X300 Center Console trim removal AKA "ski slope"

X300 and XJ40 (later) Ski Slope Removal

Removing the Ski Slope is fairly straight forward and requires no special tools or experience and the most frequently requested reason is due to Faulty clock display. Repair Open Time is less than an hour and would cost you here in the UK: £89.00 at an appointed dealer plus parts.
Remove two screws (forward edge of cubby box in console) and lift the rear edge of the ashtray and disengage the two U shaped tangs at the forward edge. Disconnect the wiring note cable locations.
Beneath the ski slope; there are two plastic wing nuts that need removal. They are located at the joint surface between the Ashtray and ski slope.
Release the clips around the gearbox J gate surround, this can be tricky the first time you do it. There are two about an inch from the forward edge on each side and one at the rear. Release the rear one first by pressing a thin blade between the chrome ring and J gate and pushing down (a computer Stainless Steel fence/blanking plate is good for this), you might also be able to release this one from beneath the slope but it is tricky. The ring should pop up at the rear end - repeat for the other two on each side. One bit of advice: THESE TANGS SNAP very easily if you are not careful.
The picture right shows the locating tabs for reference: Remove the J gate surround and put the car into Neutral. Lifting from the rear remove the Ski Slope.
Remove the six screws to extract the control panel and disconnect the multi-way plugs.
Screws at the rear hold the individual panels and the radio is held in place by two locking tabs on its top surface, pressing these down will allow the radio to be extracted through the front of the ski slope. Re assemble in reverse sequence.