LMAO! you guys are funny . . . I put an eMail request to the seller JIC!

 

I checked out one place and they gave me two quotes:

- A used one (89k) for $850 w/core
- Rebuilding mine for $1200

Do these prices seem fair?

 

Wow my guesses were off. I would want a used one with less miles (that tranny is at 50% if you go through trannies every 160k miles )

I'm guessing a used tranny doesn't change much on price with the change in miles. Keep looking but the price on labor seems ok

 

Okay . . . I would want to go for the used one too. When I go to pick it up, what should I look for on the transmission to determine its condition? What questions should I ask? Once I've gotten the part, what's a reasonable price for installation? Thanks in advance!

 

You can't really eyeball a tranny to figure out what the guts are but you can inspect for physical damage like dents (being dropped), bolt / connection points being stripped, etc

I would only work with a shop that can warranty the work and take a hard look as to what's covered and for how long. But it is still a roll of the dice.

Call a couple of wrecking yards / websites to see if you can find a couple of used trannies and price compare (even if you cant buy there - wreckers in LA are terrible on pricing)

Call a couple of indies saying you want to install a used tranny and ask for a price quote (hrs and total costs) I wouldn't pay than 80/hr for labor and that's for a skilled independent

When you've settle on a guy, dont be shy about asking for a discount.

Try post in the SoCal sub-forum here and get some reco's for shops

Don't forget your friends when it's done Also be skeptical when talking to your indy when he diagnoses your car. Post it, search it and get feedback before you pull the trigger.

 

Lol, well you could go through company's that will ship you one from Japan and those are usually under 60 miles but that might cost you a little bit since, some shops don't like installing items that you got from somewhere and in the event they do install it they don't guarantee the item and this could get complicated if something else going wrong with the one you just paid for...

 

EVERYBODY PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN!

I checked out the car with my guy and the shifter was just sticky. A little silicon grease applied at the base of the shifter did the trick! Much love to all the guys and their sound advice. I know next time when I need help, I'll know in good faith to ask you guys!

 

How much was the silicon grease? lol