2) How does it affect your shift points. With an automatic, no big deal. But with a 5-speed, the shift points will be lower. The 94-95s have a really low 3.35 first gear (can't remember the 1st gear number for the earlier cars offhand, 2.95 or something like that). With a 3.35 first and 3.73 rear, shifting at 15 MPH will be at 2451 RPM while shifting at only 20 MPH will be at 3568 RPM. Kinda high! Like you keep hearing, 1st is almost useless as in it winds up so fast you feel like as soon as you let the clutch out, you're pushing it right back in to go for a speed shift for second. Now lets say you pick a common 2400 RPM shift point, the 3.08s would be at 17.8 MPH when you press the clutch pedal, the 3.55s at 15.4 MPH, and with the 3.73s you'd be at 14.7 MPH. Doesn't seem like much difference but it's the speed at which the motors RPMs are increasing that creates an issue. You don't automatically and immediately hit the next gear (like and auto) so you have some time lag in between shifts. (Again we're talking daily driving on the street, not racing). With 3.08s the difference while you're shifting between 15 and 20 MPH is 674 RPMs, with 3.73s the 5 MPH difference goes up to 1117 RPMs (2451 to 3568 RPMs). Not much room left to go up any more without winding the crap out of the motor is there.
The larger the gear the the harder the launch! But remember the downside. The more gear you put in, the lower and now faster your shifts will have to be....... everytime you stop, all day long, every day, both direction back and forth to wherever you're going!
