Today I learned something trivial about our trucks...

[hewittca]

When I bought my '68, the previous owner handed me one square key. Coming from 80's GM cars (with square ignition and round door keys), I assumed this was the ignition key, so I asked if he had the door key. The PO explained that he must have lost it but I could buy new locks with a key and swap them out. I considered the "missing" door key insignificant considering the great condition the truck was in. ...Fast forward 6 months to yesterday when I received a reproduction owner's manual and decided to read it. I assumed I knew everything in it, however, I wanted to read it for fun. Boy was I wrong! The FIRST thing I read in the manual is that the truck is equipped with ONE KEY that operates both the ignition AND doors!! Nothing like getting put in your place by a 50 year old user's manual on something so simple.

So, that leads me to my general question: What seemingly simple or trivial thing were you surprised to learn about our trucks?

Stay humble my friends!

(key for reference)

[dmjlambert]

I was surprised to hear (on this forum) that there was such a thing as factory rear bumpers. When I was growing up, my Dad got a 74 Chevy. It had a dealer bumper, and I don't believe I ever saw a truck without a dealer-stamped bumper until the late 70's.

My Mom had a 70 Cutlass, and it had separate keys for door and ignition. My Dad's 74 had separate keys for door and ignition, so some time between 69 and 74 is when they started doing that. I remember thinking wouldn't it be great if they could just operate the door locks and ignition with one key, but the wrong key didn't even fit in the slot.

[GOPAPA]

My first nice surprise was learning that the Vin number is stamped into the top of the frame in front of the steering box..

When I first moved to Idaho from Oregon ,,the city police came to my residence to verify the vin number to the title for me to get Idaho licence for my truck.. He was very thankful for the info about where else to find the vin number when it is not on the door post.

[dazza]

I think the key thing must get locked in at a young age. I just got my truck on the road after 7 or so years, I've owned it for about 20. During those seven years my brain went back to the "two key" system... it took a few days before I remembered and stopped searching for the round key!

[In The Ten Ring]

My truck uses two keys, as does my 1975 Pontiac.

[LockDoc]

-
"ALL" '67-'72 GM trucks came from the factory with the ignition and doors keyed the same. If your truck uses two keys then the ignition OR door locks have been changed in the last 40 or so years, which is not uncommon.... GM went to the two key system for trucks in 1973.

LockDoc

[ohboy321]

My first 3 cars were 65 Impala, 68 Firebird, 69 GTO, and I remember that they had 2 keys with the square for ignition and round for door/trunk.

I think I remember seeing different keys available (round vs. square) when I ordered new door lock cylinders for my 67 K10.

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
"ALL" '67-'72 GM trucks came from the factory with the ignition and doors keyed the same. If your truck uses two keys then the ignition OR door locks have been changed in the last 40 or so years, which is not uncommon.... GM went to the two key system for trucks in 1973.

LockDoc

Well something is going on with my truck because my dad bought it new and he's never said anything about replacing the ignition. I'll ask him next time I speak with him.

[ohboy321]

Originally Posted by ohboy321

My first 3 cars were 65 Impala, 68 Firebird, 69 GTO, and I remember that they had 2 keys with the square for ignition and round for door/trunk.

I think I remember seeing different keys available (round vs. square) when I ordered new door lock cylinders for my 67 K10.

Now that I think about it, I never tried the square ignition key I have in the door locks, and just assumed I needed a round one which I do not have.

That project (locking the doors) is ongoing, but I will have to check that out when I get home.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by ohboy321

Now that I think about it, I never tried the square ignition key I have in the door locks, and just assumed I needed a round one which I do not have.

That project (locking the doors) is ongoing, but I will have to check that out when I get home.

Be sure and spray some lube in them first, preferably something with Teflon in it.

LockDoc

[Keith Seymore]

My '63 GP, '65 GTO (owned since new), '74 Chevelle (owned since new) and '87 pickup (owned since new) all use two keys.

The Pontiacs are octagonal and oval, with the octagonal key working the ignition and doors. The Chevys are square and oval, with the square key for ignition and the oval key for doors/trunk.

