trans am mystery possibly solved

glennster

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

well we got all the junk dug out. kind of thinking its termites that built a huge nest inside the rocker panel. the dirt looking stuff has tunnels all thru it and has spider web like hairs binding it together. you cann see the black dirt stuff in the pictures. also the golden brown stuff is all little dead larvae about 1 mm long and about a little thicker than a saftey pin wire. i never saw anything like this before. always thought they would nest in wood. took a couple pictures thru a magnifying glass

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D

dr sportster

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

That is so weird.

 

O

ohiojim

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

doubt it's termites, maybe ants

 

H

hd6gtom

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

looks like you have a good case of iron worms.

 

S

Smalltowner

Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Just my 2 cents, but from just the pictures it looks just like old mildewed pot (marijuana). I have shown it to 5 guys (without the comments or source etc) and all 5 said it was pot. Then I told them where you found it and they were totally convinced it was pot.

 

M

MSS3020

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

That was my first thought when I read the original post.. it wouldnt be a first..

 

C

CKain(MI)

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

apparently, some insect likes to live in a 'high' rise ? ?

 

OP

OP

glennster

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

nope not pot at all. the guy that owns the car bought it new. rocker has never been off. the second picture thru the magnifying glass, if you look closely at the black stuff on the left side you can see the tunnels and the dried bug bodies in it. the goldish brown stuff to the right is all dead insect carcasses, there is web like strands holding everything together. really creepy stuff. tiny little bugs too!!

 

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ss55

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Have you checked inside the other rocker panel for similar damage? Was the car in a collision and some seams were not resealed properly? It seems odd that insects would only enter one side, especially if the same food source is in both sides.

You could take a sample outside and burn it to verify that it does not have a pot smell, it just might.

 

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Looks like iron worms caused the problem.

 

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Royse

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

glennster, I don't know what you have there, can't say I've seen
it in all of the cars I've worked on either.
Not sure it's termites though. Lost a house to termites.
We found out they don't nest in wood, they nest in the ground.
That's why they're so hard to get rid of and why you don't want
to just build back on the site where the original house was lost.
Let us know if you find out for sure.

 

billonthefarm

Member

Location

Farmington IL

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Better call in the Kankakee CSI. Maybe kruser has some connections from down this way.
Bill

 

S

ShadetreeRet

Well-known Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Last summer I opened one of the doors on a car which I no longer drive, and there were ants in it. A steady stream of ants coming across the door sill. I didn't check to see where they were going, probably under the carpet.

 

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GregCO

Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

That is really weird. Ive cut many panels off old cars and never found anything like that. Some kind of bug dragging stuff in there and nesting is what it looks like. Too bad, if it wasn't for that the rocker may not have rotted out.
Back in the day when I was still beating on fenders for a living an early Trans am was brought in that somebody had cut a hole in the fender for a radio antenna and he wanted it put back. I fixed the hole and spotted in the fender for him. Called the owner when it was done and ready to pick up. He asked if I would deliver it. Sure why not. This one had the 455SD engine in it with an automatic trans. I pulled out of the shop and got a couple of blocks away and for giggles left it in drive and gave it the gas. That thing shifted all the way into low and went nuts and was all sorts of sideways. Wasn't expecting that. Drove it like on old lady the rest of the way to the owner. When I arrived at his house he did ask if I had any fun on the way. I told him it was fun right up to the point it tried to swap ends on me. He laughed and said get in. I'll show you what happens when you can keep it straight. What a car.

Greg

Greg

 

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Ron-MO

Member

• Feb 24, 2015

• #1

Curious, why is engine and trans out? I have a very low mile Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe I am looking at selling, and concerned about what I am in for to get it back in shape. Obvious concern is gummed up fuel system, and seals, etc. Been some time since it was fired, but inside out of weather since new for most part. Purchased the car new, just want to pursue other interests.

 

OP

OP

glennster

Well-known Member

• Feb 25, 2015

• #1

Ron, he is replacing seals and gaskets that were leaking, and doing some trick work on the cylinder heads.

 

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1130Leo

Member

• Feb 25, 2015

• #1

I have seen similar, but the car was sitting outside in the weeds... I am now convinced if you have a vehicle you want to preserve, Krown Rust Control is the answer, have your car sprayed, It not only prevents rust, it stops it. I am having all of my vehicles sprayed this spring, and my 3/4 ton truck as soon as it gets out of the body shop having it's rockers and cab corners replaced, a 2002 gmc with less than 90k miles.

 

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dej(Jed)

Well-known Member

• Feb 25, 2015

• #1

My GTA has been under a tarp now for 3 years, I hope it doesn't look like that.

 

T

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Feb 25, 2015

• #1

Might include rusted brake lines in the list of to-dos.

 

T

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

• Feb 25, 2015

• #1

On termites nesting in the ground that's what I was told also.
Supposedly if you can deny them the ground the ones out of that
environment for any length of time will die.

My thoughts on what is it is ants. Fire ants down here can and will
do things like that especially if the ground is wet.

Mark