Frozen ?? - '87 5kTQ

[Michael Spiers <mikes@specnet.com>]

I parked my TQ outside yesterday at around 9:15AM (just a tad late for work.)
 It was around 43 F, and pouring down rain.  I busted my butt all day at work,
finally left at 11:35 last night, so the car sat for 14+ hours.  When I left,
it was snowing, and was 23 F degrees.  After spending five minutes trying to
pry a door open, I finally got in & went to start it.  My parking space is on a
slight incline, it's a space all of it's own, so three of four sides are curbs
& trees, & when I back in the rear is higher than the front.  I never set the
E-Brake in the winter, it freezes if I do.  I pushed in the clutch before I
started it (usually good practice I've found) and the car didn't drift forward
like it usually does.  I pushed on the shifter, it wouldn't come out of
reverse.  Clutch to the floor, whacking the shifter hard as I can (yep, I was
pushing the top down too), couldn't get the dumb thing to budge.  Note that all
fluid in my drivetrain is synthetic.  Pissed after a long day at work & ready
to either go home or break something, I kicked the shifter hard as I could with
my foot (other foot still on clutch.)  Shifter popped out of gear, car drifted
forward.  Tried all the gears & such before starting, everything was just
peachy, including reverse.  No problems after that.  Anyone know what would
cause this?  I'm guessing the riand that I drove to work in froze somewhere &
jammed something, but I dont have the foggiest what it could have been!

-- 
-Mike
mikes@specnet.com
mks107@psuvm.psu.edu
87 5000CS TQ - Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
84 5000S - Boulder, Colorado
90 80 - Bethesda, Maryland