Hugh,
Maybe you should upgrade to a '59. They are more advanced, maybe because of the bumper difference. I can reach right up there and pop out my bulb with two fingers. I've done this a number of times since I kept putting in the wrong voltage, and they kept burning out. My plastic shroud is broken off also, and I don't really see a need for it, in fact the plate is probably much better illuminated without it. It's amazing how some of these easy fixes can become major projects taking up most of you day. I had the same problem when trying to remove one of the two tiny phillips screws from under the steering wheel shaft to get at the turn indicator switch. I finally had to drill out this stubborn thing which took a few hours, and never did get the switch to work correctly after all that.
Bill '59 Crown