Interest Group Buy of Front Bumpers for 40 (2 Viewers)

[LDowney]

Background- I have 2 FJ40s that I would like to upgrade their front bumpers. Winch compatible bumper with original factory looks and the added strength to not bend or twist from average off-road use appeals to me. It turns out that OP Machine has developed such a bumper and makes custom production runs when orders merit a run.

Links to the mud sales (+user feedback) thread and company website for OP Machine follow for review

40 SERIES FRONT BUMPER

We have a few 40 series front bumpers for sale. These were designed to emulate the original OEM bumpers with a provision to hold a M8274 Warn winch and synthetic fairlead. Made here in America with domestic 1/4'' and 1/2'' cold rolled steel. Black or Vegas Gold (pewter) powder coat. Please email...

forum.ih8mud.com

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OP Machine & Fab.

orangeparkmachine.com

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Question- Since this group appears to have strong 40 series interest and is local to the Atlanta metro, the notion of a group buy might hold interest. OP Machine is located in the south Jacksonville metro, which might offer possible positives (for example, buying local relative to the region and within driving distance if local pickup made sense).

Would there be interest in a group buy? ​

I would not project that a group buy would yield a cost break because it is unlikely that a ~50+ group could be assembled. However, a group buy might help trigger an earlier date for production which might reduce the wait. Further, an Atlanta group buy might help with shipping (i.e., a single pallet rather than multiple shipments) which has the potential to save a few bucks.

Also FYI, I am currently just exploring the notion. I am deep into several other Cruiser projects so I do not have a near-term objective to place an order. But I can change my timeline if interest level defined an opportunity.

Thanks

 

[rex in bama]

Love it, but the bumper and an 8274 (while wanted) are pretty low on my priority list at the moment.

 

[LDowney]

Good luck on working through your priority list. We all have the good fortune of having priority lists to manage.

Luckily for me, I already have one 8274 so I would only be looking at purchasing one additional winch. But the price point for 8274's is a real attention getter which gives pause when purchasing one.

FYI and consideration Due to the price point of 8274s, the last winch I purchased was a Pierce. For a 24V 8274 (nominal 8k line rating), the best prices I was finding were over $2k. The 24V Pierce that I purchased was rated at 11k with 100% duty cycle (i.e., commercial grade typically used on wreckers/roll-backs) and was under $700 delivered to the house. It was narrow enough to fit between the frame rails of my BJ70 which was a feature common to the 8274 that I was looking for.
It has been a true work horse, so I would look favorably at purchasing another Pierce. In this application, I would need to research if any winches in the Pierce line have the same attachment bolt pattern as an 8274 (or if an adapter plate could be used to match up to the 8274) to allow me to bolt up to the OP bumper.

 

[rex in bama]

Good luck on working through your priority list. We all have the good fortune of having priority lists to manage.

Luckily for me, I already have one 8274 so I would only be looking at purchasing one additional winch. But the price point for 8274's is a real attention getter which gives pause when purchasing one.

FYI and consideration Due to the price point of 8274s, the last winch I purchased was a Pierce. For a 24V 8274 (nominal 8k line rating), the best prices I was finding were over $2k. The 24V Pierce that I purchased was rated at 11k with 100% duty cycle (i.e., commercial grade typically used on wreckers/roll-backs) and was under $700 delivered to the house. It was narrow enough to fit between the frame rails of my BJ70 which was a feature common to the 8274 that I was looking for.
It has been a true work horse, so I would look favorably at purchasing another Pierce. In this application, I would need to research if any winches in the Pierce line have the same attachment bolt pattern as an 8274 (or if an adapter plate could be used to match up to the 8274) to allow me to bolt up to the OP bumper.

On a related note, check out post #12

8274 winch bumper plate mount

Looking for a design or a pre made plate to mount a 8274. I have a decent looking bumper, so just want the plate and brackets to secure it to the rig good. I do have saginaw conversion, so not sure if I need to be offset to a side. I found this at 4plus. Can't tell the thickness of the...

forum.ih8mud.com