Don't be a sally and go auto. There's many options to handle power with the 5 spd, even keeping it a t5. I destroyed 3rd in mine a couple months ago, and as bad as it sounded, kinda like you described, that was the only thing wrong inside. I'm sure your tranny is rebuildable. I wanted to upgrade anyway though. I called g-force first, and their customer service sucked so I called Astro. They were extremely helpful, answered every question I had, and really knew their stuff. I talked to Tony, who is the President and I believe the owner. Very nice guy. I got the gear kit, bearings, synchros, and a clutch for around $1600 shipped.