General Lost fiat 124 keys

[Saslam1971]

Hi
I have a Abarth Fiat 124 sports coupe 1975 car. Unfortunately, the keys have been lost but I managed to pick the boot and door locks and get keys made. However, I'm finding it impossible to get keys for the ignition and the steering wheel is locked. It has a sipea 90030 ignition, I've taken off the cover but there is no code, none in the door or engine cover. Any ideas apart from drilling it out or screwdriver job. Many thx

 

[s130]

Your picture of the key barrel is not clear.

In one respect you are lucky. I'm reasonably sure that you don't have to drill the key barrel.

You should be able to separate the key barrel from the switch and the steering lock mechanism.

The steering column lock mechanism is almost certainly fitted with sheer bolts. The can be remove/drilled etc. but that will give you security and provenance issues.

I would suggest you get the key barrel to a locksmith who should be able to reverse engineer the key form. If the keys you have fit the barrel then supply these to the locksmith.

If you are not concerned about originality/provenance, are happy to secure the car with a steering lock etc. then you can modernise/adapt/etc.

 

[Saslam1971]

Your picture of the key barrel is not clear.

In one respect you are lucky. I'm reasonably sure that you don't have to drill the key barrel.

You should be able to separate the key barrel from the switch and the steering lock mechanism.

The steering column lock mechanism is almost certainly fitted with sheer bolts. The can be remove/drilled etc. but that will give you security and provenance issues.

I would suggest you get the key barrel to a locksmith who should be able to reverse engineer the key form. If the keys you have fit the barrel then supply these to the locksmith.

If you are not concerned about originality/provenance, are happy to secure the car with a steering lock etc. then you can modernise/adapt/etc.

Your picture of the key barrel is not clear.

In one respect you are lucky. I'm reasonably sure that you don't have to drill the key barrel.

You should be able to separate the key barrel from the switch and the steering lock mechanism.

The steering column lock mechanism is almost certainly fitted with sheer bolts. The can be remove/drilled etc. but that will give you security and provenance issues.

I would suggest you get the key barrel to a locksmith who should be able to reverse engineer the key form. If the keys you have fit the barrel then supply these to the locksmith.

If you are not concerned about originality/provenance, are happy to secure the car with a steering lock etc. then you can modernise/adapt/etc.

Hi
Thank you for your reply. I will try and post some clearer pictures later. The key barrel and switch look like one piece. Atm the ignition switch is locked into the steering column and because I have no key, I am unable to unlock the steering wheel. There are 2 bolts ( not sheered) will post pics later in the day. If I take out the sheer bolts or know the location of them. I will replace them and so it should still look fairly original.
Forgive me if I have misread or answered wrongly. Brain dead at this time of the morning lol.

Ps. Clearer pics to follow

 

[Saslam1971]

Hi
Unsure where the sheer bolts are but I have found some bolts and am guessing that these are for the steering column. I have attached some pics....but anyway I can find out how to remove the sheer bolts if any or do I try n remove the whole steering column and take that to the locksmiths?

TiA

 

[Davren]

The Sipea ignition switch barrel doesn't use shear bolts to fix it to the steering column. It's held in a tube, attached to the side of the column, by a spring loaded plate on the side of the barrel. Unfortunately, you need to have the correct key in the lock, then press on the plate and withdraw the barrel.

Some, but not all, Sipea barrels have the key code stamped under the stainless steel top cover of the barrel. The code is then translated into the key cutting code by a locksmith. It can be difficult removing the cover without damaging it.
.

 

[Davren]

Just seen this on Amazon: Amazon product ASIN B08GSW6BC7.

 

[Saslam1971]

Hi Daren,

Thanks for that. I managed to get the cover off but unfortunately there was no code there (very dissapointed). There are 3 crimp points on the ignition front cover for which I used a screwdriver and managed to take it off.

I looked on the back of the ignition switch using an inspection camera (where the wires are and all around the ignition but couldn't see the code anywhere)

Any ideas where else it might be anyone?

Tia

 

[Saslam1971]

Just seen this on Amazon: Amazon product ASIN B08GSW6BC7.

Yes I might have to wedge a screwdriver into the barrel as a last resort. I have tried jiggle keys and tried to pick it with lock picks but to no avail. Managed to pick the boot which has a wafer lock and so if anyone has a similar issue for the boot just get a goso set for about £15 and it's really easy to pick. The ignition however has a pin and tumbler set and I've tried raking and picking but no success unfortunately.

