NO, the area is pretty easy to access. Best thing is to remove the upholstered back panel, then pull loose the vinyl & very carefully trim the fiberglas to make the blister part removeable. Velcro glued onto the outside of the steel removeable panel and the inside of the fiberglas blister will hold the fiberglas. Then access the next time is a snap, and it looks stock. As for thermostats, if you drop a 3/8" freeze plug into the hole in the big brass washer under the thermostat, it blocks off the warm-up bypass. Then any thermostat fits. I use a 190 'cause thats where my engine runs regardless...
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