the body lines of the truck. Since there was nothing out there that resembled what Bob had in mind, he decided to build a complete bumper from scratch. He built his first full bumper for the Toyota back in 2001, and his ideas have just been getting crazier and crazier ever since.
Since we are in the process of building Project Dragged Daily, we figured what better way to show you how Bob and the crew at Grant Kustoms do their thing than to build one of his one-of-a-kind front bumpers for the 'Yota. This time, we used one of Bob's original ideas and started with a '94 Toyota 4Runner front bumper (minus the valance). From there, Bob just did what he does best and very patiently formed the rest of the bumper out of sheetmetal, complete with license plate box, and custom body lines. Follow along to see how Grant Kustoms builds amazing sheetmetal products from scratch. For more information, contact the company listed in the source box.
1.We began with the bare top...
1.We began with the bare top bumper of a '94 Toyota 4Runner to use as our platform.
2.Since we are planning on...
2.Since we are planning on this truck being the ultimate daily driver, California law says we must display a license plate up front (some of you Back East guys have it so easy). So, the first section that Bob focused on was the center section where the license plate would be mounted. He took his measurements and marked out the area where the license plate box would go and cut out that section.
3.After the center section...
3.After the center section was cut out, Bob ran it in the shrinker to get a good curve going.
4.Next, he used the English...
4.Next, he used the English Wheel to smooth out the dings caused by the shrinker.
5.The center section was double-checked...
5.The center section was double-checked against the 4Runner bumper to take final fitment measurements.
6.Then, a portion of the bumper...
6.Then, a portion of the bumper was cut out to make room for the new center section.
7.After the 4Runner bumper...
7.After the 4Runner bumper was clearanced, the new center section was fitted and tacked into place.
8.Next, the bumper was tacked...
8.Next, the bumper was tacked to the workbench to hold it perfectly still while the other pieces were built accordingly.
9.With the bumper held in...
9.With the bumper held in place, a fin pattern was cut out and measured to add that one-of-a-kind Grant style and character.
10.The pattern was traced...
10.The pattern was traced and cut out of 18-gauge sheetmetal.
11.With the fin in hand, Bob...
11.With the fin in hand, Bob lined it up on the bumper and measured where he wanted to put the bends and body line.
12.Then, the body line was...
12.Then, the body line was bent in the sheetmetal brake.
13.Next, Bob hammered in the...
13.Next, Bob hammered in the body line to form the pattern to the bumper.
14.After the fin was in the...
14.After the fin was in the needed shape, the edges were shrunk to match the curve of the bumper.
15.With both of the fins built...
15.With both of the fins built for each side, they were fitted and tacked into place, along with the license plate box.
16.After each piece was lined...
16.After each piece was lined up and tacked, the final tacks were made slowly around all the edges, and then smoothed.
17.Once the edges were smoothed,...
17.Once the edges were smoothed, a line was taped around the center section.
18.The tapeline was used to...
18.The tapeline was used to grind a body line around the edge of the center section.
19.For the end corner sections,...
19.For the end corner sections, Bob's 12-year-old son Nick (cheap labor) helped build the jig.
20.The purpose of the jig...
20.The purpose of the jig is to build a uniform curve on both sides of the bumper so the bumper is the same on both sides.
21.Here's a rear shot of the...
21.Here's a rear shot of the full jig, which shows the amount of precision and detail needed to build a bumper that is uniform and even all the way around.
22.The rear corner sections...
22.The rear corner sections were formed in the jig while on the bumper.
23.When the corner section...
23.When the corner section was complete, the jig was cut away, and the pieces were fully tacked in place.
24.With all pieces fully tacked,...
24.With all pieces fully tacked, the entire bumper was ground smooth.
25.Here's a final shot of...
25.Here's a final shot of the one-of-a-kind bumper, and after seeing all the work involved in its build, we can really appreciate the end product.