Never paint the dash. In the car.
Dye it. Out of the car.
My advice: A long 1/4" extension... like an 18", 10mm socket, 1/4" ratchet, screwdrivers, a cordless drill(I had an 18v, so it went quick), and a drill chuck>1/4" adapter.
Whatever size the steering column bolts are... there's two under the dash. I think they're 17mm? You just remove those two bolts, and let the column sag down. I've heard that's the easier way to do it, but I didn't do it that way. My steering wheel was off, and cleared up quite a bit of room. That's why I'm not quite sure how...
Since I did this in my parts car, I had no real care for lost bolts/nuts, but I was surprised as I simply attacked them, they all found their way to my feet, so you probably won't lose any.
There's a lot of stuff to unplug, so be patient. A medium/small tip flat blade screwdriver helps out a lot, here. Most of those connectors are quite fussy, and some require prying to release as they have no tab to push.
Just take your time. I really can't stress that enough. Have an extra set of hands to guide you and point out what you may have missed.
It's basically one of those jobs where you just need to do it to find out how. It's not overly hard, actually, I was quite surprised at how quick it happened.
Tip: when you get the dash out, chances are the little foam seals where the heater box connects to the dash are rotted and gross. Peel them all up and go to Home Depot or similar store of choice. They should have several different types of adhesive foam to use and it will help cure a weak defroster if you already had one. If you didnt, you will!
