Hi Nick,
>After I replace the hard drive with another one, can I boot up using the Network Access Disk and from there format the drive and install 7.5.3?
It depends on whether the SCSI hard drive has an appropriate basic formatting or not. If yes, you should be able to boot from the Network Access floppy and initialise the hard disk via the Erase Disk command under the Special menu. If not, you would need a disk tools floppy with a suitable formatting utility.
Apple HD SC Setup 7.3.5 is a formatting utility for hard drives with an Apple logo (that have not been reformatted by a third-party application). For other hard drives, a third-party program (such as Lido 7.5.6) would be needed.
http://www.info.apple.com/support/oldersoftwarelist.html#util
It is possible to modify a Network Access floppy to hold a small utility like Apple HD SC Setup 7.3.5. However, this would normally require access to a fully working old (approx. 1991-1997) Macintosh computer.
>Is there a Windows program I can use to properly put these on the floppies as I don't have access to an actual Classic OS?
You would need a Windows program (something like TransMac) that can handle Mac floppies (1.44 MB) on a PC. Download all nineteen files in the MacBinary (.bin) format. Keep the files as they are. Do not attempt to decode or decompress anything on the PC. Copy the files one at a time onto Mac-(re)formatted 1.44 MB HD diskettes. Then move the floppies to the Color Classic (once it has a temporary operating system).
On the Color Classic, place the nineteen files in a common folder. Now, use StuffIt Expander to decode the MacBinary (.bin). Do this by dragging each transferred file onto the StuffIt Expander icon, or by opening each file from inside the StuffIt Expander utility. If you do not have a proper version of StuffIt Expander for the old Mac, you may want to try this:
Download the MACDISK.EXE file from the following web page onto a PC (capable of running a DOS program).
http://rrzs42.uni-regensburg.de/Macintosh/files/macftp.html
Next, prepare an empty PC-formatted 1.44 MB HD floppy via the FORMAT A: command under DOS or the "full" formatting option under Windows. Do this even if the floppy had been formatted earlier.
Run the MACDISK.EXE (DOS) program on the PC. Follow the instructions on screen. The result will be a Mac-formatted (sic!) floppy complete with a ready-to-use StuffIt Expander 4.0.1 installer for Macintosh.
Jan