Need Help Badly!!!!!

Okay, car is '71 Dart Swinger, 225 Auto on column, made in CA if that makes any difference.

Here is the issue. Waiting on my factory manual so looked though the posts here on how to get the instrument cluster out. According to what I read, you disconnect the battery, take the column cover off, remove the three bolts holding the column up, remove the two bolts on the small plate at the bottom of the column, remove the screws retaining the instrument cluster, reach in from underneath and disconnect the speedo cable and then supposedly the cluster will come out and you can reach back and disconnect the plugs.

Well, of course, not on any car I would own. I've got all done to the point of supposedly being able to pull the cluster and disconnect the harness bits.

Here is what I have run into. The column only drops down about three inches. Not hanging on any wiring I could see. The speedo cable connection is on sort of a dropped down box to the cluster. As such the cluster would have to pull out from the top and pivot out to remove as the speedo connection bit is "hooked" as it were, behind the dash metal. Thinking that I just need to disconnect the plug I felt around on the back of the cluster. I found two flat plugs, one on each side of the rear of the cluster that I was able to wiggle off the pins on the cluster and get off. I've not been able to feel any huge round plug or anything like that and I still am unable to see up in there very well due to all the metal braces around the column and for the pedals etc. So, cluster moves a bit more in the pivot out type direction, but not enough to get a hand back there from the front or even see what is going on.

On feeling around it appears there is some sort of metal clip or something holding a very thick, pretty unflexible wiring harness that looks to run from one side of the dash to the other. I don't believe it is any sort of plug or anything, but who knows. From all I can see and everything I can feel the harness is running by and is somehow clipped to this tang off the back of the cluster. A similar deal to the clips holding the harness in place in the engine compartment if that makes sense. The harness just feels to be clipped somehow to hold it in place and not actually connected to the cluster for any signal, power or ground. Anyway, looks like that harness clip is what is holding the whole cluster from pivoting enough for me to see the back and get to it if needed so I can remove it.

I know I'm long winded, sorry. Hope I'm making sense on the harness part. The clip is not the same as the ones in the engine compartment so don't know how to get this one loose. Anyone run into the same thing? What have I missed? The tang thing the harness is stuck on does not go all the way around the harness from what little I can see or feel. Feels like it is hooked somehow on the top of the harness. I've tried prying it with my fingers while pulling on the harness etc. and no luck.

Really frustrated on how everyones seemingly doddle of a job always turns into a major issue for me.:sad3:

Even got me putting emotion buttons in it is that bad.

So, know all of you have been there and done that so please help.

Thanks in advance.
Cheers