87 C4 Coupe - Read Window Cargo - Black Shade removal

[DarbyOhara]

Hey guys and gals I need some help. I am beginning to rip apart my cargo area to eventually replace carpeting and speakers. As I am following my shop manual I came to the black vinyl window shade and I can't figure out how to remove it without breaking the sleeve-brackets on each end holding it on. In fact, I didn't even know I had the shade until I started tearing things apart back there. It is the old kind of spring loaded window blind type thing. I really don't want to break it or the brackets and I can't seem to get my fingers in any side to see if there is a way to insert one of the side pins holding it on. My shop manual... pathetically just says remove it... grrrrr! but it doesn't show how. Can any give me some hints or clues to removing this puppy? Maybe even a diagram or picture(s) would be so appreciated since I am not good following written instructions... because of naming conventions, etc. Thanks in advance... I could take a picture of it and the sides if anyone is unfamiliar with it...

 

[DarbyOhara]

Well phooey! After I posted this the forum gave me suggestions of similar posts and I find one that helped. You use a small L shaped pry bar and just get it behind the shade's bracket and pop it off... easy as heck! lol. Sorry, I should have tried the search first. Anyway, it's all off and it is no fun tearing all of that off just to get to the carpets and speakers... but it will be worth it. My carpets were a silver, but they are nearly white from sun burned and brittle... the sweeper just pulls the cloth off... anyway, thanks!

 

[Mac]

I love it when a problem solves itself...

-Mac

 

[roger longman]

Hey guys and gals I need some help. I am beginning to rip apart my cargo area to eventually replace carpeting and speakers. As I am following my shop manual I came to the black vinyl window shade and I can't figure out how to remove it without breaking the sleeve-brackets on each end holding it on. In fact, I didn't even know I had the shade until I started tearing things apart back there. It is the old kind of spring loaded window blind type thing. I really don't want to break it or the brackets and I can't seem to get my fingers in any side to see if there is a way to insert one of the side pins holding it on. My shop manual... pathetically just says remove it... grrrrr! but it doesn't show how. Can any give me some hints or clues to removing this puppy? Maybe even a diagram or picture(s) would be so appreciated since I am not good following written instructions... because of naming conventions, etc. Thanks in advance... I could take a picture of it and the sides if anyone is unfamiliar with it...

'Naming conventions' ?....No.. A rim is a rim. A tire is a tire. A wheel is a wheel. Items are given specific names for a very good reason. To avoid confusion and, therefore mistakes.

 

[DarbyOhara]

'Naming conventions' ?....No.. A rim is a rim. A tire is a tire. A wheel is a wheel. Items are given specific names for a very good reason. To avoid confusion and, therefore mistakes.

Yes, obvious items are easy to identify. What exactly is the name of the end bracket on the shade then? I have several shop manuals and neither describe it at all and I could find nothing else about it. My shop manuals just instruct me to remove it... no picture, no instruction!

Those are the kind of naming-conventions I am referring too. There is no universal name for the end brackets of the C4 back shade, so I call it end-bracket. You might call it something else. Not everything is black and white!

 

[DarbyOhara]

I do have another question... while I am at it. I didn't want to start a new thread since it is kinda related. As I stated before, I am tearing apart my rear area to eventually replace my caprets and rear speakers (to include running new speaker wire under the carpet). Well, as I removed the old nasty carpet, under the carpet is old, faded, nasty stinky foam padding. I certainly want that replaced, but I would rather not put foam padding back in there. Is there another practical solution to replace the padding? Something that will last longer and better than that old foam padding. I was thinking about some type of acoustic treamemnt, but unsure if it would be thick enough. Here is what I mean: Shop dB-4looring 2-Pack 1-in x 24-in x 24-in R0 Acoustic Insulation at Lowes.com=

For others that have replaced your carpeting, what did you use to replace that nasty old foam padding? Hopefully you didn't put that stuff back in... lol. I am sure I'll have more questions as I go along with this little project. Sorry, but it is my first time I am tearing apart a C4 Vette. Thanks for any help and your understanding and patience.

 

[DarbyOhara]

Oh well... I will just use the silver thermix from Lowe's... appears that others have used it and it seems to work just as good as other products for sound and heat insulation. I was concerned about the thickness -- or actually how thin it comes... but I may do what one other guy did is lay the thermix first and then lay a layer of Lowe's carpet liner. Either one of these: Shop Carpet Padding at Lowes.com#!

