Unlocking a car without a key - is this real?

[MikeTheThinker]

 

[StevesTruck]

Wouldn't have thought so somehow 🤣

[Ootohere]

Easy enough to find out,

find a car of your choice and 12 yanks and there you are, Robert is your mothers brother. 

Edited 21 April, 2022 by roottoot

[mac11irl]

or maybe its a mondeo thing?

[Ootohere]

A Mondeo thing with car thieves was to give a hard kick to the rear hatch and that popped open. 

That will still be a thing. 

A Transit thing was / is use pretty much any ford key to open the drivers door because the locks become so worn. 

Edited 22 April, 2022 by roottoot

[robt100]

I think the transit thing was originally just a ford thing in general as back in the 80s they had I think, 4 different cuts for the keys and that was it.  I have a replacement lock on the boot of my Capri, which also means I now have 2 of the 4 key options, and with some (consented) testing, its amazing how many old fords I could drive away from a classic car show

[john999boy]

18 minutes ago, robt100 said:

I have a replacement lock on the boot of my Capri, which also means I now have 2 of the 4 key options, and with some (consented) testing, its amazing how many old fords I could drive away from a classic car show

When I was (a lot) younger I used to collect keys and had quite a few of the FT ones which I think you're referring to.

The big difference in 'old Fords' is that they weren't classic at the time lol.

 

It turns out that my Mexico from 1971 is still running though which is definitely an exception to the above!

[J.R.]

30 minutes ago, robt100 said:

just a ford thing in general as back in the 80s they had I think, 4 different cuts for the keys and that was it.

Complete rubbish.

 

I would not disagree that a decade earlier having 4 different worn FP series keys could get you into the majority of older Fords with worn locks with a bit of wiggling.

[KenONeill]

In which context, back in the late 1970s I had a set of keys for my Dad's Triumph Toledo. I couldn't use them in the ignition, but I could use one (usually the Triumph boot key) in some of the door/boot locks of all my friends' Fords and Vauxhalls.

[Jim H]

I can vaguely remember Clarkson showing you could start an old Vauxhall Nova without a key. I can't remember if he could open the door without one though.

[StevesTruck]

The old Novas were fairly easy to get into with a coat hanger.

[AnnoyingPentium]

33 minutes ago, StevesTruck said:

The old Novas were fairly easy to get into with a coat hanger.

 

You didn't take my Dad's CD changer, did you?

[StevesTruck]

🤣

 

I once lost quite a decent tape deck when my dad borrowed my Fiat Panda and forgot to take the front of it. He couldn't work out how they got in without doing any damage.

 

My theory is they peeled the gaffa tape off that made up the top of the door skin, lifted the lock, then smoothed the tape back down. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Ouch! My Dad was down in Blackpool with his mates and they nabbed the aftermarket Clarion stereo without doing too much damage to the car. We actually found the paperwork for the Clarion the other day, funnily enough.

[skomaz]

2 hours ago, Jim H said:

I can vaguely remember Clarkson showing you could start an old Vauxhall Nova without a key. I can't remember if he could open the door without one though.

 

You could - and the Chevette before it!

 

I owned both and the switch was a separate unit to the key barrel and just clipped (or maybe screwed with a phillips screw??) on so  you could take the steering wheel shroud off, pop off the switch and use anything with a flat blade screwdriver / knife - you name it - to turn the switch and start the car.

[skomaz]

1 hour ago, StevesTruck said:

The old Novas were fairly easy to get into with a coat hanger.

 

Or a bit  of that flat braided tape you get round heavy packages - fold it into a loop, slip it in past the door seal andover the lock button then pop the button up (been there done that!)

[KenONeill]

14 minutes ago, skomaz said:

 

Or a bit  of that flat braided tape you get round heavy packages - fold it into a loop, slip it in past the door seal andover the lock button then pop the button up (been there done that!)

Seen it done by a police officer.

[@Lee]

On 22/04/2022 at 09:12, roottoot said:

A Mondeo thing with car thieves was to give a hard kick to the rear hatch and that popped open. 

That will still be a thing. 

A Transit thing was / is use pretty much any ford key to open the drivers door because the locks become so worn. 

When I worked on sites in the 90s you could start any plant with a Lucas ignition barrel/ key with a bent and flattened nail.

[PetrolDave]

On some older Fords the ignition switch & lock was held onto the key section by thermoplastic clips, so a few moments with a cigarette lighter and the ignition lock disengaged and the switch was free to turn by hand to start the car - got this demonstrated by a member of the Met Police Vehicle Crime Squad!

[MikeTheThinker]

19 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

aftermarket Clarion stereo

I think I still have one at home somewhere if you're still looking for one?

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

8 minutes ago, MikeTheThinker said:

I think I still have one at home somewhere if you're still looking for one?

 

 

PM incoming.

[Ootohere]

Still waiting to hear from someone that want yanking a Mondeo and if they ended up with a door handle.

[mac11irl]

1 hour ago, roottoot said:

Still waiting to hear from someone that want yanking a Mondeo and if they ended up with a door handle.

 

i dunno about a mondeo but i got bored while on the phone outsude my car today at work so tried it..

can confirm - 2013 mk2 octavia diesel - this doesnt work

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

15 hours ago, roottoot said:

Still waiting to hear from someone that want yanking a Mondeo and if they ended up with a door handle.

 

I don't want to try it on my neighbours one because they're pretty scary.

[Aspman]

On 24/04/2022 at 18:59, StevesTruck said:

The old Novas were fairly easy to get into with a coat hanger.

Didn't even need a coat hanger, A good whack on the lock with anything solid and it would fall in the door and you could stick your finger in the hole to unlock the door.

Screwdriver and a brick worked well too.