slap stick...slide plate

[chargerdon]

How do you remove the slide plate on the console shifter so that i can swap it from round hole to the square hole type?   Hopefully you don't have to drill out the rivets holding the top plate to its base !! 

[Claudia]

  It may be a moot point if you are working with new parts but the one that I had was not and was worn in some . . . I was able to basically pry the metal apart just enough to pop the slider out of the groove that it slides in and remove the black slide plate.  I removed mine to gain access to and clean all of the years of dirt off of the colored shifter plates so that they would illuminate clearly once installed in the car.  It went back together much easier than it came apart.  Maybe I just got lucky and there is a better way???  I only have the one picture of the bezel with the slide plate removed.

[chargerdon]

I got it out...   Basically, i simply wiggled it left and right while putting a "fair amount" of tugging on it and it simply popped out !!    I was able to push it back in without breaking it also..   

[HEMICUDA]

If that 70 round hole slide plate is good, I wouldn't buy another for a 71-74, oblong the hole.