Hi Jerry,
I believe that shiny part is bare steel from grinding/cutting away the transmission side mounts. Here's the link to Cavebull's album, it is one of the few that really get's in to detail of the t5 swap specifically for the art deco trucks.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/dodsonbrett/sets/72157600835133131/From the picture, I'm hoping there should be enough alternate mounting points to create another bracket on that ear off the transmission and the tailhousing bolts. I would think this would further strengthen against lateral movement and help with the leverage in the event of forceful braking. Just wondering if anybody has solved this problem yet or had any better ideas. See pic attached.
