the plastic part that goes around transmission shift lever is broken. i just found out it was broken without knowing how. maybe just aging material...
i need the part number for new replacement. any insights? mine is '95 ST. thanks for your 2 cents in advance.

Unless there's someone with new old stock that wasn't thrown away, your only place to get a replacement will be from a parts car. Maybe could use the same piece from another car of the era, or make one out of a sheet of thin black plastic. Odds are the same piece was used on any automatic Toyota of the time with a 4-speed automatic.

thanks a lot for quick response. oh it would be tough job then.
if i could get hold of one, how can i replace it? just unbolt, detach and reattach things?

I've never owned an automatic made past the 70's so I can't say beyond taking it apart and having a look, I can't imagine it'd be too hard to dismantle though. Hardest part will be taking off the shift selector handle. Though once you have it off and looking at it you'll know if it's something you can remake or will need to get off parts car. If I had to guess it's a piece of black plastic that slides through a track/ledge in the shifter surround plate. Worst case scenario you can do a custom selector handle and boot like a lot of people are doing these days to try and disguise it's an automatic.

You can use this as a reference to dismantling it. lots of pics n different angles.

Link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUTO-FLOOR-SHIFTER...lai&vxp=mtr

If you have a LHD car, that is part number: 35975-20150

i get them all the time from the junkyard and you can use the ones from corolla or camry. and is only two screws to get it out. or just get the piece that broke, and glue it ,reinforcing it with tape on the back. I have done it before and it works ok.I even painted them .

thank you very much, gentlemen!!

thanks for the good link. i have no clue about how to detach the top plate on which gear indicator is marked. is it even possible to remove the cover without unbolting the whole assembly?
the top plate should be removed to reach the broken part and replace it.