"that I no longer have a burning desire to install a manual transmission " ..... Blasphemy !

"aligned the marks 5 different times comparing the results to the dial indicator." ... yet more evidence of your Obsessive/Compulsive behavior.

But have you stuck any Snake oil into that Buick Transmission ? You are clearly recovered from your Staping enough to tackle that... you are playing favorites within your stable.... and you need the garage space getting your Buick up and running will give you .... go ahead and deny that all you want... we know the truth....

edit: I did have O/C backwards.