hi sages - read this thread and thought that in my experience the two greatest opportunities for shysters in the auto repair business are automatic transmissions and air conditioning. although electronics and computers re rapidly catching up to them. all backyard mechanics should become aware of this if not already. been working on cars since 65 and am amazed that so little has been done to improve technology and longevity in these two items over the years.this is what i have frequently seen : r12 is generally unavailable, acs remain fragile and expensive to repair, if 134a is on its way out/ what next?, auto trans repair has been a frequent scam since the early 50s. remember uncle moe almost getting clipped for a 1000$ auto trans rebuild in his 56 ford 2 speed fordamatic and then at the last minute replacing a screw in vacuum modulator for $2.95. solved his problem for the next 50k miles. even with the volvo 240s i have heard of today at r and rs costing $3-4k. heres the bottom line- next time in a junkyard, notice all the late model cars of most makes particularly fwds from gm and japanese companies that appear to be in good condition in and out. ask the yard operator about this. you will find the frequent answer is bad ac or dead auto trans. this represents a terrible waste of resources. sorry dont have an answer unless it is better technology which is more reliable, has more longevity and is easier and cheaper to repair. moe says im just whistling dixie with that one. (been to the volvo dealer lately for a repair- if not you may die from sticker shock). thanks tons for your time oldduke