A little bit of background on my Redtail Chevy*: I bought the car as body only, for $300. I had to have an engine for it; found a good 3.9-liter out of a wreck. Had everything put together again, and I've been driving it for a bit more than two years now. (I drove the other, identical one -- "Rusty" -- for ten years!) The left front axle went out on me and was replaced about ten months ago.

Now it's having issues. It thumped twice on the freeway, and didn't want to climb a hill, but once I shifted to Low, it sailed right up. When I got to where I was going, it lost power, then stalled and wouldn't restart, right in the middle of the road into the park. The right side of the hood was really, really hot! After it cooled off, I was able to start the engine and move to a parking spot. On leaving the park, it didn't get very far before the transmission seemed to slip and thump twice, then stalled again and wouldn't restart. I had to have it towed home.

So okay, it seems like the transmission is slipping, but I'm hearing and feeling a heavy sort of rub from the engine compartment and getting this slight rev-up, then two bumps and the car loses power. I drove it to a shop day before yesterday and had the oil, transmision fluid, and filters changed. There were no metal fragments in the old transmission fluid, and none in the motor oil. Climbing my hill toward home, I had to put it in Low again. It sailed right on up with no issues, just that rub not quite in my range of hearing, more like a feeling. When I got home, I went in my house for a while, then had occasion to go back out. I put my hand on the right fender and it was still warm. The other side was cool.

If it's the transmission, I have a good one out of Rusty. But I'm inclined to think it's the other axle. Opinions are very, very welcome.

*Oh, "Redtail"? My brother backed it into the 5th-wheel hookup on my nephew's lowboy and destroyed the entire lift gate. The replacement is dark red.