Blowing fuse and fuses power more than it should?

The fuses in that car power multiple circuits other than just the gauges. Your description sort of sounds like the tail fuse is back feeding power into the gauge cluster. That would explain the dash getting power when you put the fuse in. It sounds like you have a short in the gauge circuit. The problem is that finding that short is going to take some work. To start you will need something like a short finder like this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZrCrBx4uFY

Then you will probably need to locate splice 287 above the fuse block on the left side of the dash and test each branch circuit from it to find the one with the short They are all the same Pink with black stripe. Then to verify it you would then cut the wire and install a fuse. Then follow that wires circuit to its load and repair the problem. Attached are the relevant wiring diagrams.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

What I would do is to find the splice, then go to the component listed as being fed from it. Like say the brake light switch, unplug it, does the short go away? Then go to the cluster itself, unplug it, check again. If you buy the short finder I added, inside it is nothing more than a self-resetting circuit breaker, you can change that piece out for different ones by just buying a different breaker in the parts store. I have made a few of them with different ratings and painted the PVC tube with the color of the fuse. If you hit Amazon with Auto-Reset Mini ATM Circuit Breaker, you will see the type I used. You can also use the stud versions the parts stores sell. It will likely take a bit to find because unlike more modern cars they fed a lot off of the single fuse.

Well, that was quick. Great to hear you found it.