Re: ax15 tranny pan
Are you sure that's an AX15? I've not seen a manual transmission with a "pan" - just drain and fill plugs - and the AX-15 is a five-speed manual.
If you have an automatic, it's more likely an AW4 - and those have pans. I'd advise that you put a few coats of paint on your new one before you install it - I'll agree, the mild steel of the pan will definitely need protection from road salt (I grew up in northern IN, and Ziebart runs rampant through there... Sometimes, their stuff even worked. Go figure.)