ok, time to get serious.

[IH8]

my MX5 has been sitting in my yard with an messy dash center for too long.
i really need you guys help with installing (or re-installing) my headunit.
story goes, when i bought the car, it had the cd player installed about 20mm from the top of the cavity for the stereo, above that there was a little piece of black plastic that'd been cut down to fill the little gap. underneath the unit there was proper black fill in plate.
it looked okay, but i wasn't happy with 'okay', plus i'd sometimes hit the buttons with my knuckle when i shifted, so i took it apart.
i've been quoted $100 to install it properly, with a pocket thing as well as a little fill-in plate across the middle. which i thought was a bit much considering that everything's wired up, just needs a professionals touch.
firstly, can anyone tell me how the hell this center 'hood' dash board piece comes off?
it seems as if it's screwed in at the top. if i get it off i should be able to get at the rest of it.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg29/JaceBird/PB260001.jpg

secondly, there doesn't seem to be much to screw/rivet into inside the cavity. (except a whole lot of surface rust :) )
left:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg29/JaceBird/PB260004.jpg

right:
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg29/JaceBird/PB260006.jpg

the stereo has a pretty typically shaped sleeve/slidey-iny thing with all the little bendable tabs and whatever.
http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg29/JaceBird/PB260009-1.jpg

eventually i'd like to have something like the d-technique dash piece made up
http://www.d-technique.co.jp/d_tec_en/images/tdi08.JPG http://www.d-technique.co.jp/d_tec_en/images/tdi09.JPG

probably with some sort of a pocket on the other side of the window switches.

maybe it sounds ridiculous, maybe i'm fussing too much.
but any help you guys could offer would be proper awesome.
if you can re-direct me to help, show me pictures of how you did it, or whatever i'd be heaps appreciative.
thanks.

[feel_ixx]

To take out the centre console:
1) Remove your eyeball vents - you can use a set of long nose plyers but make sure you use tissue or something at the contact points so it doesnt scratch it.
2) After you remove the vents there are a screw on the top of each opening, take those out
3) on the bottom right and left of the centre console is a screw, take those out too.
4) Remove your gear knob
5) Remove a screw in your ash tray cavity
6) Remove two screws in your arm rest compartment
7) You should be able to lift the whole bit out (make sure you take care with the fuel lid lever
8) After the middle bit is removed, go back to the centre console it should come out very easily.

[IH8]

thanks mate, worked it out today anyway.
a flat head screw driver levering from the very top of the vents worked awesome, no scratches!