Thread can be closed...

 

[Schrade]

If acoustics is a consideration; get cork sheeting from the local hobby store...

It will absorb resonance that C4 is notorious for, and it's thin...

 

[roger longman]

Yes, obvious items are easy to identify. What exactly is the name of the end bracket on the shade then? I have several shop manuals and neither describe it at all and I could find nothing else about it. My shop manuals just instruct me to remove it... no picture, no instruction!

Those are the kind of naming-conventions I am referring too. There is no universal name for the end brackets of the C4 back shade, so I call it end-bracket. You might call it something else. Not everything is black and white!

Obviously not, for you. As you first called a wheel a tire and, then later, a rim !

 

[Baldie88]

Looks to me like the OP was asking for help and right away someone is jumping down their throat for asking a question and is called out for a technicality. This site use to be the one I checked most frequently because everyone was so helpful. I guess that's changed. It's not like I've never asked a stupid question and will probably continue to do so.

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[roger longman]

I'm not jumping down anyone's throat. I thought this forum was to help and be helped. The correct terminology,seems to me, the first step in achieving this....Roger.

 

[DarbyOhara]

I'm not jumping down anyone's throat. I thought this forum was to help and be helped. The correct terminology,seems to me, the first step in achieving this....Roger.

Your comments are noted! But I am still waiting for the correct terminology of the end bracket of the rear shade Roger. Surely your wizardly knowledge can answer that? But don't make that crucial mistake and make up a label... you must validate it! Your first step! :tapping fingers:

 

[DarbyOhara]

Ok... moving on to better pastures (and attitudes)... lol. Since the thread is not closed and I am continuing on my unassembly for my carpets and speakers I've run into some questionable items under the cargo bins behind the seats. I really wasn't going to remove the cargo bin, but I think the insulation (thermix) would be better tucked under the edges. Anyway, under the cargo bin opening in the floor behind the passenger's seat I noticed a strange looking orange device. It had (12 volt rechargeable battery) on it. I tried looking through my shop manual (I have both a Haynes and a Clymer) and neither describe the area under there or nothing about an additional battery. I snapped a picture and will try to upload it. Can someone give me info on what it is and what it is for? I assume it is for the Bose Stereo, but I am not sure. Rather puzzling. Ok, I couldn't get the upload to work, so I placed it on flickr.com DSC_0003 | Flickr - Photo Sharing! Any help? And since I am asking, behind the driver's seat, under the bin opening in the floor was this weird looking contraption. Anyone know what this is? DSC_0002 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[DarbyOhara]

Obviously not, for you. As you first called a wheel a tire and, then later, a rim !

Well Roger, if you read through the thread I was NOT calling a wheel a tire and later a rim. I was calling it a Spare Tire throughout the thread. Re-read the thread a bit more carefully. And then I asked what the size of the rim was. The rim is the round metal item of the tire without the rubber Mister Wizard! And NO WHERE in that thread did I write "wheel". Will there be anything else Roger? :eyerole

 

[Baldie88]

Well maybe I jumped to conclusions on Roger's comments. I guess I didn't take it as he intended so it's just water under the bridge at this point.

As to the poster's next questions, I believe what your picture shows is the antilock system. This should be behind the driver's seat. I haven't look at mine in years so I'm not sure about a battery or all the wires running through the area. I can look at my shop manual for my 88 and see if it has anything clearer.

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[Toms007]

That battery is strange, I don't remember anything like that in my 94. Actually looks like a replacement battery for a computer UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). The other contraption is the ABS system. I guess I didn't know that 87s had that. I, for some reason, thought that came later.

I think, that terminology can lead to misunderstanding, but in those times when correct terminology is unsure, we must resort to what we have at our disposal. Let's, kind of, cool off a little, and get back to helping Darby get his problem fixed.

 

[DarbyOhara]

Well maybe I jumped to conclusions on Roger's comments. I guess I didn't take it as he intended so it's just water under the bridge at this point.

As to the poster's next questions, I believe what your picture shows is the antilock system. This should be behind the driver's seat. I haven't look at mine in years so I'm not sure about a battery or all the wires running through the area. I can look at my shop manual for my 88 and see if it has anything clearer.

