Went to AAMCO today just to get an estimate for my transmission.
Keep in mind this is a C3...one of the most widely used transmissions by Ford. After parts and labor it would cost me about 1100 bucks!!!! I told the guy that it cost more than my car is worth and I paid 200 bucks for it!!! (I have a Zephyr and not a Mustang.)
He laughed and I walked out.
On a car that old.... for a C3? I'd just hit the junkyard... you could get lucky, I found one of the few desirable C3s in the junkyard near me the other day (Merkur XR4Ti 2.3T C3). And you're right they're very common.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
Just to much for my blood...he tried to sell me on "how sentimetal is the car". Thats not right don't care who you are. So I'm pretty much never going to set foot at another AAMCO.
I called my brother last night and he refered me to this guy that rebuilt his trannsmission for his Nova. Turbo 400 for only 600 bucks...not bad. But yeah I have my eye on a Fairmont that I hope could use.
Just to much for my blood...he tried to sell me on "how sentimetal is the car". Thats not right don't care who you are. So I'm pretty much never going to set foot at another AAMCO.
I called my brother last night and he refered me to this guy that rebuilt his trannsmission for his Nova. Turbo 400 for only 600 bucks...not bad. But yeah I have my eye on a Fairmont that I hope could use.
when someone starts doing that to me I simple reply with, "If this was your car, would you pay that much?" if they say yes, I burst out laughing and walk out the door
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The sad thing is, with 15 PSI, straight back exhaust, and a bobs log, it still feels slow...
Maybe 20PSI, new computer, new 3" VAM, and some porting will make it faster
$600 for a TH400 is about normal, $1100 for a C3 is not. The TH350 in my Chevy was $850 for its rebuild, but that included tougher internals, a shift kit, and adjustable modulator, and an 1800rpm stall converter, along with a one year warranty on the converter and two years on the transmission. In comparison my AOD in my Mustang with about the same level of buildup was $1600, but it had a much more aggressive shift kit in it.
There's no way a junkyard transmission should be more than $300 for your car though... if you can find a yard that'll let you pull your own parts, look for an old Fairmont, Zephyr, LTD II, Mustang, Pinto, Mustang II or Bobcat (as well as pretty much any other small rear-wheel-drive Ford that might have 2.3 power) and look for one that looks like a little-old-lady drove it before it was wrecked or sold to the yard just to get rid of it and check the color of the fluid (most yards drill a hole in the pan and drain it, so you may have to crawl under it and stick something in there or disconnect a transmission cooling line to get a little fluid from inside) and check the color. If that fluid is still red, pink, or orange, and not foamy and doesn't have metallic residue in it, then that stands the chance of being a good donor (though there are NO guarantees in junkyarding, get the yard's return policy in writing!).
Good luck amigo!
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
Like already stated common. Also check local autoparts they have rebuilt trans. That is where I got my c-4. I got 2 c-3 free to come and get. But both need front bushing and one also need parking pawl. I found this out hard way by putting both in and test. What a agravation. Reason I went c-4.
you have no idea how lucky you are i cant find anyone to rebuild mine for under 2 grand
Yours (assuming it's in your 1990) is also either an AOD (V8) or A4LD (4-cyl.) and much more complicated to work on, the A4LD is such a delicate creature that some shops simply won't touch them, especially with the ridiculous lack of parts availability for them.
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1976 Ford Mustang II Ghia: 302 with a 600cfm Edelbrock carb, Edelbrock Performer 289 intake, Dynomax Blackjack headers, 2.5" exhaust with Flowmaster Super 44s. RJS 11-gallon fuel cell, C4 tranny, chrome 16" pony wheels, fuzzy dice, brown vinyl half-top, and painted in the tackiest color ever (harvest gold, that's why I call it "The Goldenrod").
Also have a 2003 Dodge Ram (lightly modded daily driver/tow rig/office/dining room/home away from home/workshop... I call it "The Big Blue Dawg".)
a little to pricey for me... 
