"rkpatt",
Thanks for the compliments for they make me think and realize that a lot of good came out of my seeming failed effort to give back to other on this Forum. I learned of an experienced Mercedes trained mechanic locally who now has his own shop. He spent almost all of his M-B dealer employment working on transmissions so he knows fully what to expect from M-B as a parts source… and after considering the task of rebuilding this 722.118 himself -vs- the rebuild by Peter Schmid [ http://www.peterschmid.com/ ], he recommended the latter largely due to the greater warranty period and the very good reputation that Schmid has here in the S.F. Bay Area... and I'm sure his knowledge that M-B might not come through or the high price of internal parts that he might find needing replacement.

If this car were mine and only I drove it, my first choice would have been to look for a salvaged stick shift [ a 5-speed stick is my pipe dream]… but that’s not the case.

Purchasing this car for my young banker son and agreeing to help him restore it mechanically and otherwise to become his primary means of [ reliable/ safer ] transportation has been a very worthwhile experience primarily because of my discovery of this Forum and all the helpful soles I know are out there and willing to take the time to give a helping hand and/or encouragement !!

My sincere thanks to all of you on the Forum,
Sam Ross