[67ChevyRedneck]

I decided that while on the power tour, not having OD sucked, even with a 2.8 rear in the car. I averaged 17.5mpg, which was awesome though! The C10 has had a 700R since 2002 and I've been spoiled by it.

My C4 had been acting up a bit, but I decided to make the run anyway. The C4 would sometimes pause 3-5 seconds before shifting into 1st or R on a cold start, once warm, trans was fine. Then on the way to TN on Sunday it held 2nd gear for a REALLY long time before it would upshift into 3rd, like 10 minutes. I could get it to bump up to 3rd but it would immediately drop right down into 2nd. After those first 10 minutes she ran the next several hundred miles great.

Then came Monday morning. I had said goodbye to the group I was traveling with, then chilled in the room for a bit longer, it was only a 3.5 hour drive home... then I get in the car and it takes a minute to shift into R. Crap. Then it takes just as long to go into 1st. Oh son of a snow donkey... Take her out on the road, holds 2nd gear a long *** time again, except this time it's clearly slipping when trying to go into 3rd. Fluid levels were checked repeatedly, all was good, but there was a slight toasty smell Finally, after some coaxing, and babying it shifted to 3rd and stayed there. I decided to make the run home, although, in retrospect that was a horrible idea. The drive home was 40 East and 25 South... roads that are very mountainous, with sharp bends you can't see around, and very very very few exits. Great place to break down. Nope. She made it home. After going back in forth in my head for the 4 hours it took to get home, I decided I'd much rather have a T-5 than AOD.

I was home by 13:30PM, and I rarely ever take days off... so I did some quick research and headed to the local LKQ and came home with a 1997 1352-238 V6 Tremec (0.73:1 OD). Someone already snaked the shifter, but I've read the aftermarket are better anyway. I didn't have a swivel socket go get the bell housing, I know I need it, the shield, starter, clutch fork, and clutch cable. I'll go back on Friday or Saturday to get it. Hopefully it's still there, but not many people want a 3.8 bell housing and there were 2 more bell housings there without the trans as well. They had a 95 5 spd GT, entire drive train was long gone, and 4 or 5 SN-95 V6 5spds, but all were gone but this one. I only had time and tools to get the trans off (was only planning on looking) but noticing people grabbed them as soon as they came in I had to pull it.

So there it is. At least a year sooner than I wanted to mess with it... I put the car on ramps last night, it took a good 5 minutes for the trans to decide it wanted to go in gear... and it smelled really burnt... Can't believe I made it home!