1987 Maxima won't shift into drive unless it's been running for a while

What is your question?

The car has to warm up for a few minutes before taking off, but it will not shift into drive at first. If it's been warming up, it may jerk into gear, but sometimes you have to shift all the way to 2 or 1 to make it change. Do I need to add transmission fluid, or is the tranny ready to quit on me?