I'll ask my dad what kind of plugs he put in. They were replaced in August along with the MAF, the ignition wires, and the coil packs. Also, I noticed this before that. I'm not sure what kind if plugs were in before, but I guess they were fouled pretty bad. In fact, there was rust where the first wire plugs into the coil pack. What you're saying sounds like it might be what's happening.
And that makes sense about the temp and TCC, because it only delayed like that when it was below freezing. It would also explain why it doesn't make the sound when it's really cold because the TCC doesn't unlock and re-lock if it's not locked in the first place. It might be that it's doing it slower it I might just be overly observant because of the loud exhaust. If it is doing it slower, is it doing any damage, or should I not be concerned?