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2007 Mercury Mariner Bumper Repair

1/17/2015

Driving home on Hwy 41 (3 lane hwy) in the middle lane, when the truck in front of us changes lanes to avoid hitting a wood box in the middle of the hwy... We didn't have enough time to completely change lanes in order to miss it. Luckily we did swerve enough to only hit the corner of the truck, but it did cause a fair amount of damage to the the bumper cover and wiper fluid reservoir tank. See Pictures below.

View of the passenger side from the front.

Another frontal view.

Here you can see the large chunk gone and small separation of bumper below headlight.

Needed to tie the fog light wires around the fog light insert so the wires wouldnt drag on the ground.

Resevoir tank to the left. Another view above where it was rubbing against the tire.

above, you can see the white wiper fluid reservoir tank. Needed to cut the white tip off as the tank got pushed so far back that the tip got removed from the secure hole above it and the tank was rubbing against the tire which caused a hole in the tank. After cutting it off with the magic knife that we just purchased from an estate sale for 50 cents an hour before, we were able to push the tank away from the wheel and drive the truck home.

The Repair Process

First we took the truck to a mechanic to make sure everything was safe and there were no issues other than the cosmetic look. They confirmed everything was ok.

Next we started researching parts and getting quotes.
The cheapest quote we received was over $1500, so we decided to order the parts and see if we could do this ourselves.
The replacement parts we needed to order were:
Bumper Cover Replacement: ~284 (Free Shipping)
Bumper Cover Paint and Service: $175
Fog Lamp Lens and light: ~ $14
Side Reflector ~ $26
Reservoir Tank Replacement: ~$43
Tire Inner Fender Cover: ~$23
Total Material Costs $565.00

Ordered the bumper cover, and had it professionally color matched and painted.

Finally received all the parts, and ready to start the installation.

First need to remove the plastic grill that sits on top of the bumper cover.

This is a view of the inside of the plastic grill. The plastic Clip broke to install to the bottom of the vehicle, So I added this metal wire strip in order to be able to attach it which worked well.

After removing the plastic grill

Another view of the inside of the plastic grill. You can see the middle plastic clip is still intact.

Above are the final 2 pics after putting everything back together. There were a few snags in the process, but well worth saving ~ $1000 to do ourselves.

Also a special thanks to our neighbor Mike who let us use his heated garage and tools during the process.

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Bathroom Cabinets

1/16/2015

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We originally put up these unattractive wire shelves years ago as a temporary fix to add some storage space. Finally, we decided to use some scrap wood in our garage, and buy a couple extra pieces of 2x2s, 2x3s, and car siding to make 2 cabinets. The first one on the floor with an opening top to hide our laundry basket, and the second one a larger cabinet with a door, and an extra open area at the bottom for storage. See pics below.

Floor Cabinet with opening top:

Started by putting the frame together and screwing it to the wall.

Special cut to go over the register.

Car siding added to both sides.

Another shot of the inital frame work.

Adding the carsiding

Added a small strip of 1x2 to the back so that I could attach the hinges to the top. Then installed the top as seen. Just 3 pieces of car siding connected together with a 1x2.

A view of it completed, but not yet stained. Debating trimming down the front cover and putting a handle on it, but for now, it will stay overlapping the edge.

And after 2 coats of stain, this is the final product.

Corner Wall Cabinet:

Initially, I was going to build this as a triangle corner cabinet.
But with how small the bathroom is, I wanted to maximize storage and have the door of the cabinet open and not be in the way of the entrance door.

Basic Frame, using scrap wood. Top and left side will not be shown (hence the blue wood).

Added another side on the left of 1/4" plywood that I had. Next is to add the carsiding.

Door also built out of carsiding and now attached.

An inside view of the cabinet without the shelves.

Final product.
We do not have any pictures of the middle shelf (behind the door) after installation. But you can see it in the finished pictures below. The floor and shelf were 1/4" particle board. It was meant to be temporary since we had it lying around. But after a couple coats of stain, it looks good in our opinion and we are in no need to rush out and replace them.