Tiny hand needed to connect speedometer cable in 71 Duster

Ken71Twister said

I've spent many hours over the past 45+ years standing on my head with my right arm squeezed under the dash trying to connect the speedometer cable to the back of the instrument panel. I'm guessing there's a much better way to do this - possible requiring the instrument panel to be pulled out or the steering column to be dropped out of the way. (I've done both in past years).

I'm open to suggestion from others who have done this successfully. I'm getting too old to enjoy working under that dash.

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I remove 1 screw that holds the fuse box to its bracket, move the box slightly, up, forward, then down, to set it out of the bracket. This makes a lot more arm/hand space to access headlight switch and speedo cable.
Moving the headlight switch along with its wiring makes even more space toward speedo cable.
I prefer to pull the inst' panel and clean the speedometers drive port before cramming a cable in it. There's a small metal strap welded to the floor pan under the drivers seat. That's where the factory worker put all the slack in the cable. If I have the cable out from under that strap I can pull slack into the cabin. So the speedometer cable can be the first thing I reattach to a inst' panel. It serves as a helping hand while reattaching everything else. The screw in the fuse box and/or cable secured under the strap the very last thing put back.