I was poking around under the dash of the 88 today, to get the pedals, brake booster and M/C out, and the last shred of the dash insulation whomever left back there out as well. I discovered something I think is pretty weird. Under the extreme driver's side of the cowl, on the bottom, there seems to be a place where an access panel USED to be (it's not there now). You can see the underside of the left windshield wiper transmission through the hole! No, it wasn't cut by the PO (whichever one did it), it's factory. The edge is smooth, the outline of the panel is molded into the body sealer, and there are the same nuts welded into the sheet metal just like under the rear seats (where the lower seat bolts go into). I'm missing the panel and 3 out of the 4 screws. Has anyone heard of this and/or can get me one before I come out one day and end up with rain water in the floor (which has already been replaced)?

I have a pic in my cam of this thing, and I'll get it up soon...

 

Pic:

 

That looks like the cowl vent. There should have been a vent in there...

 

That's on the passenger's side. I have the vent for it but it's not in there. What is in the pic is on the other side of the car, facing upwards and not towards the engine. Which is the confusing part since I've never seen anything like this before.

:edit: If there IS a vent there, could someone get a pic so I know what to look for?

 

Was your car a non A/C car?

My 84 had that exact same thing, and there should be a vent there that is controlled by some pull cables under the steering column.

Here is a pic of what that vent looks like .

 

Yes, according to the RPO sheet that was in the console, and also according to the heater pipe that was in the car, the car had the C41 heat without A/C option. But no dash parts, so that's why the thing is gone. I'll need to make a plate to cover it since I plan on running the C60 A/C heater system (without A/C) that only has the one vent. Still makes me that the stuff is all missing to plug these holes.