I guess Murphy's Law is true in just about anything that you think you know quite well about, except for the things that you have done so personally and in great frequency.
I'm talking in terms of cost and time spent on cosmetic conversion of my humble Proton Inspira into a 2011/2012 Mitsubishi Lancer GT (with Ralliart front facia).
[Not my actual car]
My initial intent went back to 2013 where I would source for Lancer GT rims circa 2008-2010 which are 18" rims that would make my ride slightly more tough looking. However, poking and prodding around asking for items just got myself into trouble.
I asked my then housemate that if he's seen or known any owner that wishes to let go of their OEM Lancer GT rims, I would be very much interested to alight their burden. Then, one fine day when I was in Bintulu, my then housemate told me that his neighbour wishes to sell his rims plus some items. Curious (mein untergang) I agreed to have a looked. Walking into his house (the seller) he went straight to the spare room and showed me his front and rear bumper, side skirts, sport exhaust and rear spoiler and explained to me the items. He spoke of the price of letting go of the 4 factory fitted rims (18" Enkei OEMs), 2 used tyres (Yokohama's OEMs), front and rear bumper, side skirts, front bonnet, sport exhaust and rear spoiler at a very attractive price.
However, there are several items that would need attention, mainly on the front bumper. The Ralliart styled chrome garnish is cracked and would need a replacement, the front-lower plastic honeycomb grill is cracked due to a large stone hit and would also need replacement, front emblem is cracked and need replacement. I knew of the conditions of the items that needed replacement, and the general conditions of all the other items seem to be at good condition, meaning 8/10, not perfect but is as good as you can get besides getting it new of pinching it from a factory fresh car. I calculated in my head of the items that needed replacement, as in; Guestimate the Chrome Garnish to be around RM450++, Front-Lower Honeycomb Grill around RM100++ and the missing tow hook cover. Boy, was I wrong (which I'll elaborate further in the post). I made a decision based the package of having the rims and OEM bumpers, skirts, hood and spoilers that it was a reasonable price, shaked the seller's hand and transferred money to his account. That was just the start of the project/problem.
First, the issue to transporting the items, as it may has been the fact that I was driving the Inspira and had some luggage in the trunk, I haphazardly fitted the used tyres and sport exhaust into the back seat of my car and traveled 230+km from Bintulu to Miri. The other problem was transporting the rest of the items including the rims, bumpers and skirts to Miri. It took me another 5 months or so to arrange for transport of those items and I am deeply in gratitude to the guys who transported the items back to Miri. That is when the project made past it first stage. The second stage would see even more money being poured out.
I took a look at the front bumpers, and made the assessment of the items that needed to be changed. I took apart the Front Chrome Garnish and the broken Front-Lower Honeycomb Grill. Next, I took the front emblem out as it was already broken. I list out the items that needed replacing by searching through the internet for the part numbers.
[This was the rims]
Do you know how far off I was at guestimating the broken parts? The Chrome Garnish was close to RM1,000 for a piece of plastic that is painted to look like chrome. Plastic chrome that cost RM1,000. If you think Mitsubishi is cheap, just try buying it's chrome pieces made of plastic. The plastic grill cost around RM160, towing hook cover cost more than RM30, front grill emblem cost close to RM100, a total of more than RM1,200 just for replacement parts for damaged/missing sub-parts on the front bumper. Then, there is the clips for the side skirts and they cost a whooping RM130+ just for the plastic clips that would hold the side skirts in-place, bringing in the total of RM1,400 just for parts prior to installing the white (did I mention that they were white) bumpers onto my black car.
That was just Phase 2, buying replacement parts.
[That was how it arrived, pretty right?]
Next, it came down to the planning of having the cosmetic items to be spray painted and installed onto my car. But, there was another issue of having to transport the bumpers to the bodyshop. Good thing I had my Satria with me. The ultra versatile hatchback prove its usefulness by having me taking out the passenger seat just so that the car interior would be long enough to carry the bumpers and skirts. It worked out great. The bodyshop owner agreed to take off the Inspira's front and rear bumper and have it ready for me to transport it back. It was then I managed to see my car without any front and rear bumpers. It's amazing how modern cars have their bumper wrap up high into the rear three-quarter panel.
[Which is now that I only know that the Satria is GODLIKE!]
It took a week or so to have the bumpers and skirts spray painted and installed. However, I was not in a hurry at the time and told the bodyshop to take it's time. He was a meticulous type and I trust him on his workmanship, basically as anal as I am with no half measures in details. Once the paint in completed, my wife went to pick up the car.
[Final look before transplant]
There was more news, it needed a new Front Grit/Splash Guard where the bottom of the front bumper meets the engine skid/splash guard. This was because the Ralliart styled front bumper has a different overhang as the Inspira and non-Ralliart front bumpers.
The cost? another RM400.
[Naked front]
The total cost of having the cosmetic transplant ended up to be close to RM5,500 including various items where I later bought the rear emblem as well as other cost. Note that I have not included the tyres, balancing and alignment in changing the rims to the 18-inchers.
[Naked rear]
Lessons learned? Well, it cost more than double of what I would have anticipated to switch the front and rear bumpers, side skirts of the car, with all the various parts that I needed to replaced. Hence, I suggest everyone to do more research on the items and prices if possible.
The reason of all this madness? Well, I mainly did it because the bumpers and parts are OEM, taken down from a Lancer and I would be basically installing OEM parts which fits nicely onto my Inspira. The advice from the bodyshop from past experience with the same conversion, but with third party parts proved less than satisfactory. It was the case of either the quality of the bumpers were too porous to accept paint, the clips and fittings are not aligned with the body, and the overall fit and finish just looked aftermarket, instead of factory fitted. However, aftermarket has very attractive pricing, of less than RM500 for the complete set of front bumper, whereby I could have bought two (aftermarket) front bumpers for the price of my replacement Front Chrome Garnish! But, I was sceptical to save on items which has the higher probability of me having to redo with the original parts anyway. Spending on the right items are almost always more effective especially when I plan to have it last as long as the vehicle.
[Almost the end??]
Cost??? Think of it this way; when I bought my car, I've gotten a deep discount of RM10,000. I'm just using the savings to cosmetically convert my car to something I admire, plus MANUAL TRANSMISSION!!!
UPDATE: It requires a new splash shield/grid guard/engine front bottom shield which cost around RM400. I just broken the original one while driving at 80km/hr when the vortex induced vibration caused the thing to snap off and drag on the road. Blimey!
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