That's the plate on top of the central VW tunnel that covers the shift rod coupler.
It is an oval shape and has some el-cheapo insulation on the bottom side, along with a hold-down clip on one side.
I removed mine from Pearl and have misplaced it. Looked for it for over an hour - no luck. It may have gotten pitched during one of my frantic, "purge everything from the bench" moments when I couldn't find something earlier.
Anyone have one kicking around that they could part with? I'm not having much luck in my neighborhood.
Thanks, Gordon