Ken, yes sir, those Stens starters work well. Glad that problem is solved. Now as far as the plastic.... whoever thought that was a good idea (MTD) should be kicked square in the donkey.
Since the tractor frame is same as earlier models, the steel sheetmetal "can" be used but the instrument panel/dash pedestal makes it difficult.
I put 682 hoods and grille on a 1782 (similar plastic junk) by some minor modifying of the plastic dash. The sides of the existing dash require some "narrowin'" with a power tool (not cool tool) that is hardly noticed. IIRC, about 1/4" material removed each side following the lines of the x82 hood. Slip on an x82 hood and grille some day to see what I mean; it is a minor surgery.
Dem sidehoods ain't no big problem either, as you know the plastic ones used wingnuts to retain them (at the rear). That style is slightly different on the x82 hoods, same wingnuts but studs located in a different spot.
You have to cut the plastic from the dash piece on each side to allow the x82 hoods to fit against the metal pedestal. That's it.
IIRC, you may have a small gap between the x82 sidepanels and the tractor frame below, which a piece of flat stock fixes.
Hope you found this confusing yet understandable