The glass for the instrument panel arrived today so I set to trying to remove the console arrangement. Rather too many plastic mouldings each mutually trapped by the location all on top of the actual metal panel that I needed to release.
Eventually out of desperation, using broad blunt paint scrapers and putty knives and the inherent flexibility of the upper moulding I was able to gingerly ease it over the metal bringing it forward for access.
But my troubles weren't over even then. The panel has two Sumitomo loom connectors, a 10 way and a 14 way, and try as I could I could not release them. I could see the locking mechanism release but no way were they parting using normal forces. In the end I had to jam a screwdriver between the male and female cylindrical part, and using screwdriver bending amounts of force got them apart. Much marring to the plastic, and the 24 pin female has cracked, but they seem to go together still, and the contacts look clean as a whistle.
So - panel out and on the bench, dismantled, broken bezel bits glued, rubber gasket recovered and reused (should have bought a new one as it's rather ragged) and assembled with the new glass.
Then it was a case of removing, testing, and refitting the gazzillion pea bulbs in this thing ready for re-installation hopefully tomorrow.