[alfisti]

It's the little adventures with this car that make it all worthwhile, isn't it? :-)

I have my '87 Carrera, which had the cigarette lighter missing, and a controller for a CD changer velcro'd over the hole, and the wiring for the changer going through the lighter hole, down the console, and under the passenger seat.

All fine and good, but the changer was long since kaput when I bought the car, and I want to return it to a stock look, or even better, have a working cigarette lighter.

(on a side note, the previous owner DID wire a lighter outlet (two, actually) out the back of the console, with an on/off switch - so I CAN charge my phone, etc.)

So I went online and after some searching, found a complete lighter unit. All set!

I open the package today, and find the "new" unit in great shape. This should be easy.

I look inside the hole, and what do I see? A metal cylinder sitting sideways, with two wires connected to it.... ! DANG! So it looks like the original lighter (or at least, the outer sleeve) is still in there, tucked inside the dash, and still wired.

And I can't figure out how to get it out. There doesn't seem to be access under the dash - when I feel around, I feel some kind of metal frame that appears to block access to the cigarette lighter, which is just sitting there, laughing at me. I can only get a finger through the hole, and therefore can't maneuver it to a point where it's facing the right way. The wires might even be taped to the frame, or something....

So here's my question.... how can I get in there? I pulled the radio a bit and it didn't seem to open any new possibilities. Is there a way to get to that spot? Maybe if I remove the glove box?

Thanks
-Glenn