No shift kit is installed
No kickdown cable is installed
Fluid level is perfect, no leaks
After some experiments this weekend, I retract my statement about "warmed-up". Once it warms up, it does shift acceptable, but still not as smooth as when the choke is on when cold. I guess it has to do with the higher RPMs as suggested earlier. The way it shifts when warm is acceptable, but not as I expected. I thought it could be smooth almost to the point you can't feel the shift. 2nd to 3rd is smooth like that, but 1st to 2nd is noticeable. I suspect the engine is so down on power that it has to spin up to get the car rolling and thus hangs up a bit in 1st when doing so.
I'm not saying the car isn't working correctly as much as I'm saying it's not as refined as I thought it could be.