Breadbox Hollow?

[Chris Kennedy]

Hi! I have a question for those of you who have removed the "breadbox" protrusion on the passenger side dashes of early C4s. Is the thing hollow inside, or a solid block of rubbery plastic? If it's hollow, if one were to cut out the area around the vent and facing the passenger, could you reach inside and undo or cut away the fasteners and tabs that hold the thing to the dash? The reason I ask is that I want to replace the breadbox with the flat black plastic piece we have all seen in the catalogs, but want to keep disassembly of other dash components to an absolute minimum. The idea of sacrificing the breadbox doesn't bother me at all, as there's no way I would want to put it back on, and if anyone is dying to have it back on they could simply buy one cheaply on Ebay.

Thanks,
/s/ Chris Kennedy

 

[tigmaned]

good question, i haven't taken mine out so i couldn't tell you. but i have tried to get back there and still haven't gotten the carpeted panel below that either. cut it and see for all of us, it is a funny looking panel, and doesn't match the rest of the dash?

 

[Edmond]

Chris,

I keep tellin' ya that it's a sin to remove the breadbox. :L:L:L

 

[tyrel]

It's some kind of foam. The back side of the bread box isn't pretty to look at, it's all blobby and stuff, and yes it's mostly hollow behind there. The dashboard is fairly easy to remove, and will facilitate the removal of the breadbox, I don't know how else you could do it. When the dashboard is removed, the top two breadbox screws come out easily. The outboard side bottom screw can be reached with a superlong ratchet extension as you peer through the removed fuse box panel (take off the whole thing). The inboard side bottom screw is impossible to remove, I've heard of people using vise grip pliers to grasp the threaded end of the screw to back it out.

 

[MBDiagMan]

I agree with Chris. Although it is sort of like an appendix with no purpose whatsoever, it is what was put on the car, like it or not. Taking it out will make your car so obviously unoriginal that it will stick out like a sore thumb.

There may very well be, in years to come, a market for these pieces to put the car back original, or you may decide to put the car back original yourself some day. For that reason, and the fact that it is not all that difficult to remove intact, I would strongly recommend not cutting it up.

To remove it, take out the instrument cluster bezzle by removing all the obvious screws and unscrewing the tilt lever. Remove the two screws at the defrost vent at the top of the main dash pad. Remove the screws that go up vertically along the edge of the top dash pad and remove the dash pad. With the dash pad out of the way you have easy access to the top two screws holding on the breadbox as you call it. After those screws are out you can bend the top of the breadbox rearward for access to the bottom two screws.

It's not a very big job at all and there may very well come a day that you will be glad that you still have the piece intact. In fact roll it up in a trash bag and put it away so that it will be in good shape.

Good luck,

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Thanks, everyone for all your help on this one. I will let you know what I decide to do! The breadbox actually has been a source of amusement to a friend of mine and I---he once drummed his hands on top of it like it was a bongo drum and we made jungle native like noises as we drove along (ala National Geographic). I also surf a lot, and have figured out how to rig the car to carry my board to the beach (it's actually quite brilliant) and the breadbox serves as a cushion for the nose of the board

/s/ Chris Kennedy

 

[Hrtbeat1]

I also surf a lot, and have figured out how to rig the car to carry my board to the beach and the breadbox serves as a cushion for the nose of the board

I want to see that tried with my 9' Velzy You would have to fab a rack for that one.

 

[Chris Kennedy]

I want to see that tried with my 9' Velzy You would have to fab a rack for that one.

I have an 8' 6" Infinity. What you do is fold the passenger seat down all the way (the seats in the earlier C4s fold much better than those in later c4s) and slide the board (in a board sock) in through the hatch and over the seat. The board sits lower than your eye level so no visibility problems. I modified one of those devices that you see in the catalogs that holds the hatch up to provide a bit more lift for the end of the board to stick out. A tie strap around board and through seat belt guide keeps board from sliding back and forth on seat. The board sticks out the back of the hatch about a foot and a half or so. No problem, so long as no rain. In my old '81 Corvette, I used soft racks that came around the tops and buckled inside the car. So, no need for rain gutters. I waterproofed the straps by rubbing permatex rubber sealer into the webbing so rain would not leach through them into car. On the '89, I have yet to try the racks. But, if they work, I would use them in case of rain. A safety strap over the board and tied inside the car prevents top and board from flying off.

