reags8:
Can someone tell me the cost to rebuild a ATX on a Gen II ?
Also the local AAMCO shop tells me that they will do it - should I trust them ?
Scott
Avoid AAMCO at all costs (even if they give you the lowest price). You will use their 'lifetime warranty' early and often. cuss
Doug Lewis' (FPS) tranny runs about $2200 + core + shipping last time I checked, which means you'd have to pay someone locally to install it (unless you wanted to bring the car to Georgia to have it done there), which will run $600-$800 on average for labor. His trannys are the best by all accounts, but rightfully you'll pay a premium for it.
If there's not a tranny shop locally that you would trust and you don't want to spend over $3K, my next recommendation would be to go right to Ford. A Ford reman tranny & torque converter is ~$1700 plus the same $600-$800 labor, so about $2300-$2500 total. One advantage of going to Ford directly is that you'll get a 3/36 warranty on the tranny that will be good at any Ford dealer.
The average price for a rebuild at most independent tranny shops is around $1800 total, but quality varies widely and if you go this route you're going to want to find a shop with a lot of good personal references, experience with the AXODE line of trannys, and an excellent reputation for quality, service, and support.
Where in CT are you? I can recommend two places in the greater Boston area that I would trust.
