Hummm..., my 150K miles T-5 that came out of the Turbo Coupe still functions fine. And parts are available. If you get the one with the bellcrank the Pinto clutch cable connects. A simple plate of steel with two holes gets it over the crossmember. The stock Auto rubber trans mount was a bolt on (assume the manual is too) and all the steel mount required was a bit of slotting. In my case I went from a C-4 Auto trans/6-3/4" rear to a T-5/8" rear and the driveshaft fit without alteration.
So, basically what I'm saying is why spend a lot of money rebuilding the lesser stock Pinto 4-speed with hard to find parts? While they aren't falling off trees the 2.3 version of the T-5 at a Pick Your Part 40% off sale is under $100 out the door. They are rated at 240 Ft. lb. and mine has held up to the 190 HP of my Turbo motor. I can't account for every drive shaft fitment but with my C-4 to T-5 swap I could either spend $$$ to adapt the driveshaft to the length of the weak 6-3/4 rear, or spend roughly $75 (40% off price) for a much stronger 8" and use the unaltered driveshaft. It is a no brainer.
For those that say the 5th gear of a T-5 isn't practical for the 2.0 engine..., well, just don't use it. You are still getting a better (useful 4 gears) transmission that likely suffices without a rebuild. And if it does need one, the parts aren't hard to find.