yes nv3500 is a 5speed. only other 5speed tranny for the s10’s was the t5, which was a much weaker transmission and was used for the 4cyl 2.2 motors. the hole is not big and when i was talking to my friend he said they have patched them before. the spot where the hole is isnt bad but can be repaired easily if you have a tig welder. there is 142k on the motor and tranny but still ran great.