Yeah, never did anything other than change oil or tires before this car. I've learned it all along the way. Just the other day I was reminiscing about how worried I was about doing the downpipe the first time and now it's basically just the last (and possibly easiest) step for other things (ie. tranny install). I really feel like I've learned a lot and I'm really happy I've done it.
I actually do not have the short shifter any more. The PAR gears have shorter throws and I actually liked how the stock shifter felt so I sold mine to a friend. He had the SPT kit. I believe we set the shifter to be as short of throw and overall height as possible let without bending or modifying the shifter trim.