Used the repair guide for replacing the upper case and purchased tools and an upper case to do the repairs. Went swimmingly until step 34--removing the display hinges. The screws were so tight that I twisted loose the handle of my new T6 screwdriver, then broke the tip of another T6 driver. So, frustrated, I gave up on replacing the whole upper case when I noticed how the trackpad could be replaced without removing the display, etc. So I returned the upper case to Ifixit (thanks guys), bought the trackpad and a pro driver set and dove back in. Voila! the trackpad went in pretty easily and now my MBP is up and running fine.
A few caveats though: #1) when replacing the back, one of the long screws pierced the wiring to the DC-in board and I had to replace that too. Word to the wise--be sure that DC-in wiring harness is tucked out of the way when reassembling the logic board or that screw could pinch the wires! #2) when reattaching the ribbon-style cables to the keyboard (and trackpad) one needs to be careful to make sure the connection is secure--that is, all the way in. It is easy to leave it partially out and then you won't be able to start up once it's all back together. I found out the hard way and had to reopen and recheck my connections. Upside to this is that I can open up this baby blindfolded now (LOL). Thanks Ifixit for all the support.