I picked up a steel key blank a few weeks ago at a VW swapmeet, only to find out later no locksmith wants to cut steel blanks. Any leads on where to get steel keys cut? I called most of the locksmiths within a 30 mile radius of where I live (San Jose, CA.). They all tell me the same, the steel blank will mess up their cutting wheel.
-tom
Put the working key and the blank into a good vise and line them up... Go to RADIO SHACK and get their set of small fine files (various shapes)... You should be able to file the blank to work after a few minutes of work.
................Here's an interesting article about cutting keys at type2.com:
The guy who can probably help you is written about at this link:
Randall
Tom Nakashima wrote:
Says that phone number has been disconnected and there is no new number? Gabriel's VW Garage & Locksmith (209) 462-2851 I tried to do a search for Gabriel's VW Garage & Locksmith, but the same number is posted.
-tom
Looks like he relocated from California to 15 minutes from my house!
I kept putting off visiting Gabriel's shop in Stockton (about a 30 min drive from Sacramento) and when I finally called to have some keys made the number was disconnected. He advertises in the Samba and frequently on ebay. I got ahold of him from the Samba ad. He did a great job fixing me up with a spare set of keys made from code and sold me a matching engine deck lock in excellent shape. The items arrived from Texas in about 2 days, probably before he even received my check. He even stamped the code with tiny numbers on the keys he made, like the originals have. I heartily recommend him.
Ted/Sacramento
That's good to hear. I already made myself a matching deck lid lock but I'd like to get some steel keys for my doors. Where did you get the code? Is it on the ignition cylinder?
I had one original key with the code stamped on it. The code can be found on the inside of the door handle. But be careful because the door may have been rekeyed sometime in the past. (I was nice and put a sticker with the new code over the stamped code on my handle). I don't know/can't remember if it's on the ignition cylinder.
Ted/77std
Well, that should be interesting. When I first got my bug the door locks didn't match. I could only open the passenger side door from the inside. Later, I redid the wafers myself so it would match the driver door and ignition. A few years later I got sideswiped by a van driver (now deceased) so I used the door off another 70 bug on my driver side but I kept the original door handle. So hopefully the door handle lock on the driver side is still the original, correct one. We'll see. Thanks for start though.
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