The manual trans doesn’t use the soft piece between the platform and the a/c panel. And not all coupes have a lower bracket on the tunnel with screws on the lower console sides, my 73 does not. The issue is your console isn’t tight enough up to the dash rail, it has to be snug up top. That is done with the screws under the two side air intake panel covers that holds the console side panels to the heater/fresh air panel. These are two long machine screws, not coarse screws. Then, there are two coarse screws on each side that attach the a/c panel to the side panels, they screw into speed clips on the a/c panel. That will raise your a/c panel up to the heater panel. Lastly there is one screw on each side at the firewall where a coarse screw threads into a speed clip but this only holds the console to the tunnel a bit. The shift platform itself is held to the side panels by a coarse screw on each side that you can see after removing the window switches. Your leather shift boot can be replaced easily with the platform removed, Coupeking I think still sells shift boots.