Update to post #31. Got the tranny replaced in Feb. and I've had the car out a couple times but the weather has kept me from really working it out. First impressions though are encouraging. 2nd gear seems flawless now and 3rd is still a little notchy. Once the trans is up to normal operating temp 3rd is better but not perfect. All other gears so far are fine. The really good part about my swap out is I no longer have to worry about my early build output shaft blowing up on me. The new trans has the new output shaft!
Another thing I noticed is that my aftermarket Hurst is now a lot quieter, less vibration and buzzing when accelerating! The GM rep said that my gears are still the cintered ones but the way 2nd feels I'm wondering if it really has the carbon blocking ring. I'll have a better review once I put some miles on it!