91 X by black91EB

I have been a member for a few months on here, and just went elite yesterday, this site has saved me 20 bucks at least so I felt it was well worth it. I have a 1991 Eddie Bauer 4x4 that I have done some minor mods to thus far, and I also completed my first "major" modification yesterday in going to a 1354 Manual case. Found it at a U-Pull-It yard for under $100 including the shifter and boot. In addition I had to change the rear diff cover, something about the stock fiberglass cover not standing up well to a log I had to back over.
Anyway, I figured I would start a thread showing what I have done, and add as I make progress, and maybe help some people out in how I did something, and get ideas along the way.

Here's what I have now.

Manual case really looks good in my truck

Don't know if anyone else has had this problem, but the shifter that was on the TC when I got it would not clear the transmission shifter. I don't know if they used a different shifter for the manual, since the TC came out of a 91 ex with an automatic. BTW, do NOT try to bend the shifter for clearance, it will break, thus the gorrilla welds. (you know, big strong and ugly)

There is the broken diff cover, I have a steel one off an f-series on there now. (good thing about being a parts packrat)
Anyway, thats all I have for now, the next thing will probably be some auxilary lighting front and back.

 

[black91EB]

lol, well, make me a reasonable offer and I might do that.


You can see the mounting brackets in the pic where it's painted on the sawhorses, I welded a section of 5"x2"x.25" angle into each of those retangular holes in the back, and cut slots so that I could adjust the fit slightly if I needed. I can't wait to see what my plasma cutter does when hooked up to 220v, it ate right through that .25" stuff with no problems at all on just 110v.

More pics are coming, have a overhead switch panel and new(er) interior installed as well. Aux. reverse lights are next.

 

[red.EDDIE.4x4]

that couldnt get much more beautiful

 

[MrQ]

starting point of bumper:

Winch cutout done:

Bracket cutouts done:

Trimming started:

Trimming, body welding and fog light buckets done:

Install mockup:
http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt118/black96v6/08-20-09_2332.jpg

Side pieces welded on, painted:

Final result:

KC lights installed, with GE 130 watt bulbs:

Night pic with all lights on:

Another night pic, this one is with hi beams, fogs, KC's and spotlight on:

GIMME!!

LoL. That has got to be the most awesome and simplest bumper fab work I have seen.

 

[black91EB]

GIMME!!

LoL. That has got to be the most awesome and simplest bumper fab work I have seen.

Thanks. I will eventually get around to building a rear for it as well, with some sort of swing-out tire carrier. Right now, school is my priority, what with being full time I can't do a whole lot. Did you change your username?

 

[MrQ]

Yeah, I did. MrQ was just an old gaming name I have used for a long time. Got kinda tired of using as my only online name for 4 years.

Anyway, I hear you. School is my priority as well. I can't wait to see what you do with the rear bumper.

 

[black91EB]

Yeah, I did. MrQ was just an old gaming name I have used for a long time. Got kinda tired of using as my only online name for 4 years.

Anyway, I hear you. School is my priority as well. I can't wait to see what you do with the rear bumper.

Yeah, thought something didn't look right. I may do the easy thing and put a tire carrier from a full-size bronco or BII with some slight trimming, and build the bumper separately. Dunno yet. I definitely need something, as I have a grader (I mean, receiver hitch) that does not help my departure angle. You can tell the ditch crossings I went though last by the groove left by the hitch.

 

[black91EB]

So, yet more pictures. These are of my overhead switch panel. Switch panel cost me less than 20 bucks in materials, made out of 16ga Sheet Steel.

Side panels cut:

Switch face cut, drilled and welded in:

Bottom plate cut and tacked in:

Fuse box hole cut and box installed:

Filler applied:

Painted:

The bottom slot is for my CB radio.

Installed. Notice the fuse panel in the side for all my accessories. Makes changing fuses sooo much easier.

My Ex with no interior:

Cool night pics

An old, really muddy pic I found:

 

[black91EB]

Something kinda neat. I may have said something about it earlier, but the family business is construction. The latest project has been a church steeple. After building this, we had to load it on the trailer to take it to the church to be installed. We did this using 2 winches, which you can see the picture. One is on the front of the trailer, the other on my truck. The one from my truck runs to the building, and through a snatch block, whereas the one on the trailer runs directly to a chain wrapped around the crating around the steeple. As one was let out, the other was pulled in, slowly lowering it onto the trailer. I thought it was a pretty unique use of an explorer.

 

[MrQ]

Awesome work on that console. I wish I had room to use a welder. There are so many things I want to do with it.

At a place I used to work they used 220v MIG for cutting 1/4 - 3/8 in. steel stock for deer feeder towers and hitches. Never got a chance to use it though.

 

[black91EB]

Awesome work on that console. I wish I had room to use a welder. There are so many things I want to do with it.

At a place I used to work they used 220v MIG for cutting 1/4 - 3/8 in. steel stock for deer feeder towers and hitches. Never got a chance to use it though.

Yeah, my mig (well, wire-feed, no gas, so not a mig) is a 110V Lincoln I picked up for 150 off craigslist, works great, welded everything on that bumper without an issue. The plasma cutter I got is the Hobart AirForce 400, and I love it.

 

[Shen2187]

I love black explorers, they're sexy! I'm working on slowly making mine all black.. Nice bumper, thats exactly what I want to build! Oh yeah, I have the fiberglass diff cover too.. (Another brilliant ford Idea!) Seems it's a 1991 Ex thing...

 

[black91EB]

I love black explorers, they're sexy! I'm working on slowly making mine all black.. Nice bumper, thats exactly what I want to build! Oh yeah, I have the fiberglass diff cover too.. (Another brilliant ford Idea!) Seems it's a 1991 Ex thing...

Yeah I was thinking it was a 91 thing, cause I haven't seen them on any other years. Mine sure didn't stay long once I started really taking it off road....

 

[Shen2187]

Yeah I was thinking it was a 91 thing, cause I haven't seen them on any other years. Mine sure didn't stay long once I started really taking it off road....

Yeah I noticed it when I was taking off the rear swaybar, smacked it with the ratchet. My buddy has an 8.8 laying around, maybe it has a steel cover...

 

[Weekend Toy]

I can't get over how sweet that bumper turned out. I would like to be able to do fab work like that, just not me! If you were closer to Michigan and willing, I would love a bumper like that!!! Cant wait to see the brush guard section added on.

 

[black91EB]

yeah shipping might be a little much. I'm driving to Port Clinton, OH in may and that is an hour or so from detroit, so if you are still interested, maybe then.

 

[Weekend Toy]

Not until May huh? Damm!

 

[black91EB]

yeah, my summer job is based from there.

 

[jake122288]

hey dude any chance u could build me one of these...i love the set up...im not to handy with a welder nor do i have access to one lol i'd cover all materials and pay u for ur time...just wondering? pm lemme know

 

[black91EB]

well, the list of new parts I have added keeps growing. Had a wheel bearing singing, so i pulled the pass. side apart, and the rotor was very very very thin. So, new pads, rotor, wheel seals, and wheel bearings. Painted the lockouts too, and filled the letters and arrows with yellow nail polish for clarity.

 

[black91EB]

For those that are asking about the possibility of me building a bumper, I would be willing, but you would have to wait for it since I am a full time student and very busy, as well as shipping would be an issue. Also, I want to stay within the forum rules, I like it too much to get kicked off. If someone has input on this, I would really appreciate it.