Nice one Garry
D1 load cover brackets can be annoying(to those that care).
I'm one that does, as I use the cover all the time.
Hides tools from unsavoury types, protects tools, and other stuff from heat/sun .. etc.
But sometimes I need to remove it to get all the gear to fit, and when removing refitting is where the annoyance comes in.
They seem to break easily, as it's only plastic.
Mine broke, one side more so than the other, but both sides broken.
Epoxy works for a short while, but eventually that'll break too.
So I made brackets.
Metal hidden brackets, so as to not look to much of a bodge.
First bracket was a failure .. eventually, as it was epoxied.
No. 2 bracket, will hopefully hold much longer.
Cost $2 from a hardware store(Bunnings in my case).
D800E_DSD_2978.JPG
original bracket, was 'shattered' at it's anchoring points underneath.
D800E_DSD_2980.JPG
One held up OK-ish .. actually held up well, but the other just wouldn't take.
Too much plastic lost along the bottom, where the screws are supposed to anchor the bracket down.
I was going to give it another go with some JBWeld, but I reckon it'd have failed at some point too.
So I found a pair of S/H brackets($8) but brown. Colour didn't bother me, but for the fact I have some paints. Colour is far from the same, other than the name grey in it!
Bunnings have this gang nail/screw bracket thingie, that looked to be ideal. 1mm thin, so fits within the cover bracket.
D800E_DSD_2984.JPG
This is the $2 bracket. 200mm length does both plastic brackets. Easy to trim down with a pair of tin snips.
D800E_DSD_2983.JPG
Tin snips used to trim to shape, for the bracket to fit inside the plastic bracket. The shaping of the metal is to allow it to fit inside the plastic, and sit flush ...
D800E_DSD_2981.JPG
If you're careful, you could probably cut the metal so that the holes in the bracket line up perfectly with the spacing of the screw tubes on the plastic bracket. they actually line up nice, but I was in a hurry to do, and miscalculated.
But on the bright side, there is just a small amount of holding of the screws against the metal and plastic, so that when fitting, the screws stay in place to line them up easily to where they screw into in the interior.
Sits nicely now in the car, very small amount of metal bracket showing if you look, so the car will lose points in a concourse show!
Pic is a closeup and is noticeable, but in real world use, you barely know it's there.
D800E_DSD_2987.jpg
Basically a 5min job using tin snips.
Hope that helps someone too.
Arthur.
'99 D1 300Tdi Auto
'03 D2 Td5 Auto
Nice one Garry
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