[lafountain]

Apparantly, the transmission wasn't the only thing wrong with my car. After getting my transmission rebuilt I was driving home and it was doing a few of the same things (struggling over 3k RPMs and occassional stutters), took it in to be looked at, and dealer said the main bearings were going which would result in needing a new motor. Planning on taking it somewhere else tomorrow for a 2nd opinion. But if it does need a new engine, I hate to say it but it seems like it is time to let the car go. I have had it since a little over 7000 miles and it is now at 145000. Bought in Aug 96 and has lasted me this long. I do hope that tomorrow I get a much better diagnosis from another mechanic though.

Though I realized today how attached I have gotten to the car, it has been a part of the family for quite some time and when the dealer told me it needed a new engine, my eyes started to water but didn't get to the point of full-blown crying.