Russo & tenknots, you both need to find a new "indy" or "local guy". I can't believe they ripped you off like that. Were they wearing a mask and waving a gun at the time? And who the hell uses R-12 to diagnose leaks? ROTFL!! Whatta moron (sorry).
Get the hoses rebuilt, it's many times cheaper - any GOOD a/c shop can do this, usually for $50-$75 per hose. Note that "cans" are either 12oz or 14oz, neither of which is a "pound", a pound being 16oz.
So be careful what you're paying for. $20-$40/can seems to be a reasonable price these days.
R-134a is only an option in cooler states, IMO, and is difficult to do properly (more like, not many shops take the time to do it right). I am vehemently opposed to 134a conversions - if you don't want to stick with R-12, use an alternative compatible with mineral oil such as Duracool or Autofrost. 134a isn't bad, it's the 134a-required PAG/POE oil that's bad!
