You should have based the $2500 offer on that car contingent on having your mechanic inspect the car. If he's a dealer, you might have some more buyer protection rights since it has more mechanical problems than he told you it did.

If the car's engine and body are sound, then no biggie. Every used car is going to have issues. Rather than rebuild that tranny, you could just start searching for another used tranny to swap into it... or when you buy the Helms factory service manual, just learn to fix the car yourself. My bf taught himself how to rebuild the tranny on his first car, it was some Cadillac STS Northstar... and he even rebuilt it stronger with extra clutch packs on it. lol drag strip addiction at the time. So anything is possible.

I don't think this guy was "mad honest" with you. It's just a gut feeling that I have. Two weeks is long enough for any dealer to know his car's problems as he has much experience from owning many of them. He was unfortunately being a typical used car salesman with you. You've only owned the car a few days and look at all of the problems you've found with it. It's not rocket science here.