I made a couple of failed attempts to fix the driver's 1/4 panel, so I finally did what I should have done in the first place and taped off the whole panel from the back of the door to the stripes. Thankfully, it was a success, and I can continue on with the BMF for the trim. I wasn't liking the longer shifter, which was meant for use without the console, so I cut it off at the boot and just after the first bend. I then glued the remaining part onto the boot and it's now a more reasonable looking shifter.