On the other hand they didn't have as many blanks back in the 60's as they did in later years.

My dad hopped in his '64 Lemans and drove off one day - only to notice later that his '60 Corvair keys were hanging in the ignition. They used the same ignition keys (but different door keys).

K

[midniteblues]

I was severly puzzled by 2 things back when we first drug home the kids 67.

I fiddled with the door locks for days trying too lock the door and close it and have it stay locked.
Finally in the end i figured screw it im done fiddleing with them...kid, just live with it. You'll just have too lock the door with the key everytime....he really frowned on my and his failed attempts at getting them too work right.

The next thing that really boggled me was those damn 67 driving lights/turn signals up front.
once again i fiddled with them for so long. We were looking too get the state inspection done and i figured it would never pass cause the lites didnt work right.

I had asked a bunch of my buddies about these two problems and none of them had a clue either.

But one fella who was computer smart looked it up for us and that was our first visit too this board low and behold you all know what we found out.

Boy was i rattled when i thought about all the time wasted and brain racking trying too figure these 2 out.

Afterwards we learned too ask the dude too look up our little issues for us. Witch seemed too allways bring us here.
but it was still about 2 yrs. later that we both (kid an i) finally signed on here using moms work lap top.
then i got my own 'puter and kinda learned too use it.

[In The Ten Ring]

My truck's doors will unlock if locked and then the door is shut. I had to use my key to lock them once I had exited the truck (which sucks in the rain).

I never tried the square key in the lock! I had to think about it, but I've never tried.

[dazza]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
"ALL" '67-'72 GM trucks came from the factory with the ignition and doors keyed the same. If your truck uses two keys then the ignition OR door locks have been changed in the last 40 or so years, which is not uncommon.... GM went to the two key system for trucks in 1973.

LockDoc

And just what makes you a lock expert!??

[doo142]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

My truck's doors will unlock if locked and then the door is shut. I had to use my key to lock them once I had exited the truck (which sucks in the rain).

I never tried the square key in the lock! I had to think about it, but I've never tried.

Hold the button in when you shut the door then they will stay locked . It's a anti-lock out .

[hewittca]

Originally Posted by ohboy321

Now that I think about it, I never tried the square ignition key I have in the door locks, and just assumed I needed a round one which I do not have.

That project (locking the doors) is ongoing, but I will have to check that out when I get home.

I never tried it either until I read the manual yesterday. Sure enough, the square key works!

Originally Posted by doo142

Hold the button in when you shut the door then they will stay locked . It's a anti-lock out .

I did not know this either, mainly because I never locked my doors due to the confusion over the keys.

[davepl]

Originally Posted by doo142

Hold the button in when you shut the door then they will stay locked . It's a anti-lock out .

What? Where? When?

I didn't think this worked. I know it didn't on our 68, and I don't think so on our 69. What year did they enable the "hold the button in to stay locked" feature on trucks?

Also, why didn't they have it? For keeping people from locking trucks on a jobsite?

[Overdriven]

Originally Posted by doo142

Hold the button in when you shut the door then they will stay locked . It's a anti-lock out .

I have the same issue on my 67 with the door becoming unlocked when closing it. I've tried holding the button in when closing it (other old cars taught me that one) and it still unlocks itself. Tried it on the passenger side too thinking the drivers was worn or out of adjustment and it also unlocks itself even when holding the button. Btw both doors and locks operate beautifully otherwise. After closing the door 1/2 dozen times on each side and watching it unlock itself I just use the key to lock it.

I didn't know about the single key before I bought my truck, just assumed it would be 2 keys. So when the seller handed me 2 square keys I thought it was missing the door keys. So when I asked he schooled me. Dad wishes his 67 Camaro had only 1 key like the newer cars and my truck.

The front turn signal/parking light thing got me at first too. Thought something was wrong with my headlight switch or that I was crazy. See I walked around the truck checking all the lights when I got it, first parking/turns, then headlights. So when the front turns were dark when headlights were on of course I was like wtf and had to fiddle and check it again a few times. Watching me open and close the trucks doors, then turning the lights off and on must've been fun for the neighbors to watch!

