Trans shield

That's a good point. My car has a static 51/49 weight balance with me in the seat. It'll be interesting to see how it hooks when I come off of the transbrake with the engine being forward a bit.

I really don't want to cut access holes in my floor if I can help it. This is a street car with carpet and interior, so tearing everything out just to detach the motor and trans if needed would be a pain.

Hmmm....
I have 4 holes cut inline with the bellhousing bolt holes. Its just below the carpet line and I cover them with sheet metal patches. You can hardly see them and they are a massive time saver even without the shield.