W116 - possibly the easiest car to steal?? After getting inside anyway...

[SELfor50]

I probably shouldn't be posting this in a public place but.....

Has anyone changed the ignition barrels before??

Do you realise that if you disconnect the back half of the barrel (3 little screws) with it still connected to the wiring (the plug) it has a little flat head screw that can be turned with, you guessed it a flathead screw driver... and you're away.   

Only problem is getting through those big muthafuckn door locks!

I know this, cause i needed to put the windows up to get the door locks off...

Comments anyway? 

[I will edit this post and delete after comments begin...in order to keep our cars safe!]

[crayford]

Haven't tried it with a 116, but I can tell you that with a simple screwdriver, you can change the ignition barrels in Lancias so you can just swap them (in under five minutes) and use your keys to drive it away.

And there ain't no big door locks on a Lancia to get in your way... .

Oh, and I am also in possession of a single 116 key that has so far started every 116 we've owned. And that's about 12 now.

Do I have the masterkey?!

[alabbasi]

I used to be able to open the doors on my MKIII Cortina with a 20 pence coin.

[oscar]

I probably shouldn't be posting this in a public place but.....
[I will edit this post and delete after comments begin...in order to keep our cars safe!]

It's alright Cam, RHD car thieves would get spooked trying to find the ignition barrell to the right of the steering wheel like most RHD cars.

Al, a coin operated tina?  How many p for the ignition.

And Cray' was this key of yours a blade key or the conventional type?

[crayford]

And Cray' was this key of yours a blade key or the conventional type?

It was a conventional key, and it was a key that came with one of the cars. Then, one day, we got very confused as to which key was which (we have no key system  ) and we started trying them. This one key started every 116 we had (about 4, I think, at the time). So, of course, we then tried it on every one we consequently bought and, bingo, start 'er up. Very odd...

[Andrew280SEL]

Very interesting...

but wouldn't you need to able to access the back of the barrel anyway? I would've thought that would be a feat in itself, and would take a would-be thief a long time tinkering.....unless they have a battery operated jigsaw to rat-a-tat-tat through the wood grain.

[Des]

interesting, I know nothing about car keys, but I always assumed, that the big long key's like you get with the benzes of this period, meant they were harder to steal, i.e. using picks or some other tool in the ignition to start it.

[WGB]

That's why I have fitted a complicated immobiliser to my car - I remember the sinking feeling when I saw the empty parking space the last time.

Bill

[Des]

Was it a W116 Bill?

[nathan]

Cam,
whilst i havent stolen a 116yet, i have tried to change an ignition barrel without the key and for a fact, i can tell you this is an absolute mother #$^&#$ of a job...if you need to remove the barrel to steal the car, you will not steal a 116...if your barrel was easy to remove i reckon it must not be original or tampered with...to remove the barrel

a)its not so bad iwth a key and the correct instrument which you slot into the front of the barrel in ignition position 1
b)without a key, there is a small protruding mechanism at the base which you need to drill out and you can only do this with the instrument cluster out and a hell of a lot of cocking around...

the other thing ill add is that you will never have anything stolen from your boot unless they cut a hole in it.  i had to drill the lock out of the boot mechanism on one of my wrecks a few weeks back and this took frikkin ages and a bit of old fashion force.

maybe you dont need to remove the barrel to flog the car so it could still be easy, but as i said, getting the barrel out is a nightmare!

[Brian Crump]

Oh, and I am also in possession of a single 116 key that has so far started every 116 we've owned. And that's about 12 now.

Pictures, details and stories are mandatory Miss C.
Regards,
BC

[crayford]

Well, I've nothing else to tell, except this key is a mysterious little tacker - we can't work out why it does what it does.

Needless to say, I haven't used it for any mischief  .

I would happily post a picture apart from one small problem: we still don't have a key system, and I don't have a 116 to try all the keys in, as Kermit is at the workshop, under lock and key (ha ha) while his auction runs. So I can't identify the offending key at the moment. I might take a few Merc keys up to the workshop tomorrow and have a play...or perhaps I'll cruise around the SH and try starting random 116s (especially the cream 280SE with the bodgy passenger front door, driven by an old bag who followed me from Moss Vale to Bowral yesterday, then gave me evils in the car park near Coles. Why? Who can say...yes, methinks I'll try hers first...mwah ha ha ha  ).

[Brian Crump]

Crayford, Dear Crayford,
I mean pics and stories of the CARS!!!!
A key between frineds is of no consequence but 11 x 116s is of great interest to us here!!
Regards,
BC

[WGB]

Was it a W116 Bill?

No Des it was an XD Falcon. I found out afterwards that if parked and the steering lock is not actually clicked into position the lock barrel can be turned by pushing the automatic dipstick in the lock and turning it.This was apparently common to all falcons until they added more security later in the '80's.

I always fit an electronic immobiliser to an older car.

Bill

[crayford]

Sorry BC, am distracted by the auction ending for the Champ (ciao, Champ  ).

Do you know, I don't think we have photos of most of them (they were largely bangers). Can dig up some of the manual 450SE, and the Crayfords (obviously). Might have some of the Kerry Packer 280 somewhere, and the black manual. Hmmm...will go and have a search now the Champ excitement is done (sold for $4272.00, which is not great, but not bad I guess).

Was wondering what the hell you wanted with a picture of a key. Though someone might be in the business of cutting one from a forum pic (you never know around here - these peoples are capable of just about anything  ).