Low and behold the long-awaited CF climate control surround arrived today from the Indy Shop. It was a great excuse to leave work early to install.
I've had a few questions about the installation, so I thought I take some pix along the way. You can use these instructions for removing to paint as well...
Pic 1: The carbon fiber surround is really a quality piece IMO, and a decent value @$200. No real imperfections that I could see.
Pic 2: The rear of the surround has only 2 screws (vs the 4 OEM) to mount the control board. They are much tighter than the OEM, and I found them sufficient anyway.
Pic 3: There are a couple of ways to dismount the surround. You can gently pinch down the top and slide straight out as I did. Or you can remove the two screws below the dash (circled red) and take out the entire bracket (red arrow). This might be an easier way than pulling straight out, as it's a tight fit.
Pic 4: Next, remove the 4 mounting screws for the control board, and pop off. Note, you don't need to pull any electrical connectors.
Pic 5: Reverse the order for installation, and you're in business.