4th Gen Explorer Pictures

[96743explorer]

hey Ronin any tips on how to make your own metal skid plate?

 

[robby830]

I just plasti dipped my grille. Covered the ford emblem but not sure if I should keep it or remove the plasti dip on it. Also tried some accents as you can see on pic 2 but not sure about it so I removed them for now.

 

[robby830]

Oh, and there's like a cloud effect on one of the side. If anyone has any tips (aside from do a better job next time) on how to make it less visible please let me know. Thanks!

 

[Explorer0693]

I just plasti dipped my grille. Covered the ford emblem but not sure if I should keep it or remove the plasti dip on it. Also tried some accents as you can see on pic 2 but not sure about it so I removed them for now.

Came out awesome!! If you haven't check out mine! It's a few above yours

 

[Explorer0693]

Well I wanted tow hooks too, so I got a Curt front mounted hitch receiver (bolts to the frame) and modified it. I cut off the receiver part (hung down too low), welded in some shackle mounts, and welded a 1/4" steel plate on the bottom of it to protect the radiator. I didn't tie it in with the crossmember since I just wanted the plate to protect the radiator and didn't want anything hanging down too low. Plus since I have the V8, the oil filter is on the front of the motor and you have to have some space to reach up there so you can change it out easily. here are some pics:

what I started with:

cut off the hitch and cut out holes for the shackle mounts:

Shackle mounts:

welded them in:

and welded the plate to the bottom side and painted it. Here's the finished piece, installed:

That's really cool was it a lot of work to make and put on?

 

[Ronin8002]

Not too bad if you have the right tools. the hitch piece can be cut off with an angle grinder and cutting wheel or a sawzall with a metal cutting blade. You can cut out the holes for the shackle mounts to fit into with a dremel or a plasma cutter, and the plate can be cut to size with a plasma cutter or a metal cutting bandsaw. For the welding you need something that's got enough power to weld 1/4" plate so that pretty much rules out anything that runs off 110V. Ballistic fabrication has the shackle mounts, that's where I got mine.

 

[GRNMACHINE]

Robby, dig the plastidip - looks really good.

Ronin, WoW really Nice Work, never seen anything done like that before. Very Cool!

 

[willied]

Robby, looks good. If it were me I'd remove the dip on the emblem to give it more contrast, and I also think it looks better without the accents.

Ronin, that is some nice work there. If only they included the option for a skid plate and tow hooks from the factory...

 

[96743explorer]

Thanks for the insight Ronin

 

[robby830]

Yours looks great too, explorer0629. Thanks guys for the feedback! I ended up removing the dip off the emblem.

 

[Explorer0693]

Yours looks great too, explorer0629. Thanks guys for the feedback! I ended up removing the dip off the emblem.

How'd you remove your front license plate

 

[robby830]

online

How'd you remove your front license plate

Cars in Florida don't come with them (unless transfered) since front plates aren't needed here. So the bumpers don't have the indent for the plate for them. I'm sure you could find one online or elsewhere if you want to get rid of it. I prefer it without it. Never owned a car with one

 

[Explorer0693]

 

[willied]

Dang, that looks mean! Nicely done.

 

[R2dmax]

Here's my wife's 2007 XLT

20x9 wheels

 

[Ronin8002]

very nice Volgan

 

[Ronin8002]

Did you convert the headlights to projectors yourself?

 

[Volgan]

Thanks! It was made in one custom company... They opened new headlights, paint them into black and install projectors. It's HID projectors, and HID in fog lights.

 

[willied]

Nice! Great to see an Explorer off road. I bet there are a lot of cool places to explore in Oregon (I've got some relatives in Bend - amazing place for MTB).

 

[08_sploder]

Yeah man just starting to rain up where I am time for some mud!. The top picture was taken in grants pass OR and the bottom one is where I live up in hermiston OR. I really like explorer0693's looks tough with the M/T's on it