If it were my car, I would personally do the manual conversion at this point. It is a big job, but not too terribly hard, and a minimum of wiring is required at this point. The auto ECU can be fooled to work with a 5spd...
A used torque converter is the next best option. Used parts are used parts. You take your chances, but if you wander the junkyard and check the mileage on the wrecks, you can at least know the mileage of what you are getting. Or call Super Rupair here in Boulder (303-442-6508) and talk to Dave in used parts. You will pay a bit more for it, but he usually has parts available with less than 100k mi.
Lastly, if you need a starter, shoot me a pm. I have a manual starter in the Ghetto Garage.