Looking at a 1995 Taurus - TAKE TWO

I messed up the original thread badly, so just starting it fresh.
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I need a second car badly.

An acquaintance has a 95 taurus , 3.8l with 130k miles on it. Asking
is $800, I can get it for $600. Test drive found solid suspension,
perfect alignment and handling, smooth engine, no rust, no noise,
no clunks, interior in nice shape, power windows/doors/seats/mirrors
good, defroster and defogger ok.

The only problem (besides a marker light lens and a dent) I noticed
was when I brought it up to speed on the highway. I got up to 60
and then let off the gas pedal. The car coasted fine and didn't drag
or decelerate radically. When I hit the gas again, I noticed a lag
before i felt the engine engage the tranny. It wasn't a THUNK,
but i felt it engage.

I had a '94 taurus from 96 thru 01. I did all my own work other than
tranny work and junked it when it the friggin thing killed the trans
I had put into it in '99. (No way I was gonna put a 3rd trans in)
The dreaded AXOD valve body problem. (Wife's lead foot
contributed).
NOTE: I will drive this one. Wife has a big nasty F150 to punish
now. I am nice to engines an trannys.

NOTE: Owner say this happend once before. She had the radiator
flushed and the problem went away. 6 months later its back.
This makes no sense to me ..

QUESTION: Ive read plenty of taurus/trans/axod posts here, but am a
bit unclear. Does a 95 taurus with a 3.8 have the nylon valve
body/axod issue?

QUESTION: Does the above symptom sound familiar? (my guess would
be torque converter, but only in 3rd gear/ at speed?)

I can afford some repairs but not a dying tranny.

Thanks , Mike