I had a similar problem on my 88 Wolfsburg for a long time; ' just had
the bushings replaced (gear shift bushings?) and the problem is gone
and it shifts like a dream. My mechanic charged me $159.

> I have trouble shifting into first gear, and was
>> suspecting it was a linkage problem.  When at a dead stop, you
somtimes have
>> put it in second and then throw it hard into first