So the 700r4 in my 88 GTA is dead (one of the clutches seems to have committed hari-kari). First, imagine you're a starving college student. Should I

1. Take the 700r I found at a junkyard for $350 and install it myself, then sell the old one to someone willing to rebuild it.
2. Use this tragic time in life to put in something different it (any suggestions?)
3. Wait a few months, sell some plasma, wait some tables, and buy a rebuilt 700r4, which is like $1100 at advance auto.
4. Buy a used tranny off the internet, which is closer to $500.

 

#1 is what my similar-description nephew did, except his old one was the core back to the junkyard.

 

Depending on how courageous you are, you could rebuild it yourself. I'm in the process of picking up a core 700r4 to do just that. The Haynes Techbook for GM auto trannies has step by step with pictures for tearing it down and reassembling it. It doesn't look too much harder than a turbo 350, which I thought was fairly easy. Rather than $350 for a used junkyard trans, that you have no idea how abused it is, you could spend the same $350 and have a rebuilt one. So far my overhaul pricelist is up to $600, but that includes everything to make it bullet-proof. To have one built like that would easily cost me over $1500.

 

The 700r at the junkyard is out of an impala or some similar chevrolet sedan, so I'm guessing it hasn't been driven as hard as if it was out of an f-body. Plus, they give you a 30-day warranty on all parts, meaning I would drive it like hell for that month. If it broke in that period, I could get my money back.

What about putting in a 5-speed manual? I gathered from some of the threads here that the 350 v8s tend to burn those things up pretty fast.

 

I feel your pain bro. Here's what I did:
700r4 died a week ago. Front planetary bit it. I needed my car back ASAP & I needed it cheap. Well, I took my car to the local auto shop (Speedy Auto) & they obtained a used low mileage 700r4 from a Camaro for me ($280). I got quotes of $450 used from another boneyard & $899 new & $175 core from Advance Auto (yes, I guess they sell transmissions too...), so less than $300 is a damn good deal. So, 3 days and less than $600 later, I'm back on the road. I told them to save the old tranny, so they drained it for me & are holding it for me. I'm gonna go back with a truck & a couple buddies to take it home. So over the long winter months when I can't work on my car , I'm gonna get a car buddy of mine to help me rebuild it. Then I either have a spare trans or a perfectly rebuilt one I can sell.
Hope this helps

 

So we went ahead and put in a junkyard tranny out of an Impala or something (700r4, $350), not a bad deal. Then a head gasket blew. I am so screwed. There goes any fun in this car for the next 12 months.