Liboicl

Alright. I have a 1984 Firebird with a 2.8L V6. It has roughly 500k miles on it. The transmission has stopped shifting any higher than 2nd. From my research, it seems the clutch packs have went out, therefore, it is in need of a rebuild. I wasn't surprised due to the mileage I have racked up on it. I called a local mechanic to gauge the cost of a rebuild. It will be around $1000 from him, which includes upgrades. I understand that is a fair price, as always is form him, but, unfortunately I don't have that kind of cash on hand at the moment.
I looked around for a used one, but all the ones I can find are 90 degree models and won't fit.
I have a friend who used to run a mechanic shop some years ago who has offered to help me with a rebuild, but he is not experienced with rebuilding and is unsure if he has the appropriate tools.
Now for the questions.
1. Does any know of where I can obtain a cheap & working transmission? I am willing to make the swap to a manual transmission, if it'd be cheaper.

2. What, if any, specialty tools will I need for a rebuild? Can I use some more common items in place of those?

3. On a low budget, what is the best rebuild kit? By low budget I mean as low as possible. Hopefully less than $200.
I found 2 kits from AutoZone. One for ~$100 and one for ~$150
Would either of these be sufficient to fix my problem?
Thank you in advance.

RS Reaper

1,000 is a very fair price mine cost 1,500 to rebuild.
Junkyard and craglist are your best bet. This can also be risky because used is used. Some junkyards offer warranties that you can bring back parts if they don't work, I would look for this if going the junkyard way. However you are putting a bandaid on it not a real fix. Even in a junkyard finding a low milage car is no guarantee that it will last.
I have no idea of your financial standing but you could see if they offer a payment plan. Not something you really want to ask but I have found a few shops that understand and will do payment in installments. Manual transmissions are not cheaper. I have seen people do Manual transmissions swaps but never to save money. It usually cost them a good bit of money and time to get the clutch and interior and crap done so it works.
If you decide to try and rebuild it you have to by a manual and it will have listed the tools needed. I have never rebuilt a 700r4 trans so I have no idea if there are any specialty tools. regular and factory manuals are great to have anyway. I have found mine to be priceless.
No idea.