Explorer I
SmittyBuilt M1 Front Bumper
So when I was looking for a bumper for Flora Jean I had a lot of searching to do. There are so many products on the market to choose from it can be quite the task to make a final decision. First I had to ask myself why did I want a steel plate bumper in the first place? Why did I need it, or was it just a want? As with all upgrades on a rig it becomes a cascade effect. So if I upgraded what else would need to happen as a result? What was my price range? Would I have to go custom? Did I want to put a winch on the truck too? Did I need a bull bar? All these questions and more started to flood my decision making process. So let me break it down into small chunks.
I wanted to build an overland rig that could do many things. It would continue to be my daily whip but would also need to be a weekend warrior on the road less traveled. The bumper needed to protect me from deer strikes and collisions but also from tree on the trails and steep down slopes. I wanted to become more aggressive with my offroading so I knew I needed something robust, not just a tin bull bar. I wanted more lighting mounts and most of all I didn't want to pay a fortune for it. I looked and looked for a year or more. I bought a suspension system fro Old Man Emu and other bits here and there ready for the right bumper to present itself. Finally I found what I was looking for the Smittybuilt M1. I'd love to say I had a reason that the M1 was chosen over all the other products on the market. I'd love to say I had some brilliant insight into the overlanding experience. What I can say is that it was the right bumper at the right price at the right time. It was Karma. I found it on Craig's List. That's right Craig's List. As a person that also deals in vintage motorcycles CL is the go to place to find the classic two stroke enduros that I crave. It's rare to find offroading parts for FJs on CL. So when I spotted it I called the guy right away. He said he had a guy coming down from Cincinnati to scoop it up, but he would sell it to me first if I wouldn't haggle the price. This goes against every fiber of my being. Haggling is the part of the deal I love the most. The bumper had been a return to the dealer and this guy bought it as a return off some unknown site that deals in resale of returned items. He wanted only $600 for it. I agreed to meet him and the deal was on. When I got there I had cash in hand but I wasn't going to let this deal go down without attempting to haggle. I asked to cut the packaging open and began to inspect the bumper. I began to tear it down in front of him. From the cosmetics of the thing (it had only a bit of shop wear) to the fact that there was a piece missing. (in reality the "misssing" piece was not missing. It was the washer reservoir cover that was there. I hoe hummed about it for a few minutes. I started to get in my car and back out of the deal and said good luck with the guy from Cincy, because anyone that was willing to drive that far for a bumper would be pissed off if all the pieces weren't there. He retorted that he could come down a little. I offered him $300 and he came back with $400...I snapped it up at that point. As I was loading it into the rig the guy from Cincy showed up. He was a bit upset...but you win some you loose some. I held the bumper for a while until I could get up to Columbus OH to have the guys at D&R Motors and my buddy JRod to help with the install. If you have a 4x4 of any flavor I would highly recommend them. We all have been going to AMA Vintage Motorcycle days for years so it was a hoot finally working on a project with them. It took us about 4 hours to install the bumper and the Old Man Emu lift on Ol' flora Jean. The install was fairly straight forward. I was soon driving again and boy could I feel the weight on the nose. We had also installed a Badlands winch at the same time so the weight was considerable. Offroading came next and it proved to work as intended. I really tried to damage it, but to no avail. I used the winch to give it a try. It worked flawlessly. I had no issues with the bumper at all. The problem was that this is not the bumper I wanted. I was looking for something that could stop a deer. I live in a very wooded area and deer are a constant threat. I needed something with a bit more grill and light coverage. The deal was so good though so compromises had to be made. I don't intend on getting rid if it but I will fabricate a stinger for the bumper and weld it on. I just feel it would be a good thing to have if you were to hit a deer. I also am thinking about adding a fender protector. The bumper also has these stainless steel bezels that look like vents. I think they are for looks but in reality they are quit useless. All in all I'm happy with the M1...now the quest begins for a rear bumper...anyone holding?
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