70 hornet heater core replacement -- NOT FUN.

[Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>]

Un-@#!@$#-believable.

I put the damned car together from a box of parts, but layer by  
layer, so I wasn't quite sure the best way to disassemble the car.  
I'm usually good at extracting things from impossible places, but not  
this time!

I pull out the (semi-)trusty TSM, and -- big clue -- there is not ONE  
SINGLE DIAGRAM OR PHOTO of the heater system for the 01 chassis  
(likely 'not ready by press time'). I was looking for the Magic Screw  
I assumed I could not locate that seemed to prevent it from tipping  
off the firewall after I got all the obvious (and some non-obvious)  
junk removed.

I found the trick: remove the entire !#@@#$!@! dashboard! Well only  
partly; remove, besides the obvious (fan motor, hoses, wires, etc):

package tray (always suggested)
right kick panel
all top dash screws
dash body bolts (at least R side)
"up" parking brake bolt
windshield surround

Pull the dashboard 3" back; this alone gives the heater box enough  
clearance to drop down, and out. (There was no mystery screw; it was  
simply up against the back of the glovebox moulded into the dash ass'y.)

The 1970 Hornet (and likely Gremlin) is different from all other  
years, though I will eyeball the '72 to see if it's got the same  
clearance issue. The parts car, a '73 Hornet, I fully disassembled  
already, so can't look there, plus it's a totally different heaterbox  
design.