[davepl]

Originally Posted by Overdriven

Dad wishes his 67 Camaro had only 1 key like the newer cars and my truck.

I had my '69 Pontiac re-keyed so that everything takes the same key, so it can be done on GMs, at least that year. The only downside of course is you can't lock people like a valet out of your trunk, but I've never really had the need in that car.

[Spartan]

When I first arrived on the site I was happy to have found a 69 K20 in the save flavor as my dad and uncles trucks. I used the search function to get rolling then SpecialK and SSTim schooled me on the finer details of what the truck should have been equipped factory.
Since the there have been literally hundreds of members helping me in discussions to pinpoint certain data points.

The most trivial I'm not sure because all the information has its special place.
I guess right now it's finding a certain 1968 parts that came on early 69s. Yep the side reflectors on 68 didn't have a hole for a bulb and neither did some early 69s. I have yet to see an nos reflector without the hole. Of course I haven't been looking to hard since the truck is on hold for a year.

Yep good peeps here sharing their experiences.
Cheers!
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[Alex V.]

I wasn't aware of the door lock quirk or parking light/headlight dynamic when I got my '67 'Burb, but it didn't take me long to catch on and I like both features. Parking lamps are, just, unique, and the door locks may be annoyingly manual, but certainly serve a purpose. I also remember thinking it nifty that the windshielf wiper switch's detent for washers automatically rotates it over to low. The pop-out cigarette lighter is something I remember from childhood in it, but most other people have never seen. No fourth door is something that puzzles some people, too.

I guess by the next generation we'll have a much higher percentage of young, first-time owners that can't fathom a transmission that won't go into first gear while moving and having to use the gas pedal AND a knob on the dash to start it. I enjoy the looks I get when I leave my parking space at the grocery store, restaurant, etc. in first gear, where other people are around, outside their cars - "Yeah, it's supposed to do that."

[Ken B]

Very funny you should post this. A year ago when I bought my 70 Longhorn it also only came with one key in a little leather pouch. I also thought the truck was missing the door key. Upon the first week of ownership I had to replace the ignition switch and I tossed the key in the garbage, or so I thought. It was about 6 months later that I was reading the owners manual that came with the truck and I also learned it only came with one key that operated doors and ignition. What a dumb a$$ I thought to myself, I tossed the key, or so I thought! A few weeks ago I was rearranging my wood pile in the back yard and what do I come across? The original ignition switch with the key still in it! I suddenly remembered when I got the old switch out when I was replacing it 11 months ago that I did in fact toss the old key! I chucked it from my driveway and into the woods... I couldn't believe it, when I tried the key in the door locks it worked beautiful. It really sucked going 11 months without being able to lock my truck. I gotta say, I was having a crappy few months and that sure made things better.. True story... Like someone else said, I knew about holding the door button down when locking certain vehicles but it doesn't work with my truck, I have to use the key from the outside to lock it.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I've had my truck for 20 years, only ever had one key for it. Well, that's a bit of a lie... the original ignition switch wore out so bad you could stick any key in and it would start, so I replaced it. I bought a "set" but haven't changed the door locks yet, so right now I have different keys

My 65 Mustang has the factory keys and locks, the door and ignition take the same rectangular key, the truck takes the oval key. If you had a locking glovebox, it shared the trunk key. A little googling shows this was hot Ford did it across their car line.

Now I'm going to have to try my original locks 67 firebird when I get home, I've never driven it so I've never had to unlock a door on it. It's funny how manufacturers do simple things so different.

Maybe that's why I always try to stick the oval key in the Mustang's door lock? Growing up the vast majority of my family always owned mostly GM, so the round key for the doors is probably implanted somewhere deep in my subconscious?

[dazza]

Originally Posted by doo142

Hold the button in when you shut the door then they will stay locked . It's a anti-lock out .

Doesn't work on mine. 72K10

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by dazza

Doesn't work on mine. 72K10

Same here. The lock just pops back up. I tried it multiple times. I even tried to push the lock down with the button pushed it, but that wouldn't allow the lock to even go down... sooooo??

Going to have to try that on my Mustang tonight and see if it works on that.