You are right, Andy... My situation seems to be the exception rather than the norm. I guess I'm just being bitter 'cause I was sooo excited to get an Alfa of my very own... And to have that excitement turn to disgust within a matter of days really sucked. I can tell you that the shift linkage on my particular car made the tail shift 'box in my '70 914 feel positively silky by comparison. Cheer, Scott