So, with the leaking in the trans, I'm thinking that with according to the documentation the trans sat for almost 20 years in the car, there could be more wrong with it than just a few seals. I've been reading in other threads that the gearshift indicator is "off" on a 200-4R with column shift swap. Is it just off, or do I lose the ability to shift into 1? Can I make a custom shift indicator so that it's correct?

I'm just wondering in the case that I end up facing a rebuild on the trans if it's really worth putting a rebuilt TH350 back in this car and I'm trying to get the best gas mileage I can out of it.

 

At work I would do an ROI (return on investment) analysis. How much more will the OD transmission cost and how much better will your estimated MPG be? Return will be faster for a daily driver or could take years for a 1-2k a year hobby car. Just math if you assume both are good transmissions for your needs.

Then again, pure ROI might lead you to a Prius for a daily driver....