Back in the day, the hot setup was to use the factory Pontiac arms, with the Competition Plus shifter, and C/P linkage.
The threaded linkage was much easier to keep in adjustment than the set screw style factory linkage was. The factory arms were shorter from center to center making a shorter throw than the C/P arms. The oilite bushings outlasted the plastic bushings many times over.
The C/P also had superior spring clips to hold the linkage, bushings, and arms together.
Put a drill bit in the shifter body, align the linkage, set the stops, that was the ultimate 4 speed shifter setup in my circle of friends. If you missed a shift with that setup, you better be looking for a car with an automatic.....LOL
The factory shifter was inferior on the set screw linkage, plastic bushings, no stops on the shifter body, lesser quality clips. It was superior on shorter center to center shift arms. Put all the best parts together from both, and you had a real good solid package.
After quite a few 4 speed cars, I bought a 69 GTO with a T 400, I've gravitated towards automatic equipped cars ever since. I guess the dreaded 2-3 shifter jamb has a good bit to do with me getting away from the manual transmission cars. I had enough grief with blowing up drivetrains with the side step the clutch starts to appreciate how much easier the automatic was on the drivetrain. I may be a slow learner, but after awhile I was no longer lying under the car most weekends repairing carnage done by dump the clutch standing starts.
Even with all the best parts, you could still jamb a shifter on the 2-3 shift, necessitating crawling under the car to unjamb it. It always seemed to happen when I was on a date with good clothes on......
