kalgran

Did Third Gen's use the same key for door, hatch, and ignition lock when they came stock? I replaced my ign lock cyl which came with it's own template key so my car will still run (did a vats bypass as well). However I still need a key for the doors. Original car keys were lost long ago. Want to know if I can locksmith the old lock cylinder and the key will work for the doors and hatch because they're the original locks.

GeneralDisorder

iTrader: (1)

Square key for ignition, round key for doors, hatch, etc.

GD

sonjaab

Call around for a old school Locksmith and ask if the make
key ON the car.
Or even make a key if you bring him one of the door/trunk/top locks.

I had the same issue when I got my 84.
Lucky i had a old school guy up the street.
He made one for mine on car dirt cheap!
My round head key worked the doors/trunk/tops also.

kalgran

Just wanted to add a resolution to this thread. I did end up having to take out my door lock tumbler so the locksmith could disassemble it and get the key code to make a new key. The door key does work on all doors, the rear hatch, and the 'secret' compartment lock in the trunk. Turns out I also had a LOT of gunk in my lock mechanisms so I cleaned them so my doors can now lock via button!
Happy with the way this turned out. Thanks everyone!

jharrison5

If you pull all the locks they can all be keyed the same by the locksmith. I had to do it once before around ten years ago and it cost me in the $50 range

1989karr

how did you clean them out if I may ask?

iansane

iTrader: (1)

When I worked at chevy about a decade ago we had all the old keycode books and just called GM for the vehicle's stock keycode using the VIN. '90 was the oldest thirdgen I could get info about though.

kalgran

So first off I took off the interior door panels because I'm doing a door rebuild amidst all of this. It's easier to work on if you have something torn apart you know? If you roll the window all the way up you get better access to all of the lock mechanism pushrods. Basically just take out the torx bolts from the door jam where the lock mechanism is, unclip any pushrods and you can pull the mechanism out. From there I used a vice to hold it steady while I soaked it in degreaser and used shop towels to pull all of the gunk out. A screwdriver and wire brushes are very helpful to remove the caked on stuff. I made sure to move all the mechanisms in their full range to loosen them while they had degreaser on them. Then basically just wipe it down, and repeat till you're satisfied that it's clean. I also added a small coat of WD-40 even though it's not necessarily a lubricant, it's better than white lithium grease that dirt and grime attracts to very easily which you don't want for a mechanism that reaches the outside world.

Hope this made sense! Wishing you luck in your build!
-Kal

Drew

iTrader: (58)

The ignition locks often have the key code stamped on the body. The door and accessory locks have all been unmarked in my experience. You can take a door lock to a locksmith and they can disassemble and figure out the key codes, then cut a key to match. The t-top, trunk compartment, etc locks aren't good for this, since they usually don't have as many tumblers as the door locks. In other words, a key that is cut to fit the trunk compartment lock probably won't be able to unlock the doors, but a door key will unlock the others. Another way to go is to just buy a new door lock set at the corner auto parts store, and have the other locks from the car keyed by a locksmith to match the new door locks.

The door latches were covered in grease when they left the factory. The grease tends to break down, and harden after collecting dirt for decades. Any good solvent will break down the old grease, odorless mineral spirits is cheap, or if you have a parts washer it'd make quick work of the old grease and dirt. Simply soaking in solvent will usually dissolve most of the old grease, then hit the tough spots with a soft brush. Allow to dry and grease the moving parts, assuming the latch isn't physically worn, you're good to go. But most of the time the lock work in the latch will be worn from age.

1989karr

Ahh thank you! I want to clean mine up as well!