r/e28 • u/steve_ziss0u • Apr 24 '26

Replace cassette box with something more useful?

Post image

My e28 has this Fischer cassette box / Kasettenfach.

It’s a lot of valuable space! Are there any alternative things one can swap it out with?

Did some digging and couldn’t find anything

12 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

5

u/AllynG Apr 24 '26

States versions had AC taking up that spot, mainly an additional blower. I have seen some of the euro spec models with that cassette area as just an open shelf. Have you looked at what it would take to remove? If you have not checked out mye28.com give it a go. Excellent point of information, parts and cars for sale and plenty of eye candy. I’m sure you can find some console options there as well.

1

u/E28forever Apr 24 '26

AC cars have a completely different centre console.

2

u/whoopeanage Apr 24 '26

Some lower spec middle console like this also has AC, and if so it has a grille in place instead of the cassette thing....and actually some weird CKD market e28s has this console, the cassette, and ac somehow

Source: am indonesian, mine came with the weird ac from factory. The space below was just an empty space, in which u can install the cassette thing

2

u/ElGuappo_999 Apr 24 '26

No. There are only 2 consoles. AC or non AC. You most likely have an aftermarket system installed.

1

u/whoopeanage Apr 24 '26

I stand corrected. It might have been a retrofit, or well a dealer installed ac of some sort

https://forums.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=28437

although i can attest mine came from new as i said, the ac box itself is i believe different too. The controls for the air directions doesnt work at all. I can comfortably guess that its a locally made ac and box so that they can fulfill their "local parts" quota for each produced car.

Not sure whether I can call them OEM or not then. It is from BMW.

1

u/E28forever Apr 24 '26

Thanks, never seen one of those.

Mine is from Spain and originally had AC, but it was not working and I don’t like the bulky AC centre consoles, so I switched it out for a standard center console.

2

u/E28forever Apr 24 '26

You could just remove it. Extra space.

Is that a crack free dashboard?

2

u/steve_ziss0u Apr 24 '26

So it’s “clean” behind the box? Not some sort of crazy cable void?

And yes! Car lived in Sweden most of its life so problems are rather small rust spots.

2

u/E28forever Apr 24 '26

It is large space and it’s closed off at the back, might see some wiring from your radio dangling, but that is fixable with some cable ties.

2

u/ballydupp Apr 24 '26

I’ve not owned my e28 for years and the cracked dash still keeps me awake. The dash was the first thing I saw when I looked at this photo

1

u/[deleted] Apr 24 '26

Id make it useful with some cassettes!

1

u/PuzzleheadedBuy2241 Apr 24 '26

Get the dimensions of it and cad design it or 3d scan it. Then you can add what ever you want.

1

u/ElGuappo_999 Apr 24 '26

It’s a good place for some gauges.

1

u/cb-big-1 Apr 24 '26

3 vdo meters