Fix and Sell
Don't fix and try to sell a broken car
Fix it and trade to dealer
option 1 will get you most money - in ad, put brand new Transmission and be honest about it and let potential buyers know why your selling it
option 2 you will get least amount of money but may be able to sell it fast
option 3 you will get 2nd least amount of money but probably decent amount if trading in vs. just selling to a dealer
my Transmission went out due to improper maintenance of tranny as most dont even know there is a transmission filter and tranny oil needs to be changed regularly.
overall, mine had 1 previous owner, carfax showed everything done at a dealership which brought me peace of mind
i opted to keep and fix mine because a friend of mine's dad's body shop fixed it. the 1st one they put in, busted during test drive so they put in another and did it right for me
i wouldn't rebuild it, rebuilds won't be as good as putting in another one
honestly, other than Transmission, most all other parts will not cost anywhere near $2,500 or even over $500 for basic maintenance like say shocks/struts
if you can find a shop that will guarantee the work for at least a year, i.e. Aamco or longer, i'd keep it
you can also but extended warranties and make sure they cover things like Transmissions failures
i know it sucks right now and i've been through it. i feel your pain but i would recommend getting it fixed and keep it
if you notice any tranny problems after rebuild, then it may be time to get it fixed correctly and part ways as previous owner/owners may have abused it
good luck and i hope it works out for you, whatever you decide