So I keep finding hills to climb. I can just get a little access to the back left top of the radio when it is installed, through the bottom kick panel on the driver's side (thanks to sticky key posts). But the crossfire radio housing that the radio slides into is too long for the vertical antenna nub. I have not quite notched it out enough to grant access to the antenna nub (which sits vertically).
I can fix that, but the next problem is the climate control assembly sitting above the radio. It goes quite deep back on the left side just above the antenna connection. So tomorrow, I notch the crossfire radio housing a little more and maybe there is enough clearance to slide the motorola connection in from the top if the climate control assembly cooperates. It would be easy if the climate control assembly went in after the front console. Unfortunately, the radio faceplate is on top of the front console.

The lesson is to get a radio with the AM/FM antenna connections facing out the back of the radio.