90 Escort. What's wrong?!

I drive a 90 Ford Escort LX hatchback. In a matter of three days time, I will be driving it 900 miles but first I must get it fixed. I would like to know what is wrong so I can have an idea about how much I will have to shell out.

Here's what I've got going:

It idles fairly prominantly when my foot is not on the gas or brake.

It sometimes dies when I put it in reverse.

Shifting is very rough and it sounds like there is a clunking or rattiling noise from 2nd-3rd gear.

It sometimes sounds like it is gasping (O2 sensor?)



These might just be symptoms of driving a domestic car but If it sounds like anything you've heard of i'd appreciate it!! -Bobby

Is it an automatic trans? Any Check Engine light? You might check and see if the rattling isn't the exhaust system. My '90 Pony has always rattled. Does it shift hard between gears? If so, you may have a plugged filter if it's an auto. trans.