Keys and locks

[radioguy7]

Ok guys, hope this doesn't sound too stupid but...

I recieved my 47 4dr Special delux with no keys at all. I did buy a set of blank keys off of Ebay and I figure I would have a lock smith cut them to match my cylinders. My question is... should the trunk key be the same as the glove box and door key?? I figure the ignition key would kit only the ignition tumbler? Oh and, I assume the octagon shaped key is for the ignition and the round key for the doors and trunk?? Don't know if a smith needs the tumblers removed or if he has some magical way of cutting the keys if he was on site?

Jeff

[Young Ed]

The proper setup is ignition and doors together glove box and trunk seperate. The keys for ignition/doors and trunk will fit in place of each other so if you want you can have them keyed in a diff config or all 3 the same.

[BobT-47P15]

You are correct.....the octagon for ignition, round for trunk.

It seems that glove box locks come with their own keys, according to

ads on ebay. At this point, do you really need to lock the glove box,

anyway?

I think the ignition key is supposed to do the doors also.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

You may have to check with more than one locksmith about making

a key for your existing lock. In the old days here in Joplin, one

locksmith had a tool for feeling out the tumblers, and could make a

good key. Now they apparently have outlawed that tool and most

local smiths can't seem to produce a key.

The tumblers will come out of the ignition switch and the trunk handle,

IF the lock is turned to the "unlocked" position since a pin has to be

pushed in to get the tumbler out. So, that may present the first

problem. Hopefully your local locksmiths are better than ours here.

[Norm's Coupe]

I agree with BobT on the glove box lock. I've never locked a glove box in any of my cars since I started driving back in 1960. The way I always looked at it is. If a thief break's into my car, he's already damaged something to get into it. Now, if the glove box is locked and he wants to check it out, he's going to break that too. So.......to save on damage to the glove box door, dash and lock, I simply never locked them. But........if you want it for show, the answers given are correct about the keys. Personally I wouldn't worry about it. You could get a car with or without a lock on the glove box. I have a glove box lock in the drawer that doesn't lock that came out of a P15. No key hole in the button.

[RobertKB]

I keyed all locks on my '48 Dodge D25 the same. On my '38 Chrylser I did do the door/ignition and trunk separately.

[BobT-47P15]

On my convert, I have two keys.....one for ignition and another for

trunk. None fits the glove box. Do not even have locks in the doors....put

a chrome cap on the holes.

The key I'm using for the ignition is actually a later model Pentastar style

key (on left). They seem to fit and have the other needed design features to

work.

You can come closer to finding those blanks at the local hardware store

than the older octogon style.

I figure if someone wants into my locked covert, they will cut the top to

get in. So - why bother with locks? Just put any valuables in the trunk.

[Young Ed]

Bob my dad does the same with his converts. Just keeps his valuables elsewhere and leaves the doors unlocked. Of course way back he didn't want thieves to bust up his antique coke machine so he left the key in the lock. They didn't see the key and destroyed it anyways

[radioguy7]

Thanks guys for the info, I wasn't concerned about the glove box but I wanted to get the ignition, doors and trunk right. I do lock my doors at car shows!! I don't know if any of you have had the pleasure of coming back to your car after scopiing out the flea market only to find a 3 yr old holding cotton candy and sitting behind the wheel of your baby going "Brrroom brroom" while a stupid mother stands there smiling. I forgot that my car is there for her childs amusement and to put his sticky hands all over my stearing wheel and dash. Soooo YES i lock my friggen doors folks.

[JerseyHarold]

What I would recommend is to have the locksmith make your ignition key first, then once it works the switch you can try it out around the car to see what else it fits.

There are a couple of basic ways to fit a key. One method is called 'impressioning' where the locksmith starts with an un-cut key blank and goes through a process to file the correct cuts into it. You don't have to disassemble the lock for this technique. Another way is for the locksmith to pick the lock to the open position to remove it from the ignition switch housing, disassemble it, and file down a key blank to the correct pattern based on the pin sizes inside the lock cylinder. As mentioned earlier, some locksmiths can 'read' the pin heights with their tools without disassembling the lock and cut a key that way.

