With the subframe in I could attack my shifter project. Installing a hurst Competition Plus body with a factory style Muncie handle... in the stock location to use the factory boot. SHhhhhhhh!
Mocked up the factory shifter which was easy enough because it bolts to the subframe. (marked the location... I actually had tape strung across from the dash to the seat to form a window box of the handle location.
Next mocked up the transmission tailshaft (a little tape measure work required here as the rear mount has lots of "movement").
Mounted up the Hurst shifter and adapter plate and then determined how far I needed to move it to get the handle into the correct position
By modifying the adapter plate I was able to move the shifter body forward and rotate the top forward a little to get it where the handle was in the exact location as the factory Muncie shifter. (The shift body also required a little clearancing along the inside forward edge).
Then cut off the muncie handle to the required length and had the holes machined out (drill bits were having none of this material).
Don't worry the original shifter was not from this car and was essentially a parts shifter as the internal "gate" spring mechanism was non-functional.
(Paid hard for that shifter... got scammed) Remaining parts available if someone needs.
Finally mocked it all up with the bezel and boot and looks like it should work fine... a little stretch upward on the boot but nothing serious.