Would you repair this Mitsubishi?
Would you repair this Mitsubishi?
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Discussion

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months



Struggling to understand how this happened as the parking sensors are still working perfectly, but it has and it came our way as scrap.

It's a very clean car with a very clean interior, auto which we cannot get enough of.

Took 20 mins to find a bumper and tailgate in Colour, they are on a pallet in transit.

Definitely going to be a DIY budget repair using the winch on the truck to pull out the rear panel.

Amazingly no plastics or broken, o/s tailgate light has a little crack, it would go again but they are on the replacement.

What can I say, it's quiet, it's an auto, but is it going to be worth the effort?

samoht

6,916 posts

168 months


1.8 petrol, 140ish hp, I imagine it's quietly competent albeit unexciting. With cheap decent cars being in short supply, I'm sure the repair plan outlined is worth your while.

An insurance company presumably couldn't just tug out the bent rear panel behind the bumper, so costs would quickly escalate far beyond the car's value. And that's the difference a 'pragmatic' repair can make, avoiding scrapping a perfectly usable car.

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months

samoht said:
1.8 petrol, 140ish hp, I imagine it's quietly competent albeit unexciting. With cheap decent cars being in short supply, I'm sure the repair plan outlined is worth your while.

An insurance company presumably couldn't just tug out the bent rear panel behind the bumper, so costs would quickly escalate far beyond the car's value. And that's the difference a 'pragmatic' repair can make, avoiding scrapping a perfectly usable car.
I don't think they bothered with insurance and traded it in for another car for scrap money. It would have been written off though.

Drives mint, 105k, boring and competent is right 🤣.

Finding the parts in colour was handy, for not a lot of money was the deciding factor, too much junk in the yard to have it sitting around.

Might export, not inquired yet.

speciald

164 posts

193 months

I'd repair that. Decent cheap runaround for someone.

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months

speciald said:
I'd repair that. Decent cheap runaround for someone.
That's my thoughts, even if it ends up in Africa lol

A friends daughter wanted a cheap auto, but she doesn't like it fron 1 picture .

speciald

164 posts

193 months

I mean those cars aren't the best looking things. How much do you want for it?

Decky_Q

1,917 posts

199 months

Have you had a look at the boot floor? If its straight then yes looks like it could be a straightforward repair, rear cross member is likely to required too.

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months

Decky_Q said:
Have you had a look at the boot floor? If its straight then yes looks like it could be a straightforward repair, rear cross member is likely to required too.
You mean the bumper support bar, it will pull back straight enough, floor is fine

InitialDave

14,244 posts

141 months

Yeah, I'd repair that, the most difficult bit will likely be feeding the loom through to the rear hatch, I always find that a disproportionately annoying sort of job to do, same with door looms.

When it's all together again, worth compounding and polishing the paint to hopefully remove any differences in aging/oxidation between the old and new panels, the problem with this stuff is that because you know they were replaced, you'll be hypersensitive to any potential discrepancy, even if no one else even notices.

Hoofy

79,210 posts

304 months

If it's just superficial, it's written off just because to get it sorted properly would just cost more than the value of the car. Someone who's handy with a spanner and knows a local used parts supplier could probably sort it fairly cheaply, and will end up with a decent car for the school run. smile

The parking sensors can work if they're sellotaped to the bumper and facing backwards. biggrin

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months

InitialDave said:
Yeah, I'd repair that, the most difficult bit will likely be feeding the loom through to the rear hatch, I always find that a disproportionately annoying sort of job to do, same with door looms.

When it's all together again, worth compounding and polishing the paint to hopefully remove any differences in aging/oxidation between the old and new panels, the problem with this stuff is that because you know they were replaced, you'll be hypersensitive to any potential discrepancy, even if no one else even notices.
I won't be hypersensitive lol, look at all the other old ste in the picture, if it's all one colour it's a bonus.

Things like this come and go every day, try not to scrap them if they are useful to someone, won't get rich but it pays the yard rent.

Ken986

480 posts

146 months

TBH no.

Screenwash

228 posts

44 months

Yesterday (01:29)
quotequote all
Looks like the driver reversed in to a tree or lamppost?! No doubt an OAP.

Cheap car once fixed; not worth much but will probably run for another 10 years! Old Mitsis never seem to die here in NZ!

Doesitdrive

Original Poster:

187 posts

3 months

Yesterday (07:36)
quotequote all
Screenwash said:
Looks like the driver reversed in to a tree or lamppost?! No doubt an OAP.

Cheap car once fixed; not worth much but will probably run for another 10 years! Old Mitsis never seem to die here in NZ!
That's my guess, if it were manual I wouldn't bother, but automatic are in such demand in this part of the world you can sell anything with a working gearbox and a sensible engine.