Possible causes for the Plymouth acting up?

Okay, I don't work with Dodge/Crystler often and my bro is thinking of buying my Granddads old 93 Plymouth Acclaim. It sat is the barn for about nine months. Ugly car, but better gas milage. Anyway, the transmission seemed to be fine when we were first driving it. But on our third trip, it didn't shift to 'D' and when it shifted into 2nd, it hit hard. We checked fluid, and I sprayed the cables (to ) but it still acted up. Any suggestions? The cars only got 86,000 miles. Is the shot?