I got a recommendation to a long established, reputable mechanic from
an uncle, who's known him all his life.  Here begins the strange story!

I took my 95 S-10 4x4 in to this guy to have the coolant system
completely flushed using some sort of transfer machine.  Estimate?
yes, $70 something.

15 minutes after taking in the truck to do this, I'm brought out to
the bay to be shown that the radiator's plastic tank has a crack in
it and is not fixable.  Cost to complete job w/new radiator and all
new hoses? $700+ something. [Though I hadn't mentioned it, I knew
there was a cooling system leak but thought it was an upper hose pin
hole].

I told the guy I had to save myself some money as my company had just
went out of business, and I was collecting unemployment benefits.  I
asked him if he would mind if I found my own radiator and brought it
back another day. "Certainly not, I understand."

I got a new radiator, free overnight delivery from Chicago for
$140.00, from the radiatorbarn.com.  Now the estimate to install it
and flush system was $164 total, including tax.

After waiting 4 hours, I'm shown the new radiator lying on the ground
with stripped threads at the lower inlet for the transmission fluid
and it's out of round receiving nipple at the center.  The guy who
worked on it said he didn't do it.

They, with little further discussion, replace the new radiator and
finish the job.  Of course I had to leave the truck there for this to
happen.

I pick up the truck when its finished, run some errands, about 30
miles worth, come home and park the truck on the street in front.
Two days later, I go out to it and notice some wet spots on the
pavement. I open the hood and see oily stuff on and around the lower
hose and tell myself they didn't clean up the residuals after the
job.  I take off to a friends house about 30 miles away, and when I
return, I stop halfway back at a rural gas station to get something
to drink on my way home.  I come back to the truck and see
transmission fluid dripping profusely onto the ground, from what I
thought was from near the lower hose.  I buy some tranny fluid, but
can't find anything to funnel it with to get it into the
transmission.  The stick shows just the very tip wet with fluid.  I
have 15 miles to get home.  I risk it and continue home without
incident.  When I lift the hood, I see tranny fluid dripping
profusely from the "upper" line, near to where it fits into the
radiator, and the whole front of the engine compartment is oily.

Now, this is where it all gets a little crazier.  Its Sat., and shop
is closed so I shoot off an email about this, and get a prompt reply
first thing monday morning that they are sending a flatbed to pickup
my truck so they can get it there to fix it.  Today I call to check
on progress and am told the new radiator hasn't gotten there yet! I
say "WTF are you telling me?"  He said, "well, it was supposed to be
here, but somehow it's gotten lost."  I said, "no, I don't mean
that...why does it need a new radiator!!!???"  He said he didn't know.

Now I gotta tell ya, I am just a little bit confused here.  First he
said it was the bottom fitting again!  I said, "well I saw it coming
out near the top fitting!" He said, "really?" [Now I realize it may
be what the fan flung up, but sh.t!]  I told him, I says, "I don't
get what's going on here."  I said, "I realize the mechanic [kid],
who worked on it might be having problems at home and was distracted
and made a mistake, but certainly not twice in a row!?" And he said,
"no, I had someone else work on it."  At which point, I reiterated my
confusion and extended as much amenability as I am capable, then hung up.

Should I be suspicious here?  Is it possible the tranny, [or
something else], is now also f.cked up and he doesn't want to fix it,
or needs time without telling me about it?  This just seems really
crazy to me.  Any comment appreciated.