Rear quarter panel armor? (Idea) (1 Viewer)

[imhighlander]

Hey gang,

I'd like input and potential vendors for some rear quarter panel armor. I have managed to drag my 80's a$$ on the Golden Crack in Moab (right side) and the Holy Cross gatekeeper (left side), and nearly took out my taillight on the left side. Photos of my current damage:





I'm starting to think about some rear quarter panel armor and like the look of this: (from an XJ J33p):



Obviously the lines are different and the 80 is rounder, but I think I like the look. I am guessing this would have to be custom fabbed, but I'm posting this up in case someone sees it and knows of a vendor with something like that for our 80s.

* Why not go with a rear bumper and eliminate the problem?
Because 1) I think they look stupid. 2) they're heavy. 3) they're overpriced. 4) I don't want my tire out back (clearance and visibility). 5) I don't need the cargo room I already have. 6) I think they look stupid.

Discussion is not so much on the merits or lunacy of the idea so much as it is on possible vendors or similar ideas already in existence.

Gracias.

 

[2KCruiser]

Yeah, rear bumpers look stupid but a piece of metal screwed into the side of your truck will look great....

 

[baldilocks]

Since you seem to take more of a minimalist approach to your 80's development may I suggest using one of my two favorite tools, plasma cutter and sawzall, to eliminate the possibility of every damaging those areas again because they won't be there. You will also be losing a little weight in the process.

 

[Heckraiser]

Make your own bumper so it's not heavy, overpriced or stupid. IMO no bumper at all looks kind of trashy with the exposed body parts that were never meant to see the light of day. Screwing some heavier-gauge sheet metal to the side of your truck is not going to offer much additional protection (still sheet metal--a rock will still dent the fawk out of it), and is also an open invitation for rust.

my $.02

 

[Dragos80]

My idea was to have something like this, but a lot more durable, welded to each corner on the rear bumper

 

[ajax1]

Here ya go

 

[ajax1]

Bout 300 bucks and sawzall

 

[Tools R Us]

This would have solved both of those problems, but of course, it's stupid! The kit is ~$500.

The '80 has much more curve than the Cherocar, forming the compound curves would make them expensive.

 

[jcardona1]

I don't think you guys get what he was saying. A rear bumper would do nothing to protect the fat rear quarter panels on the 80 which are easy to dent. Quarter panel armor like they have for the XJs would be sweet, I'd totally buy it. But nobody makes anything like that.

This is what @AMMO did

And Shawn Jackson

 

[bloc]

A rear bumper would do nothing to protect the fat rear quarter panels on the 80 which are easy to dent.

Not so sure about that..
Looks to me like most of the available bumpers for an 80 would have prevented the damage OP actually sustained to their rig.

Not that a bumper will prevent ALL rear quarter damage.. obviously. But THOSE dents most likely wouldn't be there now.

 

[jcardona1]

Not so sure about that..
Looks to me like most of the available bumpers for an 80 would have prevented the damage OP actually sustained to their rig.

Not that a bumper will prevent ALL rear quarter damage.. obviously. But THOSE dents most likely wouldn't be there now.

Well yeah the damage at the bottom would have been avoided. But the OP said he is now considering quarter panel armor which is different from what a rear bumper covers.

 

[baldilocks]

I'm planning on doing and addition like this to my bumper. You could probably do something similar without a bumper.

 

[Tools R Us]

Oh, I understand, both of my quarters have damage up high, new lights will not fit until knocked out. The '80 is heavy and has a relativity large butt. Flat panels are not that strong, have seen the cherocar type pictured caved, takes more than stock, but not that much. If you notice, both '80 examples pictured have solid bumpers, they take the brunt of most impacts, without that foundation, the upper stuff will be much less successful.

The OP pictured dinks are low, would have easily been prevented by a stupid bumper. This is by far the most common rear contact area. Harder quarters would do little, if anything, for that type of damage.

 

[DARKNESS]

Fill your quarter panels with cement and rhino line the outside.

 

[chap79]

Bob the rear end if you intend to seriously use it as a rock crawler. Or bust out the sawzall, cut off the lower corrners, and build a tube bumper with proper quarter panel protection that ties back into the slider for a rear cage.

She's got a big butt. It's hard not to slap it.

 

[GW Nugget]

Rattle can that flat black & move on if you don't like bumpers...

But what about tube bumpers?
Something like @Apounder 's?

 

[GW Nugget]

She's got a big butt. It's hard not to slap it.

Big butts drive me nuts...

 

[DARKNESS]

Definitely drives a Land Cruiser.

 

[jvazquez53]

I don't think you guys get what he was saying. A rear bumper would do nothing to protect the fat rear quarter panels on the 80 which are easy to dent. Quarter panel armor like they have for the XJs would be sweet, I'd totally buy it. But nobody makes anything like that.

This is what @AMMO did

And Shawn Jackson

Rough but gets the job done I like it!!!

 

[feza]

And Shawn Jackson

I really like the diamond plate quarter panels after seeing them on "cool" CJs and Broncos as a kid. I had plans to do this to do something like this to my already crumpled quarters to prevent any more shopping cart damage at the mall.

When searching for this diamond plate, this is the only 80 I see. Does everyone hate doing this?