Definitions
shift lever - stands up vertical and has the shift knob attached.
shift rod - it lays horizontally between the tranny and the shift lever.

When I bought my 84 944, the shifter was so bad it hit the frame and rarely would go into second gear. It was cutting the leather boot between the frame and lever. I replaced the "shift lever" for about $60. It got much better but still very sloppy.

The shaft on the "shift lever" suffers wear on both ends, hourglassed shape. Also, the mating 1 inch long hole in the "shift rod" suffers damage. Simply replacing the "shift lever" does not make it shift like new again.

Use a reversible hand drill and go up in size each time. Drill sizes, 13/32, 27/64, 7/16. Twist the "shift rod" so it is pointed up at an angle as in second gear. Then run the 3 drills through the hole in the "shift rod".

Use a good epoxy and glue the brass tubing (0.95 in long) over the worn shaft on the "shift lever". When it is setup, grease it up good and put it back on the car. Everything will feel real tight again.

The brass tubing is a hobby store item. K & S Engineering sells to hobby stores exclusively. The wall thickness is 0.015 inch nominal.