Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

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This makes me think of Ash Williams and his Oldsmobile. ?
 
Yeah it definitely needs that. The old one is full on sticking out in the rusted corner ?
Check and see if it had one from the factory first. Many transmission pans don't use a gasket. They use ATF-rated RTV isntead. Don't use just any RTV; the extra detergents and stuff in ATF will eat through regular RTV.
 
Check and see if it had one from the factory first. Many transmission pans don't use a gasket. They use ATF-rated RTV isntead. Don't use just any RTV; the extra detergents and stuff in ATF will eat through regular RTV.
...That would explain why my search for the part is going so poorly lmao

In other related news, a conversation with my mother:
Me: is the sticker for the last oil change accurate it says 7/18 and you are roughly 2000 miles over the mileage listed
Her: really?
Me: also if the leak has been going on awhile did you mention it to the dealer last time you had it serviced or like ever at all?
Her: no?

Yeah I feel like this supports the "Americans are too lazy for high maintenance European cars" hypothesis. She also has asked me why I needed to get new tires when the ones on the bug were showing signs of dry rot and thought the lack of break pads was normal

Oh god I need to check the break pads in the outback it might be in a similar state.
 
Does "Gold Key" mean you actually got a gold plated key? :D I'm guessing it was stamped from the same recycled oil barrels as the other GM keys of the era.

I really like the way you put the key in and then grabbed the little handles around ignition barrel to start the car, that's one of the things I associate with american cars. Having to look before you put it in to make sure it's the right way around is amusing. The communist era Skoda I used to wrench on as a kid had that, but every car since has had a key that works both ways.
 
You also wanted to grab the little handles on the ignition because the keys were made of such cheap steel that you would quickly wear it out by applying torque.

You also forgot the fun American car characteristic of having the doors and the ignition keyed differently - hence "car keys" (plural) being common rather than the singular.
 
You also forgot the fun American car characteristic of having the doors and the ignition keyed differently - hence "car keys" (plural) being common rather than the singular.
It's never occurred to me that that's why "car keys" is in plural.

The Skoda had that too. I think I can one-up GM though... the passenger side key barrel was upside down compared to the drivers side. I guess they used the same lock hardware to save a couple of CZK.

I just watched a HubNut review of the Renault 21 the other day. Their mid-80's executive sedan, aka Eagle Medallion in the US. Apparently those things have separate door and ignition keys too. I'm guessing everything else in (western) Europe had one common key by then.
 
Does "Gold Key" mean you actually got a gold plated key? :D I'm guessing it was stamped from the same recycled oil barrels as the other GM keys of the era.

Yes.

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Here's a fun link with everything you want to know about GM Keys.

Also of note was Chrysler's Crystal Key program. you got a Gold and Crystal key for that one.

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On a personal note, I don't find GM's keys any flimsier than the ones on my other cars. But then again, my standard for flimsy keys was my mother's Fiat 124 which had a key that was much more suitable for opening a locking cupboard than it was starting a car. the Impala is also, funnily enough, the only car I own where the lock cylinder still works.
 
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My dad's Yugo has there keys: one for the doors, one for the ignition and one for the fuel door (under which is a fuel cap that you just unscrew by hand).

The fuel cap/door thing is quite stupid, and it can be broken into easily, which would happen regularly back in 2013-ish, while the car had been parked in another street. Luckily, that hasn't happened for a while, but I still remember having to park with the right side of the car adjacent to a garage wall next to our parking spot, just so it'd make it harder for the thieves to steal our petrol.
 
The only car I've driven that had a visible and lockable fuel cap was my first car, a mk3 Escort.

Everything I've owned since then has had a fuel door that locked in one way or another. And everything I've driven, come to think of it. It's either been a lever or button inside or operated by the central locking. Or in case of the Vivaro/Trafic sibling vans, a door that can't be opened without opening the drivers door first.
 
My Acclaim has the most keys of any car I've had. One for the driver's door (passenger side barrel mechanism is missing), one for the ignition and one for the boot, the fuel filler flap is a screwdriver special because I snapped the door key in it within 30mins of buying the car...

Apparently it's supposed to be one key for everything but the missing/broken locks, cracked ignition surrounding and taped up ignition wires suggest the car has been broken into and hotwired at least once.

The Dolomites also had one key for the ignition and doors, one for the boot and one for the fuel cap. With the added bonus that the 1300's key would open the 1850's driver's door because the barrel was so worn...
 
My Acclaim has the most keys of any car I've had. One for the driver's door (passenger side barrel mechanism is missing), one for the ignition and one for the boot, the fuel filler flap is a screwdriver special because I snapped the door key in it within 30mins of buying the car...

Apparently it's supposed to be one key for everything but the missing/broken locks, cracked ignition surrounding and taped up ignition wires suggest the car has been broken into and hotwired at least once.

This is amazing. ?
 
That pretty much matches my old Series III. It never had a key lock on the passenger door, just a little knob on the inside that blocked the movement of the door latch when it was rotated. Everything else was a different key I believe, the petrol cap had a padlock on it because of course. I still miss it, I wonder what the state of it is now.
 
The bug has one key fob and a "vallet key" that cannot open the trunk and glove box I think?
 
As far as I know, GM keys have never been steel, they were brass. Hence the flimsy after a few years.

A friend's dad had a third car that had sentimental value to him that had a worn out ignition cylinder that he did not want to change. I found out when I went with him to pick up a new car. He looks at me and said, "You never seen this, but if you are ever in a pinch and need a car, just turn the cylinder". Which he did.

Still makes me laugh a bit.
 
My GTO has a key for the doors and the ignition, a key for the glove compartment, and a key for the locking gas cap; but I don't know if that's factory.
 
The mitsubishi has 3 keys (Doors, ignition, fuel cap) the Tercel and impala have two (Doors/ignition). Funnily enough, the Tercel has a lockable fuel door that opens with the ignition key.
 
I think outside of the soviet metal my fav had before we moved all our cars had only one key.
 
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