So I can say for sure that changing this motor is possible
without removing the dash.
Using one of those mini thumb wheel screw drivers I was able to unscrew the three screws holding it, but the real trick is that the metal rod has to be removed before the motor will slide out. There is hinged clip that has to be pushed off the rod using a long thin screw driver, then pull the rod towards the motor till it slides free. Once the screws and rod are removed it will come out.
I'm very happy about this, it been about 4 years since my motor went bad and I thought more sure I would have to remove the dash to replace it. Having a used Heater core to reference was big help. Once I finally figured out what to do it only took about an hour to replace it.