55 ford wagon keys question

[steve fritz]

Would the glove box key and the rear tail gate key be the same? ( round back)
Then the ignition key and door keys would be the same? ( square back)
Thanks,
Steve

[51504bat]

I just bought a '54 Ranch Wagon and the square head key fits the ignition, the glove box, and the tail gate. Don't know if it's supposed to be that way. FWIW the key is pretty worn so it may be that it may have taken 2 different keys, one square head and one round head when the key cuts were new. IIRC about 3 different worn down tri 5 Chevy keys worked on almost all of the Chevy's in the parking lot of my HS back in the late '60's.

[Daves55Sedan]

Wagon tailgate (or Courier back door) key is same one that fits glove box (round key fob). Ignition key fits passenger door locks (square key fob). Seems like they kept this same arrangement all through the 1950's.

[datac]

Interesting- my '55 Courier uses the same square ignition key for the front doors, glove box, and rear door- one key works for the entire vehicle. I expected the usual square-round combo I'm familiar with from other '50s Fords. I wonder if there's a difference between Mainline and Crestline/Fairlane here.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by datac

Interesting- my '55 Courier uses the same square ignition key for the front doors, glove box, and rear door- one key works for the entire vehicle. I expected the usual square-round combo I'm familiar with from other '50s Fords.

I wonder if there's a difference between Mainline and Crestline/Fairlane here.

Remember also that your car came from a body company and not off an assembly line (bare assembly was sent to body company). It may be keyed for just one key as not to have to fiddle with different keys during an emergency.

And while I have you here, the car most likely being a 55 emergency vehicle, came through with a 292 CI P-CODE. Is there a BODY PLATE (body company) and a FORD PATENT PLATE?

[datac]

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Originally Posted by KULTULZ

Remember also that your car came from a body company and not off an assembly line (bare assembly was sent to body company). It may be keyed for just one key as not to have to fiddle with different keys during an emergency.

And while I have you here, the car most likely being a 55 emergency vehicle, came through with a 292 CI P-CODE. Is there a BODY PLATE (body company) and a FORD PATENT PLATE?

Yep, Ford data plate present (as well as a tag from the coachbuilder), but it's a plain old U-code 272. 78A Sedan Delivery, mid-year Y-code Mountain Green paint over AE Dark Copper interior (although all of the door panels, seats, etc., are from the coachbuilder, not Ford), standard trans with 4.27 gears. The gearing is mighty short for general use, definitely not a freeway cruiser.

[Alaska Jim]

I worked for the state of Alaska, and all the police cars and some of the other vehicles, came with a " fleet key " set up this key fit all the current year police cars and some of the other fleet cars. this was a option from the selling dealer in the fleet sales dept. your 55 may have been made so at the time of the original sale

[datac]

Originally Posted by Alaska Jim

I worked for the state of Alaska, and all the police cars and some of the other vehicles, came with a " fleet key " set up this key fit all the current year police cars and some of the other fleet cars. this was a option from the selling dealer in the fleet sales dept. your 55 may have been made so at the time of the original sale

St. Maries, where this was in service from new until the early '90s, is a very small town in rural Idaho, meaning this was almost certainly a fleet of one. Sounds plausible otherwise. It's probably nothing more than plain old production variation, I know I've seen my share of factory weird from Ford.

[KULTULZ]

Stumbled across another factoid-

[Ole Don]

I posted this years ago over on the HAMB. Ford door locks have a stainless cover on the tumbler. Remove it and turn the tumbler upside down, so all the springs and followers fall out. Put the cover back on, and any Ford key will open that lock. Don't tell anyone, and your car will be safe.

[KULTULZ]

Originally Posted by Ole Don

Don't tell anyone, and your car will be safe.

Not anymore ...

[scicala]

According to this Steve, the one original key I gave you should work on all locks on the wagon.


Sal

[Alaska Jim]

Kultulz, That is some interesting information about the wagon, and the couriers. I learned something new today. makes it a good day.