--snip--
never seen anyone who understands what a tach is for who is watching it for
better gas
--snip--

I drive an auto because:

1. It was what was in the van.
2. My wife is stick-challenged.
3. My knees and left ankle are shot.

I learned to drive on a tractor and I actually would prefer a stick, or I'd
at least like to have a Syncro. I'd teach the wife (and kids, eventually)
and I'd probably stick to the auto for in-town stuff.

I dunno about watching the tach for mileage, but I've found that on the
highway I tend to drive by the tach instead of the speedo- sometimes I look
at it just because I'm curious. I just sort of keep it at 4K regardless
unless I have to slow down. Around here that translates to ~45 in second up
certain hills, or between ~50 and 70 the rest of the time.

People keep saying the auto trannies are bullet-proof. The one I just
rebuilt died at somewhere around 250K according to the OP records, and I
believe it had been rebuilt before. The second one I killed (haven't rebuilt
it yet) died at around 120K, iirc, but I think that was due in part to being
overheated in an incident that melted parts of the engine it was attached
to, among other things (this was before I owned it).

My thinking is that if you cared for them properly and put an external
cooler and filter on them they'd go for a long, long time; probably well
over the 250 I got out of the first one.

I think the next failure point I see in mine is that the separation plates
in the valve bodies are getting badly worn by the balls in there. Ken at
German Transaxle told me they have a process for reconditioning the plate,
and they have a reconditioned valve body for under $200 shipped with core.
After that's done they should be good for a few more rebuilds, as most of
the hard parts and the cases have little to no visible wear.

Cya,
Robert