Help me fix this Outlander to be my Daily Driver!

Just bought up this 08 Mitsubishi Outlander from salvage for 900 bucks. My dad accidentally rear ended someone and totalled it. He ended up denting the radiator, breaking a radiator mount, and bending a ton of other parts. I was able to pull out most of the dented structural pats with a tow strap and my Tacoma, hammer out most of the remaining dents in the hood, and rewire the DRLs, horn, and hoodlatch sensor.

My question: I have to have a bumper to be street legal right? What would you suggest? I've thought about getting a cheap JK Wrangler bumper and Jerry rigging it to fit.




(New driver side headlight in the mail.)

 

First attempt at welding (FCAW)... Holding so far. Much more to come.

 

Frame of offroad bumper coming together. Possible bobble head idea:

 

I love these threads. Looking forward to progress pics.

 

The bumper sticks out past the headlights now!



Ive got to add some 45 degree supports on the side and bottom.

 

New day time running lights and Hella Supertones! Woooooo.



I also welded some steel reinforcements into the upper radiator housing, primed, and painted it.

 

Andrew:

I buy wrecked cars and rebuild them to drive as well, in fact I haven't purchased an unwrecked car in 25 years. I know a little about the rebuilding process. And I will always help those that want to rebuild a car.

Can I ask a few questions?

Obviously this is a nice care. Why are you not trying to put it back together using the correct parts?

Almost all the parts for any car that is 2 years or older can be obtained new and unwrecked. Sheet metal is cheep. A new hood rarely cost more than $200, for example.

I need to know why you are making this odd bumper.

In order to be able to drive the car, it has to be inspected by a state certified re builder inspector. I'm worried that you won't be allowed to register the car with the way it is sitting now.

One last question. You said you paid $900 to the insurance company. I'm not sure what you meant. Was this your dad's car and and he just took $900 less payout for the car? If that is the case, the car may not get branded with a salvage title if the car never left your dad's possession. If that is the case, it would be very well spent money to put it back to factory condition. Even though it was totaled, it wasn't salvaged so it will sell for very good money.

Please give us some more information and pictures as well. After all, not many on this site would be here if we didn't like fixing our own stuff.

Later

Kirk

 

Hey Kirk,

So we've got a few steps left before I can register it fully under my name. Currently, I've paid 900 bucks to get the title from the insurance company. My dad is going to sign the title over to me for little or no money. (Maybe a dollar minimum)

As for the offroad bumper, I honestly just wanted an excuse to weld one up for practice. I haven't altered the car in any way to not accept stock replacement parts. However, this vehicle is pretty high mileage, so I'm not really banking on selling it.

 

Ok. Cool that you are learning new things.

 

Hey, really appreciate you weighing in. I may have to borrow from your experience!

 

I would be glad to help.

I must warn you. It may be a curse in the end.

I can't make myself buy a broken car. Some people are addicted to going to the casino's, I buy a wrecked car, in a different state and never even heard run.

Who really has a bigger gambling problem?

Its so much fun. I'm constantly looking for my next project. With the aid of the internet it is so much easier now as well.

Later

Kirk

 

Bumper is painted and I armored the CVT cooler and washer-fluid reservoir.

 

Just got back from state inspection, I needed to make the front surface area larger. Here's the result:




Also painted the horns sparkle black.

 

Is this gonna be a woods bomber?

Going on the set of the next Mad Max flick?

I don't think it can go on the road like that.

 

That was my question too lol. Subbed

 

Bumpers(11 CSR 50-2.311)
Definitions.
Bumper: A device of at least four and one-half inches (4 1/2") in vertical height constructed of metal, wood or other durable material capable of absorbing shock and mounted on the front or rear of a motor vehicle. Each bumper must be made of a strength equal to a stock bumper.

Drop bumper: A bumper as which may be mounted not more than three inches (3") below the original manufacturer’s mounting with heavy metal by bolting or welding to the motor vehicle frame.

Nonstock bumper: A bumper that is designed by other than a motor vehicle manufacturer.

Stock bumper: A bumper designed by a motor vehicle manufacturer, or an equivalent
replacement.

Ya'll trippin.

 

Color me impressed.

Not the bumper, but the knowledge drop

 

Here's the long and short of it. If I went with stock replacement parts:

$225 for stock bumper reinforcements piece
$56 for styrofoam
$275 for front bumper cover
$40 for front lower bumper cover
$18 for front bumper end
$69 for front bumper "skid plate" (plastic)
$12 front bumper cover support
$25 for plastic support brackets

Rather than buy all that plastic crap for a car that only cost me 900 bucks, I opted to weld on my own metal bumper for like 120 bucks. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

I fully understand the savings of building your own, I do it as well.

Is this car going to be a daily driver? I hope so, no one is going to want to buy it like that.

I'm not being mean, I just am trying to understand why made it this way.

I like how you are using this car as a learning experience, but I wish you would have asked for some suggestions.

It just seems that such a nice car could have been fixed up to look closer to what it looked like new.

You could have spent the extra money for the factory bumper and then ended up with a car that is worth $7000 vs $900. (Which you will have difficulty selling for that much).

As for that bumper you built, I hope you never hit anything. Those wierd braces are going to be driven into and thru the radiator and possibly into the engine, which would not be good.

Again, not being mean. I'm just compelled to offer my opinion. This is a public forum, so you can't hate on me for speaking what comes to mind.

Sincerely
Kirk

 

Did not know wood was an exceptable option, thank you for teaching me something new today