okay i finally found good instructions on the center dash panel and clock removal here;
http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/body-08.htm

so i tried it today.

although it's relatively simple to remove the front console and remove the clock, it's a total pain to replace the bulb inside the clock without breaking the clock.

the clock part is shaped almost like a cube. to remove it you have to remove two tiny screws (jewler's type). the back (power) is connected via a four-prong plug which is relatively easy to pull out.

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EDIT: PLEASE READ MY NEXT POST. YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE THE CLOCK ASSEMBLY APART TO REPLACE THE BULB.
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once you have the clock assembly removed, you have to then take it apart. to remove the outside plastic cover, you have to insert a jeweler's flat-head screwdriver to pry the one-way plastic snaps (one on top, one on bottom).

now here's where it gets tricky. to also disassemble the entire clock: the two circuit boards are permanantly connected to each other via four metal prongs along the bottom. the two circuit boards are also independently attached the plastic housing via 8 seperate one-way tabs (four for each board). the front face plate and LCD is not physically attached to anything, and is held in place by the pressure of the circuit board beneath it. there are electrical contacts to the LCD along the top and bottom that are very tightly pressed to the circuit board (to make contact). if you touch these contacts with your dirty/oily/greasy fingers you'll probably ruin the clock.

assuming you haven't lost your nerve by now and have carefully managed to remove the circuit boards from the plastic housing, you'll have to gently BEND them apart about 45-degrees in order to get at the timing calibration.

dangerous; while i had the clock apart, i noticed a small dial on the circuit board that can be turned with a jewler's flat-head screwdriver. i'm assuming this is the timing calibration for the quartz in the clock. you might be able to use this to adjust your clock speed.

i would NOT advise anyone to mess with the clock if it works fine, even if you don't have backlight. trying to replace the bulb is probably not worth ending up with a completely broken clock.

okay i'm a dork.

apparantly, you don't have to take the whole damn clock apart to replace the bulb.

once you have the clock removed, you can use pliers to rotate the back of the bulb housing (plastic) 90-degrees counter-clockwise to remove it.

the number on the back of the bulb/housing (one-piece) is: OSRAM 12/1.2

hurrah! you can order this part from pelican for $3.66. search for: 944.641.900.00

and here's a much better write-up on the process;
http://www.tech-session.com/kb/index.php?page=index_v2&id=78&c=4

footnote: i went to my local auto parts store today and picked up sylvania 2721 (w1.2w) "european lamps" (pack of two bulbs for $1.99) and they work perfectly.

also, i found out that the ash tray bulb is identical. however, the other bulbs in the dash don't seem to be the same.