Is the 2600 jr case very brittle or did I just get unlucky?

[sirlynxalot]

I bought a broken jr to see if I could diagnose and fix it. It arrived in the post with some chipped plastic pieces in the box that seemed to match divots in the back corners.  As gently as possible I went to unscrew the case, it proceeded to crack and break in many places in proximity to the screws. Once the system was open I could see other small pieces of plastic that had broken off previously that were the cause of rattling noises. 

 

I think the jr looks really cool and I'd love to have one that is in good condition, but this thing is basically flaking apart each time I gingerly touch it to say nothing of trying to insert and remove carts.  Did I Get unlucky with a system that maybe was stored in less than ideal conditions? Or is it just due to age and all jrs have easily breakable cases these days? 

 

 

Btw the metal plate on this jr is in wonderful shape as it still had the protective tape on it. Is it at all possible to transfer this over to a different jr without ruining the cases? 

 

[Shawn]

Jr's do tend to chip depending on the temperature it's been stored for the majority of it's life. An off batch of plastics could have made it get more brittle than usual over time as well. Same thing happens with some 7800's.

[+save2600]

Re: the metal plate... can try taking a hair dryer on high or a heat gun to it to soften up the adhesive underneath, then gently try to pry it off the plastic. Might be a couple of access holes too, under the top shell. Gotta be gentle though... if you end up bending/crinkling or dimpling the metal, you're screwed. lol

 

Could also try Best Electronics to see if they have any Jr's left. He might even have NOS metal plates too...

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/2600.htm

[fiddlepaddle]

I think the history of some (individual) consoles must cause the plastic to age more quickly than others. I had a NES (one of maybe 50 so far) that just crumbled at every point where I applied small amount of pressure; all the screw holes disintegrated as I tried to remove screws, for example. I bet sitting in the sun for long periods could cause this.

[MrBeefy]

My Jr isn't brittle. about 15 years ago I saved it from my parent's old basement. It was damp and musty down there. The system itself had a dust bunny the size of a CD in it. Still works to this day and plastice is fine.

[matthew954]

I wish I could say the same.  My Jr has finally had the two remaining screw holes break.  The only thing holding mine together is gravity and electrical tape.  Both my 5200 and 7800 feel....more sturdily built than my Jr.  

[RamrodHare]

My Jr is still in excellent shape. Probably looks as good now as when it was new. I tote it around in a bag with the controllers and my Harmony, have yet to see any chips or scratches. I so intend to get a small laptop bag for it one of these days, since I often carry it to friend's homes.

[matthew954]

Now thats an idea.  I never considered using a laptop bag to carry my consoles around from my friends homes...  Luckily the walmart I work at has a few on clearance for 2 bucks.  Now I have reason to snag them lol.