97 civic lx, 150k, givin to me rust free! The trans slips in 1st and everything else is fine. Do you suppose that changing the fluid will help at this point or should I just replace the unit? What do you guys suggest? I hear you HAVE to use Honda fluid @ 8 bucks a qt? Is this true?

 

Try replacing the fluid, if that fixes it you saved yourself a few hundred dollars. Use the Honda fluid.

If the fluid doesn't fix it then change the transmission. Think about it this way, you change the transmission and the real problem was just fluid, you basically wasted money on the transmission.