sloppy shifting in 82 320i

bought a used 82 329i... very clean ride, but shift is very loose... not at all as tight as the new 82 I had as a young man... perhaps a worn rubber part in the linkage? any thoughts?

You can replace the rubber bushings on the shifter plate, and the little Orange sponge inside the linkage that connects the selector rod to the tranny. Also check to make sure the shift plate isn't actually broken as that will also cause sloppy shifting. with minimal mods you can install a Z3 shifter in there and a new shift knob and get a tight budget short shifter.