2001 No Glovebox - is there a cure?

So I have a 2001 Turbo. It has no glovebox and I want one (I figure if I don't keep the manuals in there its a great spot for my kleenex and sunglasses) So I looked at the dash, and I see that there are three parts: 1) The Airbag/top dash 2) The "Trim Stripe" 3) The solid bottom It seems that the solid bottom is a separate piece - its a different colour and it seems to connect at or under the Trim Stripe. So the question is: Whats under the Solid Bottom? is it just a huge void where I could get a glovebox bottom and box and install it in its place? Why hasn't anyone tried it? Does someone have shop manuals so we can see burst diagrams of both setups (01 and 02) to see if the frame underneath the trim is the same, and if there is anything to stop me? I have a feeling that lots of 99-01 owners would love this mod, and since wreckers have parts....

If the turbo is like the regular coupe (and I assume cab) then there should be a shelf under your steering wheel that is for your manuals. As far as retrofitting a glovebox, we've never considered it as that would ruin our 12 year running joke about it's lack of cup holders and glovebox (when she got in my Cayenne the first time I reached over and opened the glovebox. The slap was worth it ). For us the door pockets have always given us plenty of space for the things we keep in the car. Not much help to your project, but it's my answer to "why hasn't anyone tried it".

I think the easy solution is to get an '04 glove box.... and make sure there's a 996 MK2 wrapped around it. Use the little compartment behind the parking brake for the tissues and glasses - that's what I do. I also replaced the ash tray with the "non-smoker's kit" which is a good place to put the phone.

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I'm happy with my car, just like a little more easy to reach space, I have the "bigger" center consul box (behind parking brake) and am not loving it... I actually love the ashtray - I don't smoke, but it holds an iPhone 5 perfectly - now if I could decide on a Bluetooth option or a head that will charge my phone and connect to it for calls...

Is there anything that replaces the cassette holder? That could be a useful space. Although I am thinking of digging out some old cassette tapes from high school.

I've got lots of those! Those TDK Silver and Memorex memories!!!! Dolby C!!! I'm thinking of replacing my cassette holder with a bin, but I'd really like a bin with a lid, I find the basic bin a little too simple - I have the batwing, climate, tape holders, (break) CD 220, then dual crapholders (a bottle of water neatly pops out at any increase of 0.1 bar or more! :P

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There is a CD tray option as well as a cubby area. Since ours is the full leather interior they are like $500 though so we still rock the cassette holders... On a head unit for the iPhone. I had an Alpine IDX (305 I think) in my Escape and I moved it over to the 996 when I got rid of the Escape. It is primarily for the iPod/iPhone (no cd) and will charge them. There is also a Bluetooth unit you can get that does all the hands free stuff and will play the music from your iPhone wirelessly too. I have the BT unit as well, but I still need to hook it up in the 996. The crappy CDR (w/Nav) in my new Cayenne is a horrible let down comparatively in my opinion...

The 2001 doesn't have a glove box or cup holders. I use the centre console for my sunglasses. I use the door pockets to keep anything else. I don't keep the manual in the car no point when you have a device capable of internet and pdf reader. But it can be stored under the steering wheel in the pocket bracket they have. When the 2002 came out they added a glove box, they had to increase the chassis structure because when removed it was hollowed out it became less sound structurally. They added a glove box but that came with more weight added across seat pan area, an additional tube in the side of the roof frame was fitted for lateral reinforcement.

Careful, OP, or else you might get the same snarky response as I got when I asked the same quesion last year here https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/650609-glove-compartment-retrofit-for-early-996-a.html .

Jumper, I think that some of the stiffness differences are mythological at best but the added stiffness of not having a glove box? Torsional rigidity from such a small area? I know cages have two bars (on my 951 you can't open the box since I have a bar below it) but I can't imagine that moving it 3" would change things that dramatically. Before buying I spoke to Jack @ GTEK and Fiorano and both said that having driven (on track) 01's and 02+s they didn't notice any differences in chassis stiffness They added increased side impact protection due to legislation changes - that accounts for the strengthened B pillar and roofline - and a weight increase...

Torsional rigidity is increased with properly fitted roll bar. The front dash area is the same type of structure. Punching a hole in it will reduce the rigidity. Rumours are that this was first done to add the glove box and that under hard cornering the glove would pop open or not be able to be opened. I agree legislation changes for increased crash test safety and roll over safety and upcoming model changes for convertibles and a completely different m96 engine and transmission had to also have the chassis modified. But I would not put in your own diy glove box with out doing the other structural changes. A roll bar when not fitted in the correct area will not increase rigidity but in the proper area would.

I certainly don't want to do structural changes of any sort - I was hoping I could simply remove the lower cover and find that there's space for the glovebox if I put in the 02+ glovebox and lower cover. I think I may take a visit to 9apart and see if I can look at some (removed) dashes and see what they look like in 01 vs. 02+ If cutting structural metal is required its a pass...

ps - opening the glove box under "hard cornering"? Must be my wife reaching for the air-sick bags!!!

So I went to eBay and found some dashes for sale and looked at picts. Turns out the upper and lower, even if they are two colors, are actually one piece. There may be room behind the dash to hold/house the glovebox but you'd have to replace the entire dash with an 02+ to do it. I'm done, my dash is so minty clean I'd never risk taking it apart and having a rattle that would drive me nuts for the sake of a bit more room... but for posterity, here are the pictures so this thread can edumacate the next guy who's thinking about a box!

Porsche did not/could not fit the glovebox in the 996.1 to meet airbag requirements. Hard to imagine you can replace all of the airbag componentry to achieve your goal.

Leave gloves at home

Each door compartment has about the same amount of space as a glove box. Plenty of room!

Drivers door compartment is big enough for my Sig Sauer

Certainly not my intent to kill an airbag! I've realized that replacing the entire dash isn't worth the effort!

I am posting this from the future, as it's now over five years since Red! first looked into this. I just bought a 2001 Turbo, and I was contemplating the same thing. Thanks for posting the pictures, and convincing me to just leave my "glove-box delete" car alone.

I am right in the middle if retrofitting a glovebox right now, lol!