That sucks, Doug!
I used to do a little shipping, and we would toss some boxes (little ones)... but never to cause THAT kind of damage. And if we did, it got patched up or repacked. You should have punched the guy in the arm real hard and told him to pass it along to every other employee that handled the box.
Glad to hear you're being optimistic and looking forward to getting the 5 speed in, instead of back at the lack of a strut.
__________________
-Aaron
SVX: '92 Dark Teal 101k
'97 Legacy GT Wagon: dead
'99 Civic Si: daily driver... stolen and stripped with all my tools!
'92 Yamaha FZR 600: garage
2011 Jetta: Daily disappointment