[universeman]

+1 for baby the transmission and spank the engine

I am running stock 915 in my 82, 305k miles (rebuilt motor/trans at 295k by PO so pretty fresh)

When I bought the car, shifting was sloppy and vague. Rod bushing was totally shot, so I replaced it and the shift cup bushing. Have not replaced coupler bushes yet, due to stripped set screw that I have not wanted to deal with.

Replacing bushings above made massive improvement in shift handle tightness.

Then switched gear oil to Kendall and saw noticeable improvement.

Shifting into first at stop, when cold, sometimes requires a trip to 2nd. Does not seem to matter whether I'm rolling or not.

1-2 shift is dicey sometimes (usually when I'm in an intersection crossing traffic and need it quickly)

Shifting with fingertips rather than palm seems to help it find its way.

All other 1-5 shifts are fine, nearly 100% of the time. The words "notchy" and "positive" come to mind. You definitely "feel" the transmission doing its thing; I like that. My wife and daughter do not. Maybe that makes me like it more.

Reverse can sometimes resist me. This car doesn't like to go backward! I have to mess around with 4-5-N patterns every once in a while to get it into gear. Feels like a lockout problem, but I have the stock shifter.

All in all, the 915 with its quirks is one of the reasons I enjoy driving the car. The little reminders that you're driving a machine made for rolling around in....