/s/ Chris Kennedy

 

[85vette]

here is what the back of the breadbox looks like--just took mine out today
It's not hollow--like sponge rubber padding inside it.

 

[rrubel]

FWIW, I replaced mine right after getting the car. I put in a plastic panel with a small shelf and nylon cover - sort of a micro glove box. It looks OK, but the storage space is invaluable and I get no more jokes about the "crash pillow."

It's my car, I can customize it the way I want to .
[RICHR]

 

[85vette]

I didn't like the way it looked. I will keep it but I won't put it back in.

 

[MBDiagMan]

I didn't like the way it looked. I will keep it but I won't put it back in.

A very wise to decision to not destroy it or throw it away. If it is kept with the car, someone, someday will be most appreciative.

Have a great day,
Doc

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Thanks, everyone! I finally got mine off this morning and put the flat panel on. Not only do I like it much better, but it gives the passenger side a bit more airy feel without that thing in your face. Also, it's really easy to access the area behind it now, in case something needs to be fixed.

/s/ Chris Kennedy

 

[MBDiagMan]

Chris,

Good work! Did you manage to get it off intact?

Have a great day,

 

[MBDiagMan]

FWIW, I replaced mine right after getting the car. I put in a plastic panel with a small shelf and nylon cover - sort of a micro glove box. It looks OK, but the storage space is invaluable and I get no more jokes about the "crash pillow."

It's my car, I can customize it the way I want to .
[RICHR]

I totally understand your desire and freedom to mod your car as you please. You are the only person that must be satisfied with it.

My only comment is that when making mods it is always a good idea to remove parts intact and put them away. It may prove to make your car easier to sell one day. Who knows, in 20 years you may want to make your car totally original again.

I'm old enough that I have been through this kind of thing over the years.

Enjoy,

 

[Chris Kennedy]

Chris,

Good work! Did you manage to get it off intact?

Have a great day,

There was some cracking around the lower left support (I suspect someone may have tried to get it off long ago), that I made a little worse. The flat panel really cleans up the passenger side----I put some armor all over the entire plat black panel dash, then "buffed" it dry to soften the look and get rid of swirls that stuff usually causes. The panel blends in perfectly, and the whole dash area looks a lot richer.

/s/ Chris Kennedy
Houston, Texas

 

[85vette]

"My only comment is that when making mods it is always a good idea to remove parts intact and put them away. It may prove to make your car easier to sell one day. Who knows, in 20 years you may want to make your car totally original again.

I'm old enough that I have been through this kind of thing over the years."

I agree 100%

 

[Edmond]

My only comment is that when making mods it is always a good idea to remove parts intact and put them away. It may prove to make your car easier to sell one day. Who knows, in 20 years you may want to make your car totally original again.

I'm old enough that I have been through this kind of thing over the years.

Enjoy,

C'mon, it's not like we're women who change our minds like the weather.:L:L:L

 

[rrubel]

My only comment is that when making mods it is always a good idea to remove parts intact and put them away. It may prove to make your car easier to sell one day. Who knows, in 20 years you may want to make your car totally original again.

I can agree with this within reason. I still have the breadbox, for example, and my original closed airbox lid. However, I'll be darned if I'll keep a clapped-out flat-tappet shortblock in my garage for 20 years just because someone might want to restore the car later. I have a SuperRam and a much newer roller block, and I'm not looking back.

Everything else I did causes no permanent changes with the exception of some holes drilled in unobtrusive areas.
[RICHR]

 

[MBDiagMan]

No, I don't mean keeping worn out mechanical parts, but parts that obviously change it from its original appearance, I believe, are well worth hanging onto.

That said, I wonder how many 69 Z28 owners threw their DZ engine blocks in the scrap iron pile in about 1975? Those bare blocks now bring $1,000's. I sold one with a cracked cylinder at a swap meet in about 1982 for $150 and guys were fighting over it. To me, it was just on old, junk 4 Bolt Improved block. Oh well.

You are wise for watching out about where you drill holes. Any time I modify most any car, I do it while keeping well in mind what it would take to put it back original. You just never know.

Have a great day,