Keycutting from chassis no on Fiesta? Happy ending

[ben711200]

This is a dull question. I will reimburse with pictures below

Becky has a Mk1 Fiesta. I have fat hands. I managed to snap the only key for the ignition in the fuel filler cap at a petrol station yesterday. The fact that this key matches for the ignition, drivers door, passenger door and fuel filler leads me to believe (hope) that they are probably the original locks. The saving grace is that the boot is different, meaning that locking and entry to the car are still possible.

We got away from the petrol station with the help of an AA man who broke the steering lock and exposed the ignition switch so that we could drive away because I had no tools with me at all.

So does anyone know if Ford will chop me a new key on a chassis number? Will they do it for me on showing a V5c even if it's got Becky's name on it? Remembering that on a 30ish year old car that it is part guesswork that the locks are original, how much will it cost me?

If not.. anyone got a set of locks, ignition barrel and key for a mk1 or 2 Fiesta?

[Rich606]

If it's anything like my dad's old Fiesta and my brother's old Escort van, you just need a key from a Ford of a similar vintage and it will do the trick...

[popuptoaster]

yeah mk1 Fiesta should have locks curse word enough to open with almost any Ford key, find someone with a bunch of em to try, or take the opportunity to fit some better ones.

[Sammo]

Ford wont be able to do anything with the chassis number. The car will be too old to be on any computerised records.

There are 2 things you can do. Try and get the snapped bit of key out of the filler cap. Or remove one of the barrels and a helpful Ford dealer might be able to cut a key to fit the lock.

[hairnet]

take the door lock out and timpsons will sort you

[cobblers]

It's an old ford, which means pretty much anything will open it. If you can get the remains of the key and find a willing key cutting chap you'll get a good enough copy made, but as people have said above, the locks wear in a very liberal way. I once owned 3 mk2 fiestas and each came with their own key - they all would open the drivers door and start with ANY key, even the one from my dads rover. The only way I worked out which key was for which was using the passenger door, and even then with some jiggling I could open them all with any key, but just chose the one that took the least jiggling to be the "proper" key.

[stealthstylz]

Stubby screwdriver will start a Ford usually. Also did the RAC man actually break the steering lock (as in rag the steering wheel round so it snaps) or remove it?

Matt

[richy246]

Just had the same with my sons renault 19.Renault wanted £300 .Took the barrel out went to local locksmith who cut 2 keys for £25

[ben711200]

I didn't actually see what he did with the steering lock. Becky said he used a drift and a hammer and tapped something.. I wandered off to Timpsons to see if they could do anything with the mangled remains of the key. He couldn't, but he was a Saturday afternoon lad. The locks don't feel that worn.. maybe that's a sign that they aren't original.

I'll get Bec to have a bash with the other key later but I don't think it works from memory..

[popuptoaster]

If you can get the ignition lock on position II on an old Ford theres a tab underneath you can push in and pull the whole barrel out, you can start it with a screwdriver then without damaging anything or fit a new barrel if you want, he might have donw that, or drifted out the security screws and taken the back off, you can turn that bit with a screwdriver as well, but it leaves the steering lock on.


you should be able to jiggle the locks on almost any old Ford with flat keys, we used to do it all the time back in my youth, were we all used to knock about over the car park it bacame a bit of a game to wait till one f us had wandered off for fags or a burger and then start up there car and hide it. I even borrowed a key of a suprised woman when my girlfriend locked her keys in her mk1 Fiesta when we were out shopping, both of them were a bit upset about how easy it would be to nick either car, but thats why Fords got stolen a lot. lol

[MrDay]

I bought a bunch of 70s ford keys off ebay the other day hoping that 1 of them would fit my mk1 escort doors/boot locks but non of them did,my dads old marina key fits the boot though!

So as i'm in the same boat am i right in thinking that if i took a door lock off,could a good locksmith make a key to fit it without even having a key??

[ben711200]

Interesting stuff, cheers

You must remember that this is the good lady's car. If it were mine I'd have no issue at all with just using a screwdriver ;D I'll have a proper nosy over it to see what keys I can make work...

[popuptoaster]

The trick is to keep jiggling with the key as you push it in an out, not to much pressure as your trying to turn it, its like making love to a beautiful woman.

[Team Blitz]

There's a hole in the lock housing. Push in with the tip of an awl or nail, and pull out the barrel. Stick a replacement barrel in. The key likely broken off because the barrel got "sticky" from excessively worn gubbins inside the barrel. Toss the old one. Fit a new one, and your life (and wife) will turn more easily. Ahem.

Oh, hell, just re-read. The rescue man broke the lock housing? Well, OK then. Scratch the idea of just replacing the barrel!

Sigh......... you need the kit and the kaboodle too. Oi.

[DavidB]

You can take all the locks out and file down the tumblers to a new key so they turn. I think you may need the original key though - can you rescue the one stuck in the petrol cap?

[Mystery Machine]

PM sent Dude

[ims]

old skool locksmith ftw ive had one around here sort me one, removed the lock barrell on a door gave it to him and he made me a set of keys up in a couple hours this was on a mk1 golf

[MrDay]

Right i think i'll wait and buy a new ignition barrel (with keys) off ebay for the escort then take that key to a locksmith with my boot and door locks and hopefully get them to make that key fit the locks!

Would be intersted to hear what you (ben90210) end up doin with your key/lock situation,hope you get it sorted?

[HARDCORE]

I haven't read every word of everyone's replies so sorry if I'm repeating anything..

- when I lost the only set of keys I had for Granny (fragged another car with them in the glove box ) I phoned Ford (2 dealers in fact, to make sure the first one wasn't talking wibblepoo) which was a complete waste of time! So that saves you doing the same.

- Granny is a newer style key unfortunately do this didn't work but on a Mk1 Fiesta I'd be surprised if pretty much any old Ford key (flat type) won't open / start it. Only last week my friend Braeburn locked the keys in the boot of his Mk3 Cortina and the first key he came across (happened to be Capri 2.8i) opened it straight up ;D I've got loads of keys for old Fords (including some for cars I actually own!) so I'll bring along as many as I can find this weekend if the car's gonna be there?

- If the above fails (as surprising as that would be!) it really depends on what damage the AA man did to the barrel as to weather or not you can get a key cut to match it or if a new barrel & corresponding key will be needed..

HTH!

[ben711200]

Update ;D

AA man with his hammer and drift did an excellent job. He has tapping to get purchase on the anti-tamper bolts that hold the steering lock on. He did zero damage

I had a bash with the other fiesta key, and I could, with a bit of jiggling, get the driver's door to unlock, I don't think I tried on the ignition. Becky didn't quite have the knack, and I struggled (our childhoods were clearly far too honest and wholesome to learn how to break into Fords ).

Driving down to my unit to assess what I could do, I get a text from Mattmk1 who tells me he has a complete matching lock set and ignition barrel, with two keys. We drop in on his house, he hands me a plastic bag of lock, have a quick chat and upon asking 'what do you want for them?' he tells me that there is no charge. RR community spirit at it's finest. Thanks, Matt


I've changed the ignition barrel and driver's door lock. I'll do the other two when I get a chance. Good times