V8COOPMAN quote: "And that old Ford 3-speed won't shift anywhere near as nicely as a T5....FACT!"
In stock form, neither shifter is much good but with a few mods that don't show, both can be made to shift as fast as a Lenco.
On another note, most people never think about what the addition of a driveline overdrive (Mitchell/Ryan/Volvo) or a rear end overdrive (Columbia) does to the handling of the car.
The manufacturers never tell you that different springs or shocks should be used to retain stock handling and performance. Granted most people that install these units never drive fast enough to realize that handling has been compromised but adding over 100 lb of unsprung weight to a car that already has too much, is not good.
A transmission overdrive will outperform other types in all cases.