I found a B&M Precision SportShifter for sale for a very good price on eBay.
Install time was about 3 hrs, not particularly difficult when you already have all the right tools.
So far so good, no complaints with the stiffer gear change and time will tell if it fixes the issue with 1st gear dropping out.
Some imperfections when looking into the transmission:
B&M vs OEM:
B&M Shifter in place: