Community Forums:

Adam --

Two things:

1. First, if the pocket isn't broken too badly, and if you have the pieces, you can do a reasonable job "welding" (not gluing) the pieces back together. I've done many, and while the seam is not quite as strong as original, it'll hold together if you don't do chin-ups on it.
   
   Find some methylene chloride, perhaps at the hardware store -- or try your college chemistry lab. It's a strong solvent, often found in paint remover. It's best used in tiny amounts AND in ventilated areas -- try not to breathe the fumes. It's highly flammable. An alternative may be acetone (and it's worth a try, since it's more mild and readily available), but I don't think it's as active as methylene chloride. You'll need no more than 25 CCs.
   
   Hold the pieces in their original position, and use a cotton swab to dab a tiny amount of solvent on the seam -- it'll "wick" in, dissolve the plastic, and the two halves will fuse. Give it 2-3 "dabs", and then leave it for 24 hours to harden. Works wonders. I use it often for this, and very successfully. (Try to find wooden stick "Q-tips" -- the plastic versions may dissolve.)
   

2. On my '86, I had to replace both pockets. I installed 1.5" wide aluminum reinforcements along the upper inner edges, just under the lip, from front to back. I used contact cement to fasten these reinforcements in. The only tricky part is a cutout needed to fit part of the pocket -- but it has worked very well for two years (in the hands, or feet, of daughter -- who kicks doors open).