After driving my Caravan for 11.5 years and 120k miles...bought it used
>which adds up to just shy of 205k...the transmission has finally decided to
>bite the dust. It's the standard wheel base Caravan with the 3.0 v6 and
>3-speed automatic...otherwise I gather it likely wouldn't have survived this
>long! It seems to start out cold sorta OK, but by the time it warms up it
>doesn't seem to want to go and doesn't shift - so best I can tell it's
>failing into 3rd gear all the time.
>
>I called a highly reputable local transmission shop and they quoted about
>$1900 to put a rebuilt transmission in it. Ouch...afraid not.
>
>My normal mechanic (who flushed the transmission with no success in fixing
>it) tells me they found a used transmission somewhere out of a vehicle with
>100k miles on it and they can get it installed for about $1000...which would
>have a 30-day warranty.
>
>Otherwise it's in pretty decent condition considering the age and mileage.
>It rides great as it always has...I've upgraded the stereo system in it over
>the years, so it sounds even better than it runs... :-) Anyway...I hate to
>get rid of it, but I also don't want to be throwing good money after bad. >
>Any thoughts from the experts (or even you non-experts such as myself) >around here?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Wesley
>
If the body is solid and everything else is good I'd be tempted to put in a good used tranny. I did on my 88 New Yorker and I definitely got my money's worth out of it. What can you buy for a grand? Nothing. A well maintained 3.0 is not a BAD bet. I'm not a fan of MitsuShitty products, but the bottom end of the 3.0 is bulletproof and although mine went through 2 sets of heads in 240,000km that's abouit the only engine trouble I had.
It's your decision, but there are more foolish places to put a thousand bucks.