Making Keys For The ’60 -‘66 Chevy Trucks

[awbrown]

Funny this thread should pop up now.. I had to drive my 63 to work today because the brakes on my 97 were acting up.. Anyways I work in Detroit ,and hate the fact that mine doesn't lock .. I always make sure I have a clear shot from the store to see my truck .... It would sure be nice, then I would have to make my vent windows lock ,..lol

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

I agree!!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by MikeN

I learned how to make keys and re-code lock cylinders while working the parts counter at a Chevy dealership about 20 years ago. It's not too hard. If you find a dealership that still has an oldtimer behind the counter, there's a little hand-held device that will punch out a new key to match the coding of your lock cylinder. Easy to do and not too expensive.

I have a couple of the Curtis hand held code cutters. One of them came from a closed dealership auction. You have to have the code book that goes with them too.

Originally Posted by awbrown

Funny this thread should pop up now.. I had to drive my 63 to work today because the brakes on my 97 were acting up.. Anyways I work in Detroit ,and hate the fact that mine doesn't lock .. I always make sure I have a clear shot from the store to see my truck .... It would sure be nice, then I would have to make my vent windows lock ,..lol

I would go ahead and have keys made for the door locks, it would be a deterrent because of the time involved if they had to open the vent window and reach in to open the door....

LockDoc

[chevy_man5]

Originally Posted by awbrown

Funny this thread should pop up now.. I had to drive my 63 to work today because the brakes on my 97 were acting up.. Anyways I work in Detroit ,and hate the fact that mine doesn't lock .. I always make sure I have a clear shot from the store to see my truck .... It would sure be nice, then I would have to make my vent windows lock ,..lol

LMC has a lock for the vent windows. $9.95 a pair...

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/cbe/full.aspx?Page=14

[oem4me]

Question for LockDoc: I've heard rumor that GM had far fewer codes for keys than one might expect. Say, like a couple hundred different keys TOTAL, for ALL makes and models. Thousands and thousands of vehicles built every year, and not anywhere near the same number when talking key differentiation.
Is this true? Can you tell by your key code book how many actual separate codes existed for our vehicles of that era?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by oem4me

Question for LockDoc: I've heard rumor that GM had far fewer codes for keys than one might expect. Say, like a couple hundred different keys TOTAL, for ALL makes and models. Thousands and thousands of vehicles built every year, and not anywhere near the same number when talking key differentiation.
Is this true? Can you tell by your key code book how many actual separate codes existed for our vehicles of that era?

For all GM vehicles from 1935 through 1966 there were 1499 different keys. For 1967 up there were about the same except that there were 4 different ignition keyways ("A", "C", "E", & "J") which effectively gave 5996 different keys for the ignitions.

LockDoc

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

For all GM vehicles from 1935 through 1966 there were 1499 different keys. For 1967 up there were about the same except that there were 4 different ignition keyways ("A", "C", "E", & "J") which effectively gave 5996 different keys for the ignitions.

LockDoc

Well imagine that ...an actual answer to something I've wondered about for many years. Very cool. Thanks!

[MikeN]

My uncle started going through all the keys he has saved from the Chevy's he has owned over the years, and trying them in the ignition of my 64 C10. I thought he was crazy. Sure enough, the somewhat larger square-headed key from a 76 Impala he used to own fits perfectly in my ignition, and starts the truck easily.