Camino LS6

Yeah, it would be fun if the damn snow didn't have me so stressed-out! The ROPOS will ride again.

Great info, Thanks!

LOL! I find that the cops hide during snowstorms, and I rarely take this truck off of the property.

Thanks! That sounds promising as I saw one from an '84 shortbed on CL that is close by and cheap. I found out the hard way that '92 is the cut-off at that end. The dealership had a junk '93 brought in and discovered that the trans was wrong only after it was out...

Legality is an option for this truck - I don't really care if it is legal. It just has to push snow (and be able to back-up) I'm told there are conversion kits to put a TH400 in this truck, but I don't care about it enough to do that.

They are saying 4-8" here for monday/tuesday...

I only really need first and reverse in this thing anyway!

Not a bad idea!

Unfortunately, parts support has eroded badly in recent years. It's easier to get parts for an ancient musclecar than anything from the 80s and 90s now.

Believe it or not, it is far easier to deal with this with a TH400 - even in these years.

Yeah, it's an '89. Stuff becomes sooo obsolete soooo quickly these days. I didn't anticipate not being able to buy a reman unit.

Very true. This would be a tough one though, without a lift, air tools, and tranmission jack. I'm not even tempted.

Yep, the ECM is the issue. I have to have one with all the right connections, has to be 4x4, has to be a 700R4 and not a 4L60, has to be a TBI truck, etc.

Thanks BP! I'm going to call Al's Auto in Trevose in the morning. Satty: Yeah, I still have the Tahoe. I would never raid it for the trans even if it was the right one (which it isn't).

Thanks guys. WK: Seen all of those, I'm told none of them will work. Has to be an early EFI truck. It seems that parts and reman units are largely not available anymore, been through all of the local dealer's contacts already.

Our junkyards suck (and are under 3+ feet of snow). I need to find one of these on a shelf somewhere, out of the vehicle.

I need a '88-'92 Chevy or GMC 4X4 700R4 transmission by tomorrow at the latest. Any ideas?

It is a bit ironic, as electric drive (properly managed) should be an advantage in low traction conditions.

It's all a matter of compromise. If you want to use your musclecar year round in snowy places, you have to invest in winter tires, add some weight, and change your driving habits. It really is that simple. For me, it isn't something I'd ever want to do. I protect my musclecars from the weather and use more appropriate vehicles in winter. The biggest factor, of course, is bad judgement and operator error. In the case of this Camry, it was bad judgement that put it in the ditch. That car should have remained in the garage where it belongs in such weather.

In this instance a musclecar would have powered itself out of trouble, the Toyota? Not so much. Generally speaking, it's true that musclecars and snow aren't a good mix. That I agree with. However, most musclecars at least have locking differentials which, when combined with the right tires and perhaps some weight over the drive wheels, make them pretty viable as snow cruisers. Still, it wouldn't risk something as nice as a musclecar in cruddy weather unless I had to.

Sure do. Toyota software sucks.

Nah, it isn't just the tires - the stupid software doesn't work. Any other car wouldn't have been stuck where this thing was. What an awful car.

As you guys know, the ROPOS dropped reverse in the trans before the big storm (the second one), and I had to have someone else come in to plow. Well, I'm very grateful that the guy showed-up and plowed several times - but his skills were not up to the standard that those that live on this place have come to expect. As a result, the lane remains a 4X4-only zone at this point. I made it a point to warn my employer's son and daughter-in-law not to use their FWD Camry Hybrid until I had a chance to get my truck back and tidy things up. So, I go out for coffee this morning and what so I find when I return? You guessed it, the stupid Camry off the edge of the lane and blocking the way completely. This car is absolutely useless in snow! It was barely stuck, and any other car would have simply driven out of the spot it was in. Those low rolling resistance tires and Toyota's stupid traction-control software left the ugly whale floundering with one pathetic tire spinning uselessly and the car immobile. We had to dig a path for the one blocked rear wheel so the POS could manage to propel itself backwards (downhill) long enough to get back on the lane with the one front wheel that it managed to get power to. This whole time, the other drive wheel just sat there and did nothing, firmly planted on the lane. What an utter POS!

Got some shoveling to do myself, so I'll be out for a bit.

Worry not, no Toyota shall ever debase my fleet. No, I headed out through the tundra to the Tahoe , and successfully blasted my way through the plow piles and made my escape to Wawa. The roads are unrecognizeable and extremely narrow, 4WD only at this point. But, the sun is shining brilliantly and it is just beautiful out there.