If you notice, these buckets...
If you notice, these buckets were installed upside down. It’s just another way to add that custom touch to your ride. Follow along for the installation.
Who says factory parts can’t look cool or custom? OEM taillights may not be produced by the edgiest, most cutting-edge aftermarket brand out on the streets, but with a little help from the aftermarket, they can be transformed into something special.
Follow along as Bobby Martins of Sadistic Iron Werks pairs stock Chevy Colorado taillights with a set of Grant Kustoms tail buckets and gives their project Dime a rear-end reconstruction that is extremely easy on the eyes.
1. Grant Kustoms’ Chevy Colorado...
1. Grant Kustoms’ Chevy Colorado buckets are built from 18g steel, and each one that leaves their facility is hand-fit to an OEM bezel. How’s that for quality control?
2. Square onethe stock S-10...
2. Square onethe stock S-10 taillight opening.
3-4. The ultimate plan before...
3-4. The ultimate plan before making any measurements was to mount the tails in an upside-down configuration, so the passenger-side bucket was used on the driver side and vice versa in this installation. The Colorado tails are far longer than the S-10’s but will fit nicely after Bobby properly marks the measurements of the buckets on the Chevy’s skin.
3-4. The ultimate plan before...
3-4. The ultimate plan before making any measurements was to mount the tails in an upside-down configuration, so the passenger-side bucket was used on the driver side and vice versa in this installation. The Colorado tails are far longer than the S-10’s but will fit nicely after Bobby properly marks the measurements of the buckets on the Chevy’s skin.
5. Once the shape of the Colorado...
5. Once the shape of the Colorado tail was correctly centered and marked, an air saw was used to make the necessary trimming.
6-7. With the opening now...
6-7. With the opening now cut to the correct size for Grant’s Colorado buckets, a test fit was now in order. As you can see on the left side, there is a sizable gap that will have to be filled.
6-7. With the opening now...
6-7. With the opening now cut to the correct size for Grant’s Colorado buckets, a test fit was now in order. As you can see on the left side, there is a sizable gap that will have to be filled.
8. A paper template was made...
8. A paper template was made to help correct the problem. A piece of sheetmetal was cut to spec based on the template, which will properly plug the hole.
9. The bucket and filler plate...
9. The bucket and filler plate were tack-welded into place, and the fit was spot on.
10. It was now time to permanently...
10. It was now time to permanently weld the two foreign pieces onto the Chevy’s body.
11. Once the welding was finished,...
11. Once the welding was finished, Bobby used a flapper wheel to grind down and smooth the modified surface. The results are quite clean, don’t you think?
12. An opening was made on...
12. An opening was made on the inner structure of the taillight bucket to feed the wiring harness through (not shown), and the taillight housing was secured. Although the bed is still under construction, these Colorado tails will surely add a classy look to the finished product. Stay tuned.