[PDUB]

...this is a pic of an original, unrestored 427 Cobra toploader posted by Dan "the Man" Case on another forum. As you all know, his knowledge runs deep! Hope you don't mind me bringing it over here, Dan! Notice that there are two sets of shifter mounting bosses on this tail housing, which could locate the shifter in the two different positions for other Ford vehicles. Some toploaders came with the two sets of mounting bosses and some came with only one or the other. Complicating this is the fact that there are other tail housings with other mounting positions.

From your other thread, it looks like your original toploader transmission has the correct location for the 427 car, which seems like the toploader for the mid-sized Ford cars, like the Fairlane. The 289 car needs the longer Galaxie/Torino full-sized toploader tail housing for correct shifter location. Unfortunately, that might mean that your original tunnel hole is too far back...

Perhaps Dan will chime in here and help to clarify the situation.