Genuine GM key for less! A key shop worth mentioning

[John Gilbert]

I bent my one and only ignition key for my '68 GMC, and it cracked when I bent it back to flat. I knew if I tried it one more time in the lock that's where the front half was going to stay. I've had real bad luck with the Chinese made keys they grind at Home Depot, and Lowe's etc. breaking after a very short time. Add this to the fact the thought of handing my only chance to a zit-faced kid that's also in charge of making sure the toilets flush didn't inspire any real confidence either.

I knew I was going to have to suck it up, and go pay a little more to have a professional lock shop save my butt.

I went to Hills Bros. Lock shop in Garden Grove, CA. and what a pleasant surprise. On GM stuff they only use genuine GM blanks, and it cost me only $6.00 for three keys.

Here's a few pictures that might look familiar to Custom Classic Trucks readers the '68 is in the December 2010 issue that should be on the newsstands now... Uh, oh, did that sound like a cheap plug for the mag?

I think maybe seat recover tech will next.

[406 Q-ship]

There really is no such thing as a really "GM" key, they are all produced by a company that GM contracted (Curtis I believe). Any locksmith shop can come up with them, you just need to check with your local lockshop to see what they carry (it just depends on what the shop orders). Even the ones without the GM logo are made on the same tooling if it is a Curtis blank. Sadly all key blanks are made over seas now.

The big box stores (along with many other businesses) are not the place to have keys made due to a lack of experience cutting keys. That local guy at the hardware store is probably OK but the kid at Home Depot has about 3 minutes of instruction on the use of an automatic key duplication machine and does not understand how a lock works, so will not see where the cutting process can get screwed up.

If you can not tell I trained with a long time locksmith and I used to handle the lock work at the dealership I worked at.

[Jacfourteen]

I agree lock shops are the only way to go. They have a larger selection of keys and they know what they are doing.

[JohnC]

Well here I am a local Hardware Store guy. I can't speak for other stores, but I stand behind my keys, and cutting abilities. I can make a key for everything from the early GM stuff to the new GM stuff. Now granted the locksmiths know a lot more than I do, and rightly so, but I could have made those same three keys for you for under $3.00. Sometimes the small local hardware stores get lumped into the same category as the Big Box stores. However, if you give us a shot you will be surprised how much better we are than Home Depot, and Lowe's.

Just my .02

[Already Gone]

I always like to have 2 or 3 sets of keys on my vehicles and usually put a "Hide-A-Key" on the truck as well. I always go to the local independant local locksmith that has been in business for around the last 75 years. This past summer I bought new cylinders for my ignition and doors and have the original keys for my truck so I had the locksmith code them for the original keys.

Hey John, I always enjoy your articles in Custom Classic and Classic Trucks.

[406 Q-ship]

John C, believe me I did not intent to come off saying that the Hardware Store personal can not cut keys, there are alot of Mom and Pops hardware stores with great people working them. We have got one of the best ones right here in Torrance, best nut and bolt selection I have found anywhere!!! I try to use the local hardware store over the big impersonal box store. Which reminds me I need to pick up some bumper bolts for the truck, here I come Lovelady.

[tripp]

John, I am a subscriber to your magazine and I recognized the truck from the current issue. However, I really knew it was you because I have been looking at your hands for years! LOL

[Jacfourteen]

Originally Posted by 406 Q-ship

John C, believe me I did not intent to come off saying that the Hardware Store personal can not cut keys, there are alot of Mom and Pops hardware stores with great people working them. We have got one of the best ones right here in Torrance, best nut and bolt selection I have found anywhere!!! I try to use the local hardware store over the big impersonal box store. Which reminds me I need to pick up some bumper bolts for the truck, here I come Lovelady.

Same here, the guys at my local ace have a great crew too. The last time I needed a key was on a sunday so that is where I went. I was more or less saying that I would never trust a home depot or walmart key. When I was in my teens I had walmart cut a key for my girlfriend's (now wife) car and it took 3 tries before they made one that would open the door.

[Clyde65]

When I was younger, I worked at a dealer and was shown ( many times I must add) how to cut keys with a hand held tool, you just dialed in the code and started cutting, after a while, I was getting good enough to do it from original keys, well most were right.

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

When I was younger, I worked at a dealer and was shown ( many times I must add) how to cut keys with a hand held tool, you just dialed in the code and started cutting, after a while, I was getting good enough to do it from original keys, well most were right.

Curtiss code cutter......they are so cool and wish I owned one right now. The Buick dealer I worked at had one and no one there could use it.

[57larry]

a local locksmith charged me $12.00 to cut one for my 72 (I had the old one)

[JohnC]

406 Q-ship, Jacfourteen - Yeah I knew you guys weren't meaning it personal. It's just a pet peeve of mine when people group all hardware stores in with the Big Box stores. Yeah they can save you money sometimes, but then again the right advice can save a lot of money too.

[Jacfourteen]

Originally Posted by JohnC

then again the right advice can save a lot of money too.

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by JohnC

... but then again the right advice can save a lot of money too.

Exactly!

[LockDoc]

-
Briggs & Stratton has been supplying GM with locks and keys for as long as they have been using them... I don't keep up with the new stuff but I know Strattec bought out B&S a few years ago. That's when everything lock related went down the tubes quality wise...

Curtis was an aftermarket key blank producer as well as Keil, Taylor, Jet, ILCO, Star, and many others...

LockDoc

[raycow]

GM must have made at least some of their blanks in-house. I have a few keys marked Rochester Products or RP. I don't know if these would have also been sold through GM parts or if they were used for production only. The only reason I am mentioning this is that the quality might be better on these than B&S if B&S has gone down the toilet.

Ray

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by raycow

GM must have made at least some of their blanks in-house. I have a few keys marked Rochester Products or RP. I don't know if these would have also been sold through GM parts or if they were used for production only. The only reason I am mentioning this is that the quality might be better on these than B&S if B&S has gone down the toilet.

Ray

Yes they did, GM actually had the RP subdivision handle this in the late 40's. They used RP as a backup supplier if B&S was having production problems... I don't think the RP produced products were sold to the general public at that time but I'm sure some of the stuff made it out as surplus. I don't know if RP is still in the lock & key business or not.

LockDoc

[406 Q-ship]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Briggs & Stratton has been supplying GM with locks and keys for as long as they have been using them... I don't keep up with the new stuff but I know Strattec bought out B&S a few years ago. That's when everything lock related went down the tubes quality wise...

Curtis was an aftermarket key blank producer as well as Keil, Taylor, Jet, ILCO, Star, and many others...

LockDoc

Opps I should have remember that Briggs & Stratton was the supplier of locks to GM (long with most of the other vehicle makes). Give that man a ceegar!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by 406 Q-ship

Opps I should have remember that Briggs & Stratton was the supplier of locks to GM (long with most of the other vehicle makes). Give that man a ceegar!

Make it a Swisher Sweet wood tip. I'm a wuss when it comes to ceegars...

LockDoc