To protect the truck’s finish...
To protect the truck’s finish from pending cutting and grinding, a simple frontend protector was fashioned from cardboard and taped in place.
Each framehorn top surface possessed a bit of an eyesore since they both had accessory holes in place. To clean up the overall area and give them a sanitary look, the holes were plug welded using a Miller Synchrowave 250 TIG welder and then ground smooth using a grinder and 36-grit disc.
At this time the bumper was test fit to be sure its mounting would be well-balanced and approximately 1 inch from the front valance. This gives you the opportunity to make any final tweaks prior to proceeding. With all measurements perfect, a black marker was used to outline the bolt-mounting holes on the top and bottom of the framehorns. The bumper was then removed and a 7⁄16-inch Roto-Kut drill bit was used to drill the required mounting holes into the horns. Once completed, the holes were deburred and the hardware was test fitted.
While wearing eye protection,...
While wearing eye protection, Wilkins used a pneumatic cutoff wheel to slowly and carefully make the incision on each side of the framehorn to remove the required section.
The area was then masked off and given a simple coating of SEM self-etching primer. Once dry, a final coating of Krylon satin black was applied. Once the paint dried, the bumper was secured in place and final measurements were taken to confirm its rear face was 1 inch from the front valance. Standing back and checking out the modification, it was easy to see that the subtle change made a big difference in the overall appearance to the front of the truck and to us that’s just plain cool!
He followed with a small grinder...
He followed with a small grinder topped with a 36-grit disc to smooth out the edges and remove any remaining burrs.
To clean up the top of the...
To clean up the top of the trimmed framehorn a decision was made to plug weld the remaining accessory holes. The area was first ground smooth using a small grinder and 36-grit disc.
Using a Miller Synchrowave...
Using a Miller Synchrowave 250 TIG welder, Wilkins plug welded the accessory holes.
Here you can see the completed...
Here you can see the completed welding awaiting final grinding.
An air-driven grinder topped...
An air-driven grinder topped with a 36-grit disc was then used to grind the top of the framehorn smooth and prepare it for the next step.
The front bumper was then...
The front bumper was then test fitted in place to check for evenness to the front valance and each bumper side plane.
A measurement was then taken...
A measurement was then taken from the center reference point to the front valance to confirm it was now 1 inch from the rear face of the bumper to the valance.
Once bumper placement was...
Once bumper placement was confirmed, the bumper was clamped in place and a black marker was used to mark the new upper and lower mounting holes to be drilled.
Next, all holes were center-punched...
Next, all holes were center-punched using a hammer to act as a drilling guide.
With a 7⁄16-inch Roto-Kut...
With a 7⁄16-inch Roto-Kut bit secured in a pneumatic drill, all required mounting holes were carefully drilled into the framehorns. The area was then deburred and blown clean.
To protect the ends of the...
To protect the ends of the framehorns, the areas were first sprayed with SEM self-etching black primer. Once dry, a final coating of Krylon satin black was applied.
Wilkins then reassembled the...
Wilkins then reassembled the bumper in place using fresh hardware.
A final measurement was taken...
A final measurement was taken to confirm the rear of the bumper was 1 inch from the front of the valance.
Here you can see what a difference...
Here you can see what a difference this simple tuck made to the overall look to the F-100’s front.
Here you can see what a difference...
Here you can see what a difference this simple tuck made to the overall look to the F-100’s front.
There’s nothing like a little nip-tuck to change the look of your truck. Sometimes it’s the simplest revisions that make the most difference when you step back and study your front end’s overall presence.