Buying Car With No Keys

so this I'm sure is a dumb question, but I've never built a car from the ground up before and I'm looking at buying a '54 chevy belair and it has no keys, no motor, no tranny...the plan is to swap in my 355/350 in it but what do I do since it has no keys? how will I start it? where will I get keys?

sorry I'm sure this is an easy question to anwser and I'm sure after someone says it I'll be like "oh I knew that" but right now I'm stumped..

 

Take the lock cylinder out, take to a locksmith, he will re key it. Or, buy a new lock cylinder. No biggie dude. It will likely be the least challenging part of the entire build

 

An auto locksmith can decode the numbers stamped into the locks and cut a key.

 

x2 or you can buy a whole new ignition, like an after market one, or im sure they make a repop kit?

 

you can take the switch and other key cylinders to a locksmith and have keys made

 

X3 Some even come out to you...

 

wouldn't it be cheaper just to buy a new lock cylinder?

 

4 digit codes are stamped in the cylinder housings, most older locksmiths can cut you new keys from it.

 

There never was that many GM key combinations, if you have some of the hex-head GM keys around try them out. You're liable to run into one that will work.

 

Locksmith isnt that bad on your wallet either.

 

No keys for the ignition? Is there an ignition? Why not just buy a new ignition switch? There's plenty of ways to start a car with no keys, all of which come in handy when the ignition switch fails.

 

bingo.
if you decide to pull the stock one out and have a key made or if you buy a new lock, you'll have to probley drill out the old cylinder as to remove it from the dash you'll need to move it into the "lock" postion and use a paper clip to pull it out.

 

yeah thats what I was thinking just buying a new ignition switch, no idea if there is an ignition but I assume there is, havent looked at the car in person yet..plan to this week but he said he lost the keys and title many years ago

 

Well give me about 30 minutes and I can find you a car without keys and a title you can buy off of me. The price will be as HOT as the car, trust me.

 

Got a new cylinder for my 52 Ford. I went ahead and got the door cylinders new and keyed to the ignition, just like it came from the dealer. Piece of cake and only an afternoon to install and wire it. I got mine from Dennis Carpenter, but I am sure there are Chevy restoration guys like he is for Ford.

 

replacing the key lock will be the easier part of the swap. you will have to rewire the car probably and when you do you can just put in a replacement one.

 

when you are buying the new used GM tilt column make sure it has keys as you must be putting in M2 frontcrossmember

the code can be gotten off the door handles and trunk lock, simple for one that knows his stuff

 

Dude, the ignition switch isn't attached to anything. Put in a new switch and hook it u to your new engine. You are going to have a MUCH bigger problem with "No Title".

 

If thats all thats holding you back from buying the car .get a locksmith to make some keys for it or if you are planning on making the engine and tranny change,just put a tilt column it with key and switch already there,but you'll still need the doors and trunk keyed so you can lock it up,

 

If he is the registered owner, it's really not hard at all. You can both go to the secretary of state and simply transfer it from one owner to the next and they will send the new owner the new title. However, if he is not the registered owner, I understand it is much more difficult. I'd tell him there's an extra 100 bucks in it for him if he gets on the title situation, haha.

 

To add it will be one of the last things you will need to worry about.

 

OK, let me get this straight, you have mentioned that you are going to build a chopped, channeled, sectioned, and air bagged custom, BUT, you can't figure out what to do about no key's for a car that you don't own, and haven't even actually seen???!!!!...and, you have a "shop"?

 

I believe a 1954 Chevy can be started without a key, as long as the key was removed in the Off position and not in the Lock position - there's a little flange around the key hole that you can use to turn it to On. My dad had a '53 Chevy when I was a little kid, and I remember playing in the car one day and discovering I could start the thing.

 

Hell if re keying or replacing has you stumped, what is the rest of the project going to do to you. If you have to start and don't have a key hot wire it, wait how do you do that?

 

like stated in my post, figured it was a dumb question but havent ran into this situation before and never hurts to ask...but seriously everytime you post on one of my threads you sound like a total ass...if you dont like me, ignore my stuff..I havent seen any cars you've built but you own a "shop" when I see one of your cars worthy of talking about I'll be impressed and until then I dont care about your comments and they serve no help or no purpose...your old and have been doing this for years, I've been into cars for about 5 years now so I'm basically just starting out...somethings I know very well and other areas I have no idea..but I cant learn unless I ask, but apprentley it bugs you everytime I ask...some old guys out there are willing to help the young guys and give them pointers and help when they need it but guess your the total opposite

 

got a universal key....let u borrow it

 

No, I've offered help and suggestions to you before, several times, on here and on other forums, and if you remember correctly, I've offered to lower the price on part's you wanted to buy from me because I realized you were a young guy just getting started, and mentioned to you, that, that was why I was lowering my price...but you never followed through or bought anything...

...just because you've never seen any of my car's doesn't mean anything, but, they've been in several magazines, newspapers, at Autorama, Billetproof, Broken Dream Cruise, Goodguy's Indy, the Street Rod Nationals, the Hunnert Car Pileup, and on Hot Rod TV, so, they're not hard to find...

I'm not "old", I'm "experienced"...and I don't need to impress anyone except myself...

...and, I'm not being an "ass", I'm just asking painfully obvious questions, like : on the thread you started before this one, asking about, "how do I bag a stock '54 front suspension, or Camaro subframe, and, what are the advantages of a MII frontend?", and you're supposed to be an Air Ride Dealer?...how can you offer intelligent, educated recomendations of products to potential customers, if you don't have a basic knowledge of that kind of stuff, and no practical experience designing, building, installing, and driving, air ride systems, and air ride equipped vehicles?...jus' sayin'...

 

We have an old business in town, Centerville Saw and Tool, The old guy who makes keys seems to be able to figure out anything I have thrown at him. Look for an old shop that's been around for a while and should be golden.
Heck my guy even had old ford blanks in stock.
chuck

 

Justin

Building "from the ground up" is going to require some planning. The "key" issue is mute..as you have far to go before you'll be needing a key.
If the car has 56 year old wiring..it'll need to go. You'll need 12 volt, and alternator for the 350/350 and certainly if you are bagging (I don't know much about bags..but they need lots of power I'm guessing).
So..in planning this you will be replacing much more than the key...so it does seem you need to think about this more logically.

Simple remote starter wired across solenoid will start the engine for testing..so do some understanding of the electrical system you will be replacing and in many ways designing.

We all were young..but take a look at what you want to do. Study on how car electrics function..and the key issue is nothing.
We didn't have internet or easy ways to learn..but we did have something..we learned by doing..ingenuity..not a lot of "helpful old guys" where I grew up..so we all just "figured it out"

I was 18..and bought a bunch of wire and figured it out..a simple T bucket..but got it to start..lights..and run. Incredible

There is so much available now on the interent..some of us older guys just think it's so easy to find the answers..but sometimes if you are not really aware of the correct questions you'll get the kind of responses as here.
Your questions indicate your planning..not your ability.

Planning..study..then ask..no different than a college class..

 

The locks in the ignition are hard to remove if you don't have the key. The easiest thing to do is remove a door lock by pulling the keeper in the door jam and take that lock to a locksmith. He will cut a key from the code and it will unlock the ignition also.To get the trunk open, take the glove box lock and get a key made for it. That key will unlock the trunk. Very easy and all locks have keys.
Good luck with your project.