Fitting Door Pockets

[HalM]

Yesterday I received from Auto's International my refurbished rear door pockets. They looked great -except that the trim is still scratched- and I was impressed with the work that they did.

When I replaced the passenger side pocket this morning, it fit terrible. Even before I added the bungie cord the rear was sitting a good 1/2 inch or more from the arm rest. With the bungie cord it is even worse. My first thought is that the arm rest has warped over the last 35 years. Is this possible /expected?


Anyone have any fitting / installing advice?

[Richard]

Hal,
I can't tell for sure from your picture if the pocket is hard against the door panel. If not, you should be able to adjust the bungie cord tigher and pull the back end in and up. If that isn't the problem don't be afraid to gently bend the pocket to the correct shape or if the arm rest is warped (compare it to the other one) take it off and see if you can bend it back into the correct shape. Finally there is also a small amount of play in the hinges at the bottem. If you loosen the two screws on each hinge where they go into the door you can move the pocket a little. You may have to do a little of all of these things mentioned but by working with it I think you will get it to an acceptable fit. Good luck.

[RickS]

I would be interested in learning the outcome of the door pockets and how long they retain their restored shape. Also, what is a ball park figure for the restore, per each?

A recommendation for your door opener - grayish white - with oxidation, is to purchase a product called Forever Black. You can find at Performance Parts. I used it on my oxidizing plastic, and now they look as good as new. It is a black dye.

[Paul Schooley]

I used Mother's Back to Black. It seemed to work fairly well on most things, but on those greyish door handles I applied several thick coats and I'm still not 100% satisfied with the result (although it sure looks a lot better than it did before).

[HalM]

Thanks for the quick help guys.

Richard, with no bungie cord, it fits fairly well up from but the rear sits out the 1/2 inch I mentioned. When I add the cord, it clearly hits the metal tabs that the routes the cord from front to back. Do you think it would be ok to bend these in .25 to .5 inches to gain clearance?

RickS and Paul, I have heard pros / cons on both products you mention. I plan to call Car Care Specalities to see what they recommend.

[LesPaulGuy]

Hal - Overall, the pockets look very nice. They did a good job on the re-vinyl. They utilized the original chrome edging strips, which is wise to do - especially considering the cost and availability of replacements. These tend to scratch easily, but are extremely rugged. I saw some on eBay a while back starting at $125 for the pair, but never followed the bid through closing.

I have been doing similar pocket restorations for myself and a few friends, and have made some observations:

The edging strip is stronger than the fiberboard material used in the pockets, so if the strip is bent the pockets will follow that shape. From the photo, it appears that is what is happening to your pockets. The strip can be straightened with a little work, but is not easy. It needs to follow the contour of the armrest.

Using jigs, precut boards, and assorted clamps I have been able to straighten pockets out successfully. I first lightly dampen the pockets in the area that needs attention, and use a little bit of carpenter's glue with the water to strengthen it a bit when it dries. This also gives it a new "memory" and (all but one pocket) have kept their new shape.

Once the pockets have been very damp, the cardboard material puffs up and is lumpy, like an orange peel, and must be made smooth before you put new vinyl on. The vinyl will show every lump, crack, or dent that is under it - so this is important. Again, they did a nice job on yours.

Even when the pocket appears straight, it still may not fit perfectly flush with the armrest - which brings us back to your problem. As noted above, the plastic hinges have a bit of play in them, so this helps a little. Again, I slightly (and I mean slightly) sponge-dampened the area around the hinges and closed the pocket. I taped it to the armrest (flush) and when it dried a few days later it fit much better. This seems crude (it is) but it worked.

The "bungee" cord adjustment is very tricky. Getting the correct replacement is important. The first one I did I used a cord that I thought was correct, but once I came across the real cord, I realized that it did not nearly have the tension it needed.

For less discriminating owners I have used a "Pep Boys" chrome "look" truck door edge molding strip when the originals are too far gone. The car door strips are a bit smaller and hard to get on, whereas the truck size is closer in size to the original. These are extremely prone to scratching, but better than nothing.

[Richard]

Hal,
Yes, I would bend those tabs back a little for clearance. They won't be visible when the pocket is up and closed. All of this stuff (on our cars) is 30+ years old and it's very common to have to give parts a little "encouragement" to fit correctly. b.t.w. this doesn't just apply to door pocket parts. I've found that as I replace parts, sometimes using parts from other cars, that it's not uncommon to have to "adjust" a little for the correct fit. Remember, even the factory did this when building the cars.

[RickS]

Since are no PEP Boys in the area - Maney must have left town - I wonder if the other purveyor of all fine things automotive - JC Whitney - carries truck door edging. Hmmmm..... The mind reals....

[LesPaulGuy]

I'd say the plastic chrome door edge molding is pretty generic. If I could get it at Pep Boys, it should be found anywhere. In fact, last night I was putting the front edge piece on a pocket and the truck molding went on much easier than the smaller, car molding did. It is a size larger, and better matches the original trim size. It comes with its own "self adhesive" tape on the inside, but I used a little contact cement to help.

[HalM]

Thanks for all the help. I am out of town through the weekend, but I'll try a few things early next week and let you know how it goes.