Out of curiosity I went out and looked at mine. When new and engine sitting on it, I think it had about .015" or maybe .020" clearance between the two metal pieces. After 7 or 8 years it has none. I've always thought a bit of clearance here helped dampen engine noise through the frame. For years mine used the 2 front side mounts (on top of rubber doughnut looking pieces) and the two rear mounts on the bell housing. It was notably quieter...especially at highway speeds. When I added A/C and used a different mounting scheme, I did away with those and used the old style front mount.

~ Jon
1952 1/2 ton with 1959 235 | T5 with 3.07 rear end