The symptoms:

When the car first starts and I move it down the road, everything works just fine. It shifts great, not to hard, not too smooth. I need to test drive a bit and see exactly what the catalyst is (be it just warming up, or getting on it a couple of times), but it seems that after driving for a bit, the car won't shift until about 4500 rpms. At this point, if I shift from Neutral to Drive (while at a light or something), it goes in, but really hard. Hard enough to make the car lurch forward. The rpm at idle is sitting at about 1000, after shifting it drops to about 500-750. I feel it shift from neutral to drive, but anything below drive manually I can't feel at all.

After I first noticed it, I checked the fluid as soon as I got her home (babying it all the way). It was a little low, but not much. I realized that the lower coolant line (the return, I imagine) was leaking. Could this (a loss of pressure when warm), be the cause of my other issues?

I don't think the transmission is completely fried because, like I said, it drives and shifts great when she's cold.

Things I have considered are the governor valve sticking or gear broken, TV cable needing adjustment, clogged filter or TV valve, or a completely hosed transmission.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful. I'm going to check the TV cable tonight. I'm sure my wife wouldn't mind romping on the gas petal for me a few times. If that doesn't do it, I'm taking her out to a friends garage (with a lift, thank God) this weekend. I'd like to know what else to look for beyond normal servicing.

Thanks,

Blue91ZConv