Glen, the previous owner of my car, ordered a complete set of linkage bushings from the dealer and installed them in 30 minutes. The results were good. I don't know how long the parts took to arrive or if his problem was the same as yours.
In Glen's words:
Replaced the shift-rod bushings today. Lately, it's been harder to engage first gear, there was a lot of play in the shifter. I determined the problem by crawling under the car and inspecting the shift linkages. The first gear rod bushing at the shifter side was gone. I ordered a complete set to replace all the bushings. The job took about 30 minutes and gear selection is smooth once again.
You should respond to our thread identifying the 5 speed owners:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=20266