You'll Never Guess Where

"Takuro Spirit" (takurospirit) 10/16/2017 at 13:14 • Filed to: trans amess, trans am, project car, keylopnik

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I found the original barely used keys to my 1977 Trans Am (Update, Die-Trying guess it close-enough-to-right, they were between the quarter panel outer skin and the trunk pan/frame rail. Where nothing should ever fall, but GM is STUPID and left it open and barely accessible except to the smallest of bendy-grabbing tools)

Plus whatever that top key was for. Oh and that 14mm Craftsman socket.

And by barely used I mean... just look at the lack of wear compared to the key that came in the igniton:

The cuts are similar, so I’m not sure if it even fits the steering column I have, but I will try that later. I also have to go through my pile o’ parts to see if I even have a door key... or even the door locks, come to think of it.

Meanwhile, I was also able to move it out toward the middle of the garage (since none of our cars trucks will be using it this winter) and put the whole thing on jackstands so I can finish the floor, check over the rear end, and once the floors are done mount the front subframe to get it rolling again. We plan to move next year so the car needs to move too.

UPDATE EDIT: Those who have guessed near the trunk area have been the warmest overall in the hot/cold game.

UPDATE EDIT #2: C’mon guys, think TRUNK...

Picture of rust holes, but keys were not IN said rust holes FYI

CalzoneGolem > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:17

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So like ... where’d you find them?

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:18

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Takuro Spirit > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 13:26

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STILL haven’t seen that movie.

Takuro Spirit > CalzoneGolem 10/16/2017 at 13:26

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That’s not a guess

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:27

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Damn, I was hoping you’d at least get a laugh out of it

Oh, and my real guess is off of the end of the trunk down in the quarter panel area.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 13:28

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BEST ANSWER

RPM esq. > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:28

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Rolled up with the jack and tire iron?

Tripper > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 13:28

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Haha this was my first thought!

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 13:29

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Just watched the clip on YouTube :D

Tristan > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 13:30

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The crooked blue name tag and crooked wings are making me twitch. Also, that’s a pretty pathetic ribbon rack for an airman of his age (can’t see his rank). And that blues coat looks huge.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:30

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I would say under the floor mats, but I’m assuming those were removed by you long ago. Under the carpet?

Takuro Spirit > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 10/16/2017 at 13:32

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Car came apart, no carpet. But no, not in the passenger compartment.

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:34

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Bottom of the spare tire well in the trunk?

Takuro Spirit > RPM esq. 10/16/2017 at 13:34

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Not quite. But we’re getting warmer.

Takuro Spirit > You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much 10/16/2017 at 13:36

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Getting warmer.... F bodies don’t have a well though for the spare, it just sits in the trunk taking up space.

Censored > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:36

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Inside a door panel.

Taped under the trunk lid.

Taped under the hood.

My kid always makes me make 3 guesses before she tells me something simply amazing.*

*amazing only in the mind of a 6 yr old or her parents.

Takuro Spirit > Censored 10/16/2017 at 13:38

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None of the above. Though the middle guess is closest.

It was amazing to me that A: GM would let that happen and B: That someone was dumb enough to lose them there.

Both eclipsed by C: HOLY SHIT I HAVE THE ORIGINAL KEYS!

functionoverfashion > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:42

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Based on the overall state of the car, I’m sure I’m waaaayyy off but I have friends who (used to, pre-keyfob era) put spare keys behind the license plate - like a washer behind the screw. That way, you only need a screwdriver which is pretty easy to come by, compared to your specific car key.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:47

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In the air cleaner?

Takuro Spirit > functionoverfashion 10/16/2017 at 13:49

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That’s a good idea, but not quite where they were.

Chariotoflove > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 13:49

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Taped to the spare as a wheel weight.

Takuro Spirit > K-Roll-PorscheTamer 10/16/2017 at 13:49

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Nah, sold that long long ago.

Takuro Spirit > Chariotoflove 10/16/2017 at 13:50

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Tape was not involved. Nor do I think that spare (on the left in the last image) even HAS weights.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:04

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In the car.

What do I win?

functionoverfashion > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:06

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In the fuel tank? Wouldn’t be the first time I’d see a tool in a fuel tank.

Takuro Spirit > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 10/16/2017 at 14:10

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A sneer.

Takuro Spirit > functionoverfashion 10/16/2017 at 14:11

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No but that would have been funny.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:11

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More than anyone else has gotten thus far.

CalzoneGolem > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:11

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Yeah but you just told me I’ll never guess.

So why bother?

Takuro Spirit > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 10/16/2017 at 14:13

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True. But some have been closer to the actual location, not just the general vicinity. Though if you had said under the hood, I’d look at you like

Takuro Spirit > CalzoneGolem 10/16/2017 at 14:15

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So don’t guess. Know.

shop-teacher > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:17

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On top of the gas tank.

Takuro Spirit > shop-teacher 10/16/2017 at 14:20

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Nope. Definitely was inside the car.

Chariotoflove > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:22

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Well now, if you’re not gonna supply complete data, then it’s not really a fair game, is it? :p

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:23

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Under the hood is still technically contained within the vehicle. But I did at least skim through the previous responses and saw that those guessing the trunk area are closest.

Censored > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:23

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Inside the spare tire.

cmill189 - sans Volvo > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:26

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Attached to the magnets on the rear speakers. The ones that attach to the rear dash area and protrude into the trunk area.

Takuro Spirit > Chariotoflove 10/16/2017 at 14:31

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Its also clearly not IN the car, as are most of the parts. This is a very unfair and poorly played game on my part.

