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Hi , I had a call from our local Holden dealer last week , they had an HQ owner that lost the boot key . So I took down all my spare 'B' keys ( I have the "A Key" master set but not the 'B" set) No luck . until I looked in the owner guide and found the key number , which I assume they got a new one cut. Now what does the key number mean?, example key A 6D23 & key B 8A57 .Thanks Mark. |
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An old school locksmith would be the one to ask.
I remember getting keys cut at our local Holden dealer back in the 70s & 80s. We just quoted that number & they would cut the key from that info alone,
Dr Terry |
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Yes the key number is a code for the tumblers, any locksmith worth his salt should be able to cut off the number. Was a common way to steal cars back in the day, break into car and check books, then get key cut. Drive away no damage to ignition if you were going to rebirth. The same is still true today, each key number is listed in the owner info. Alternatively it is easy to open the boot and take the lock out and send it away. Edited by user Thursday, 30 May 2019 6:52:48 PM(UTC)
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Some key codes relate directly to the bitting depth - ie how many tumblers or leaves in the lock, and how deep each one is on a set scale (often 5 or 6 different depths).
Other codes aren't written so basic, and need a lookup table to ascertain the code. From my experience with Commodore keys, which evolved from HQ keys, these tables are published to locksmiths and dealers, and there's something like 6-8 pages of them. There's simply not enough paper to list every code, but the tables explain how the letter comes into it, and how to extrapolate the 5-digit bitting code from the key code.
I remember learning about this back in 1993 with my father's VK. I'd driven it over to a mate's place for a weekend BBQ/party.
The key (a cut copy made from brass) got bent when unsuccessfully fielding a backyard cricket catch, and broke when I tried to straighten it.
By good fortune, the father of one of the guys there (his neighbour) was a locksmith, with the full kit in the back of a van.
We took the 2 bits of key to him, and he shook his head, but asked if we had the books for the car.
He looked up the key number, went to his workshop, and came back with the cut key, ready to go.
He explained the key cutting matrix system to me - ie basically a grid of length & depth to position each cut, and some of the intricacies - like you can't have a real shallow cut beside a real deep one. and how a worn lock or key can allow many "near" combinations to operate it. He was one of those old school guys Terry mentioned - and as typical with older tradesmen, they love to share their knowledge to anyone from a younger generation who shows interest.
I found this page that covers similar locks to the HQ, used in US GM cars: http://www.camaros.org/keysandlocks.shtml |
Cheers,
Mick
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