How original have you kept yours and why

Cutting the tunnel for the 5 speed is one of my concerns

I don't think you can go wrong there, that won't decrease the value. If your car was a 340 car or Formula S then I would say maybe but there are more people that would want the 5spd than an original tranny.

You could go with an overdrive A833 if you don't want to cut the tunnel.