I just found this forum and I like it already.
I have had an '88 4+3 for about 8 years. I am very pleased to see some people speaking about the 4+3 with the respect it deserves. I have heard so many people condemn it, most of them just speaking like Myna birds with no personal experience.
In 8 years, I have replaced the micro switch at the bottom of the stick and the magnetic coil at the valve body, that's all.
I have seen people write that these are nothing but problems and they are no good. Mine has been durable and fun to drive.
I do not use the clutch when shifting in or out of overdrive, but I do match the power. If I am slowing down from highway speed, when the speed feels right, I press the button while applying very light throttle. With this method, it is very smooth shifting. Once I got the feel of the throttle and the shifting, I used the button even when downshifting to pass. The key is using light throttle application to smooth the shift.
My $0.02,