So... I acquired a TJM T-17 bumper that was involved in a little fender bender. I had always wanted a T-17 but when I was looking to buy one they were all gone and there were no more U.S. sales. I cruised online here and there but didn't really want to hassle with it.

When this came along I decided it was time and I figure I'll try to salvage it.

Pros:
It was given to me.
It's not all bad.
Came with new frame mounts and bumper wings.

Cons:
It's bent.
The bent portions are made of thick metal that can't be bent back.


Not my pics but this is the bumper with some notes of the damage.









When I received the bumper some attempt to repair it had been started by means of a cutting torch. The driver side wing had been cut off and the lower portion of that wing had been removed. The remaining, large section, bumper is in ok condition with just a slight bend on the top.

I started with the driver side wing and put it in the vice. I pull here, a tug there with no results. For fear of ripping the work bench off the wall I put it on the ground and went to work with a bottle jack and some pieces of wood, still no luck.

It was time to start cutting. I made some relief cuts in hopes of being able to bend the metal but it's just too thick and the twist actually makes it stiffer. Relief cuts turned into removing material cuts.