Joe, you know I'm running a V8 so my opinion may not be worth much. However, I did take the 350 tranny out and put in a 700R4 about two years ago. Man, I love the 700R4...so much so I have one sitting in my floor waiting for my next project.
I understand about going to automatic. My legs and back give me a fit everyday and I like the comfort... or I'm just plain lazy!