You can use newer, less expensive blanks for your car, as long as having a more modern key head doesn't bother you. If the locksmith you're talking to gives you a funny look when you use the words 'impressioning', 'reading', or 'picking', do yourself and your car a favor and find another shop.

Harold

[old woolie]

The key I'm using for the ignition is actually a later model Pentastar style

key (on left). They seem to fit and have the other needed design features to

work.

Good to know these blanks will work on our cars.

[radioguy7]

The key I'm using for the ignition is actually a later model Pentastar style

key (on left). They seem to fit and have the other needed design features to

work.

Good to know these blanks will work on our cars.

Thanks for the tip, I think I will do this with a later style blank first, then if he's successful have him cut my original blank. I can always use the later style key as a spare on my key rack. But before any of this is done I need to get the engine unstuck, but that's for another thread.

[Norm's Coupe]

What I would recommend is to have the locksmith make your ignition key first, then once it works the switch you can try it out around the car to see what else it fits.

There are a couple of basic ways to fit a key. One method is called 'impressioning' where the locksmith starts with an un-cut key blank and goes through a process to file the correct cuts into it. You don't have to disassemble the lock for this technique. Another way is for the locksmith to pick the lock to the open position to remove it from the ignition switch housing, disassemble it, and file down a key blank to the correct pattern based on the pin sizes inside the lock cylinder. As mentioned earlier, some locksmiths can 'read' the pin heights with their tools without disassembling the lock and cut a key that way.

You can use newer, less expensive blanks for your car, as long as having a more modern key head doesn't bother you. If the locksmith you're talking to gives you a funny look when you use the words 'impressioning', 'reading', or 'picking', do yourself and your car a favor and find another shop.

Harold

There is another way to make a key without the locksmith ever seeing the lock itself. That's how I got new keys made for mine. Just gave him the key and told him it's worn out. You do need a good locksmith for this method though.

What he did was trace the key onto paper, then put several pieces of paper together to get the right thickness. He then cut the key from the tracing. The first time I brought the key home and tried it, it wouldn't work. Took the key back and he filed it a little more. Then the key worked when I brought it home again. Made both my ignition/door keys and the trunk key the same way. He had a few old DCPD 40's Mopar key blanks for the ignition still in stock at the time. Had to use a different type key for the trunk though. He made the trunk key with the brand name key "ilco #1125F". My glove box key still worked so didn't replace it.

[Young Ed]

Norm that only works if you have an existing key. I think we are all talking about if they are missing all together. Mike Maker is rekeying my door locks and a glove box lock for me. Yeah. Will be nice to be able to lock the car on occasion.

[Norm's Coupe]

Norm that only works if you have an existing key. I think we are all talking about if they are missing all together. Mike Maker is rekeying my door locks and a glove box lock for me. Yeah. Will be nice to be able to lock the car on occasion.

That's true, you be in trouble if you don't have a key to go by. But........at least we can get keys made for the cars at just about any locksmith.

While at the Chevy dealer ordering the clips for the vans rocker molding yesterday, there was another customer in the parts department trying to get a key made for his modern car. Locksmiths won't make a key for a modern car with the computer chip in it. Has to be done by a dealer. To begin with, just the key blank was $40, then about another $40 to cut it. However, they would not make him the key because he did not bring the title to the car with him. He had his old broken key and his drivers license, but that wasn't enough to get that key made. Poor guy had to leave without the key and go home to get his title, before he could get the key made.

[jimainnj]

I just got my ignition lock cylinder & 2 keys from Roberts fits ok, now to put the Ignition switch back in. channel and wiskers came also.

[old woolie]

Thanks for the tip, I think I will do this with a later style blank first, then if he's successful have him cut my original blank. I can always use the later style key as a spare on my key rack. But before any of this is done I need to get the engine unstuck, but that's for another thread.

Not my tip. I was trying to quote a single paragraph from a previous post rather than the whole post and it came out looking like it was all my post.

BobT-47P15 made the original post.