Hans,
Here are a few thoughts on T-5’s.
There is no space problem with the T-5 Bell housing.
If you must have the shift lever come out the same hole as the original top loader then you will have to pay a lot more for the installation. Tom Hall at modtiger@comcast.net has said he is about to start selling the new tail shaft he has designed that sits the transmission up straight, as god intended, so that it won’t leak, puts the shift lever in the T-5 spot and provides a sensible speedometer routing. The two Tigers that had the T-5 transmissions on an angle at the 2005 TE/AE United lost their speedometers due to cable failure.
You can also use the Chevy S-T tail shaft that puts the lever in the middle of the floor at about the same distance forward as the original. The tail shaft must be modified for the speedometer drive output.
The third choice is to use the stock T-5 sitting up straight with a stock Tiger speedometer drive and cable. The seat riser cross member must be modified for the shift mechanism box. This puts the lever output about 6 inches rearward, but with the lever bent forward 3 inches, the ball falls at about the same place as stock, which has a lever bent rearward about 3 inches.
If your primary use for the Tiger is racing, go with the narrow ratio T-5. If it is mostly going to be used on the road go with the wide ratio T-5 and 2.88 rear end. The opinions about not being able to accelerate from a stop or on the highway is a myth. If you want to know how it drives, drive a late 80’s Mustang V8. If your Tiger has a good engine, it will drive better due to the lower weight.
John Logan