My factory auto shifter is sloppy, loose and has some rattles. Not the way I would like it to say the least. This is something I will be looking into. Has anybody delt with this with good results?

Let me go a different route. Has anybody ever found a shifter that could be used with the factory console?

Do you have the 68 shifter now? They are pretty easy to take apart and/or lube & tighten up. The plastic guides (2 of them) in the shifter can wear and cause sloppy feel. Best bet would be to find another shifter (68 or 69). If you're using the neutral saftey switch, imagine it would be hard to make work correctly with a non-stock shifter.

It should be pretty easy to use a hurst quarter stick, with only minor work.