Takuro Spirit > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) 10/16/2017 at 14:32

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And the fact that there is nothing of the car currently past the firewall... It would be mean of me to ask people to guess where in the car I found it, only to say it was in a part removed from the car.

Takuro Spirit > Censored 10/16/2017 at 14:33

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Like, between the tire and wheel? Gosh no. That’d be evil.

Takuro Spirit > cmill189 - sans Volvo 10/16/2017 at 14:35

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Ooh, I like where you’re going with this.... I will say that a magnet was involved, but in thier REMOVAL.

The car presently has only one speaker mounted, and its in the center of the front dash area.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:36

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It would have been hilarious to read the response though.

Chariotoflove > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:37

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Then again, there is nothing to win. I keep thinking of one of those magnetic key holder boxes people put under the bumper or rear quarter panel.

Takuro Spirit > Chariotoflove 10/16/2017 at 14:47

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Knowledge. You win knowledge of where NOT to put keys in a 2nd gen F body.

CalzoneGolem > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:49

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This kinda look like a raspberry jam sandwich.

Censored > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:50

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It would fit your A, B and C criteria above I’d think.

Takuro Spirit > CalzoneGolem 10/16/2017 at 14:50

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Didn’t taste like one.

Takuro Spirit > Censored 10/16/2017 at 14:53

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It would, but GM didn’t allow they keys to get into the tire. They allowed them (and other items) to get where they got.

Pickup_man > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 14:57

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The ignition must have been switched at some point because those definitely aren’t the same cut. Still awesome to find basically a brand new set of keys for the car though!  

Takuro Spirit > Pickup_man 10/16/2017 at 14:59

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They’re damn close though. I need to dig out the column and try it just for funsies. Then find the box with all the door guts... or a trunk lock.

Pickup_man > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:04

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They’re different enough that they %100 aren’t the same key though, source: I cut car keys at a hardware store for roughly 8 years. The main difference you can see is in the center portion of the pattern where the worn key is still taller than the original. And a couple portions where the original is cut deeper than the worn key. It might still work though as a lot of the older ignitions get worn down enough that they really don’t care what you stick in them. Again though, really awesome that you found an original set of keys in that good of shape, I really hope they work.

Takuro Spirit > Pickup_man 10/16/2017 at 15:10

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I work at a car dealer and cut keys, so I also know how shitty an old GM ignition can be. I’m hoping its sloppy enough to work ;)

Die-Trying > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:15

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wedged in between the gas tank and the body, or the gas tank straps......

Takuro Spirit > Die-Trying 10/16/2017 at 15:16

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Wedged in, yes. But the tank hangs outside the car.... and has been off the car for years.

Die-Trying > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:17

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inside the rear frame rail.......

Takuro Spirit > Die-Trying 10/16/2017 at 15:25

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You’re the closest, I’ll call it here.

Damn things were in the trunk, but fell off the edge into the abyss that GM designed into the outer quarter panel to inner trunk pan.

Outside view:

Inside view:

As close as I could get my phone’s camera:

I had to use a magnetic grabber (with built in light and claw tool because fancy) to get them, after my main objective was to vacuum loose leaves and crap out with a crevice tool that I had to bend to get in there, as well as the socket that was on the opposite side of the car. After seeing FRICKING KEYS in there, I spent the next few minutes carefully trying to extract them from many small flakes of paint, rust, and more leaves.

benjrblant > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:42

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Magnetic grabber on a brass key?

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:45

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D00d?

Takuro Spirit > benjrblant 10/16/2017 at 15:47

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It has a claw.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J8367J8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Die-Trying > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 15:50

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yeah, the last owner probably had them so that you could reach them when locked out. i used to have to drain out the trunk of a caprice that i had, when that seam would clog itself up after it would rain real good. would of been a real good place to stash a key if i could of been sure that it wouldnt of fell out going down the road....

good find.....

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 15:51

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Ninja edit? (I swear that wasn’t there when I read it the first time)

Ninja edit:

Takuro Spirit > Die-Trying 10/16/2017 at 15:56

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There was literally NO way to reach them without a coat hanger after removing the sidemarker lamp, but I guess it would have been possible. The ring they were on, if ever, must have rusted away decades ago.

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 16:00

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Yeah, I went back and put a real guess

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 16:06

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See! I was right!!!

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 16:07

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Oh shit I’m sorry. Kinja’s been extra dumb today too. For awhile there I didn’t have any notifications or user options on Oppo, only the FP.

Die-Trying > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 16:07

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i have found a few over the years that were tied on with string, and some with twist-ies

crowmolly > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 16:12

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LOL. No worries. I guess I kind of cheated anyway since I used to work on 2nd gens and found a lot of stuff in that little “cubby”.

Takuro Spirit > crowmolly 10/16/2017 at 16:13

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And people wonder why lower quarter panels rust out so easily...

Takuro Spirit > Die-Trying 10/16/2017 at 16:15

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A nice big loop to nab them with would have been nice.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 17:14

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Oh my god! Fuck GM for that stupid gap. My 80 Firebird has shit that has been filling those up. I have to clean those pockets out. So dumb.

Takuro Spirit > Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! 10/16/2017 at 17:16

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If I had to put quarters on this car (or any other in my future) I’d put a extension panel in there to take up the gap.

Duck Duck Grey Duck FTMFW! > Takuro Spirit 10/16/2017 at 18:43

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Yes. I also hate how shallow the trunk is. My one dream mod is to put an over axle gas tank and drop the trunk floor to make it actually useable.