 

[Davren]

If it's not under the stainless cover, then it's not anywhere.
.

 

[124BC1]

I agree with most of what Davren has said above^^. The ignition switch is also held in the tube by 2 or 3 Phillips head screws (size No. 2 point), one of which is shown removed in your pic. #2 in post#4 above - you can also see one of these (iirc) 4mm threaded holes in Davren's image of an ignition switch in post #5. So as well as removing these 2 or 3 small screws and depressing the spring loaded plate (indicated by the red arrow in Davren's post), you also need to insert the correct ignition key (which you don't have) AND turn it to the 1st? position to disengage the steering lock bolt from the steering column shaft, in order to extract the ignition switch.

On some of these switches, the switch part (to which all the wires attach) is held into the back of the ignition switch unit by a wire circlip, if this clip is removed, the electrical switch part can be separated from the key/lock part - inside (i.e. between the electrical switch part and the bottom of the lock barrel) you may find a metal disc onto which is stamped the key number...

Hth.

 

[slimlavud]

I agree with most of what Davren has said above^^. The ignition switch is also held in the tube by 2 or 3 Phillips head screws (size No. 2 point), one of which is shown removed in your pic. #2 in post#4 above - you can also see one of these (iirc) 4mm threaded holes in Davren's image of an ignition switch in post #5. So as well as removing these 2 or 3 small screws and depressing the spring loaded plate (indicated by the red arrow in Davren's post), you also need to insert the correct ignition key (which you don't have) AND turn it to the 1st? position to disengage the steering lock bolt from the steering column shaft, in order to extract the ignition switch.

On some of these switches, the switch part (to which all the wires attach) is held into the back of the ignition switch unit by a wire circlip, if this clip is removed, the electrical switch part can be separated from the key/lock part - inside (i.e. between the electrical switch part and the bottom of the lock barrel) you may find a metal disc onto which is stamped the key number...

Hth.

Hi all. I have just removed and repaired three of these ignition switches. 1. The key needs to be turned to the first 'unlock' position to allow the steel plate on the side, accessible with a small screwdriver or pick, to be pushed in. This then allows the whole assembly to be slid up towards you, after removing one or two small screws holding it in - these screw through the steel outer tube (fixed to the car!) and into the alloy of the switch/lock. 2. There IS a key number on a washer (metal disc if you like). The way I removed these locks when the keys were lost was to squirt some diesel fuel into the key hole (much better than WD-40) and pick the lock, it is not that difficult to do. The lock advertised on Amazon and elsewhere are Russian or Hungarian and are very poor quality - they have only ONE contact to take the full power demand of the car through the switch. The original SIPEA switch has TWO contacts so they don't burn out. The main power demand that burns out the Russian switch is the electric cooling fan for the radiator. Some 124 Spiders have this power coming straight from the brown wire on the starter motor and have an inline fuse and of course a relay to use the earth signal from the sensor on the radiator to switch a relay. If this power comes through the ignition switch it may make the switch get hot and melt!

 

[Saslam1971]

Hi all. I have just removed and repaired three of these ignition switches. 1. The key needs to be turned to the first 'unlock' position to allow the steel plate on the side, accessible with a small screwdriver or pick, to be pushed in. This then allows the whole assembly to be slid up towards you, after removing one or two small screws holding it in - these screw through the steel outer tube (fixed to the car!) and into the alloy of the switch/lock. 2. There IS a key number on a washer (metal disc if you like). The way I removed these locks when the keys were lost was to squirt some diesel fuel into the key hole (much better than WD-40) and pick the lock, it is not that difficult to do. The lock advertised on Amazon and elsewhere are Russian or Hungarian and are very poor quality - they have only ONE contact to take the full power demand of the car through the switch. The original SIPEA switch has TWO contacts so they don't burn out. The main power demand that burns out the Russian switch is the electric cooling fan for the radiator. Some 124 Spiders have this power coming straight from the brown wire on the starter motor and have an inline fuse and of course a relay to use the earth signal from the sensor on the radiator to switch a relay. If this power comes through the ignition switch it may make the switch get hot and melt!

Hi Slim, thanks for your reply. I haven't got a key to turn it to the first position and have tried picking it for hours on end. In the end I just ended up drilling it out and will just buy a sipea ignition to replace it. I checked the whole ignition even after removal and there was no code anywhere. I thank you for your reply and if anyone knows of an original sipea ignition 90030 please let me know. Thanks