Several posters (B.C. and Don Foster) have written about reinforcing 240 map pocket edges with strips of metal, bolted and epoxied behind the pocket's top edge. Sounds reasonable to me.

Now I've gotten a set for Cam's car, so I'm faced with actually doing the job. Did you put the reinforcement only on the edge of the "deep" part of the pocket, or does it also go along the edge through the "shallow" part too? And if it's on the shallow part too, what do you do at the vertical web in the middle? Two separate metal pieces? Cut a slot in the web? What did you do with the curve from the deep part of the pocket back to the pocket part by the door panel?

Whew. Thanks!
--
David Brick, Santa Cruz CA

This is probably not what you wanted to hear, but I took my broken ones off. They are a bad design when you consider that they are going to get pushed on with a shoe to hold or even push the door open.
I replaced with a sheet of masonite cut to shape with a jig saw, and covered with material from a plastic tablecloth. I used the original fasteners.

Did this on a car for my daughter which has "leopard interior trim". In addition to the bottom door trim, the car has leopard sun visors. I took a piece of the same leopard tablecloth, turned inside out and made a pocket to slide over the visor. I "sewed" it using a heat sealer for closing plastic food packages in the kitchen. A cheap battery-powered hand-held tool.

Other leopard items were available at Wal-Mart or Auto parts stores. Looks good with the tan interior, and would probably look good with black.

I've reinforced both e-brake consoles and map pockets with great results using POR 15 with fiberglass mat. Just need to scuff up the plastic with sandpaper before applying first coat of POR. Strength is determined by how many layers of fiberglass mat used.
--
1990 240 Sdn 277K,tach,strut brace,turbo sway 1990 240 Wgn M47II 157K,tach,strut brace,poly bushings,IPD sways

It's been a while, so this is from my leaky memory.

I used steel strapping, 1/2 inch wide. Epoxy used is a 2-tube item specifically for plastic. ACE hardware brand.

The bolts are brass (silver if you like that color) and are 4-40 x 1/4 inch. Brass nuts, too. I use a lot, one every 1/2 or 3/4 inch.

The reinforcement is only on the deep part. The shallow part in my 240s is (1) less likely to get kicked, and (2) stuffed with maps and owner's manuals.

How long a strap to use? Depends on the condition of the pocket. It's a lot easier if the strap is needed only on the long straight part. The curved front end can be done, but it's an extra PITA. The strap must straddle every crack.

I worked hard to have the holes in a very straight line, down the exact center of the strap. Drill the holes in the strap, then the pocket. I think they are 1/16 inch.

Do a trial assembly with a few bolts. If all is OK, here's the final step:

Run a bead of epoxy down the line of holes in the pocket. Then place the strap, and start installing bolts and nuts from the center outwards towards the ends. Center-right-left-right-left- etc.

Tighten the bolts as you go. The epoxy will ooze up on the bolts and nuts and if you wait, it will harden too much. This oozing also means that the bolts are unlikely to work loose. Make the bolts plenty tight, that spreads the epoxy better.

It takes a while - several evenings. I still have two to go. But - once done that pocket will be standing long after the tornado/atomic attack/earthquake/2-year old child has passed.

Good Luck,

Bob

:>)

Thanks very much, Bob. I appreciate hearing the gory but reasonable details. It's off to the hardware store for me!
--
David Brick, Santa Cruz CA

I'm not really sure about any of the reinforcment. My car didn't come with any pockets on it and it seems like all the ones on ebay and at Ipd are pretty expensive. I was thinking about just fabricating some out of some stainless steal. Has anyone tried anything like this? I think it could give the inside a cool look. As for how i think i would reinforce. I would get out the Dremel, torch, and hammer and try to get the peice of metal to wrap fully around the top edge in one peice. It seems like that would make it the strongest. Thats my 2 cents.

Could you mount the stretchy leather pockets from a 140-series car
to the 240's doors? They look like they should hold up better than
the cheap plastic 240 pockets.
.
Just an idea,
-b.

If you could make a totally slick pair like dat, I would be first on list list to buy a set! Peace, Jon