Ron
"Baldie88"

Hi Ron. Yeah, I would appreciate any help finding out what those things are. My shop manuals doesn't have any details about what is under the cargo bin/floor and I thought it was strange that a small 12v rechargeable battery (orange) was sitting in the floor behind the passenger's seat. I couldn't think of anything that needed its own battery source. And I am not too good at reading electronic schematics, but maybe it is identified in there? But if I am not mistaken, the anti-lock system doesn't work if I unplug the main battery. The picture of the contraption behind the driver's side I realize is hard to make out... but it doesn't look like any kind of electrical device, although there are a few wires in there.. it really looks like some kind of fuel pump or maybe some pump for the brake system? I am not sure and it has my curiosity up.

Also, if you use the arrows on the sides of those pictures you'll come to a picture I snapped for you. It is showing one of my door sills that I painted (autozone dye). I put it up against my silver Vette to show the color of what it looked like before and what it looks like now. Besides the wear, tear and scuffs from the sill being old and used, the paint job turned out quite well on vinyl.

Btw, I'll get my new rear/cargo area carpeting tomorrow, so hopefully I'll get sometime to work on installing that this weekend. Since funds are tight, I could only afford to buy the rear/cargo area. I'll eventually buy the front to match... I just dread tearing apart both the seats and center console stuff. Fun fun stuff! I'm just so glad I have a nice garage to do this all... Also, all of my seats and console are silver and I want them to match the floor... so they'll need to be replaced. They are too worn and beat-up to just paint.

 

[DarbyOhara]

That battery is strange, I don't remember anything like that in my 94. Actually looks like a replacement battery for a computer UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). The other contraption is the ABS system. I guess I didn't know that 87s had that. I, for some reason, thought that came later.

I think, that terminology can lead to misunderstanding, but in those times when correct terminology is unsure, we must resort to what we have at our disposal. Let's, kind of, cool off a little, and get back to helping Darby get his problem fixed.

Wow! I didn't know this had ABS either. Glad to know. And now that I read your reply... I just remember something the previous owner told me. The original owner (his grandfather) had installed an after-market anti-theft system after he purchased it. The only way I knew about it is because there is a small keypad velcrose'd to the console by the shifter. I asked what that was and he said it was an anti-theft system, but it was disconnected. I pulled it from the console and it still had wires attached, but they drilled a big hole in the console for the wires.. so that is why it was never removed. Anyway, so that rechargeable battery must be for that old security system... Now, what to do.. should I remove it. I really really hate working with anything electrical...

 

[Baldie88]

Ed,

I looked at my 88 storage compartment tonight when I got home and it looks pretty much like yours except for the battery. I don't remember the last time I looked in there, probably right after I got it 13 years ago. Anyway looking at the schematics all the wires running through there are for the anti-lock brakes. And if it was me, I'd just cut the battery wires and pull it out. Doesn't appear to be hooked to anything anyway.

And I didn't know that 87s had anti-lock brakes either. One thing that CAC has is an excellent reference for each year that will probably answer some of your questions concerning what your car has. You can also check the RPO codes which on mine are under the console lid and then cross-reference them against the RPO codes here on CAC. Also if you really want to find out what your car has, the National Corvette Museum can print you the window sticker and build sheet.

Finally Mid America Design and other Corvette part houses make replacement consoles if you want to replace yours with the hole in it. You might also check some of the Corvette salvage places for the console and other part you will probably need as you get deeper into your project.

Good luck.

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[roger longman]

Well Roger, if you read through the thread I was NOT calling a wheel a tire and later a rim. I was calling it a Spare Tire throughout the thread. Re-read the thread a bit more carefully. And then I asked what the size of the rim was. The rim is the round metal item of the tire without the rubber Mister Wizard! And NO WHERE in that thread did I write "wheel". Will there be anything else Roger? :eyerole

Well Darby, I do not need to re-read your thread, to know what you said. You called it a spare tire eight (8) times. Which equates to calling the wheel a tire. Thanks for letting me know what is a rim,though.I now know it's 'the round metal item of the tire without the rubber'. I've never thought of, or been called a wizard before, thank you. Oh.... you're not being disingenuous ,are you, anything else Darby ?