What are the odds???

[LanceM]

What are the odds that the door key from my "new" 81 zx parts car would fit the ignition of my 73 240??? Ha it does! I couldn't believe it, they sure looked the same but the 73 key is darn near flat on both sides anymore but I gave it a try, works in the ignition and all the doors and hatch! And this is a good thing because?? I only have one key for the 73 and any copy I've had made from it doesn't work!!!

It must have been meant to be that I buy the 81 for a parts car! Even though it's turned into my DD cause I feel bad thinking about tearing up a car that runs so go and looks pretty ok from 20' away.... for a ZX that is... even if it is a lead sled that has a suspension softer than a new loaf of bread

BTW, is it possible that this thing (ZX) is really turning 3K at 65 mph in 5th?? what's it got 4.11 gears??

[MikeW]

I hate to break it to you but chances are just about any old worn out Datsun key will work. I'm actually kind of surprised that your copy doesn't.

[SuDZ]

I remember on my first car an '84 Delta my house key would start the thing. It was kind of funny to show people but at the same time gave you an uneasy feeling.

SuDZ

[LanceM]

In another case I would agree with you but in this case I'm the second owner of the 73, I bought it in 79. I've had few passengers in the Z and only a small handful that I can remember that I would have be enough of a gentleman to unlock their door I figure between the passenger door and the rear hatch those locks are about as new as they get, the drivers door and the ignition are probably worn enough that almost anything would work, and the keys I got from the ZX are pretty fresh cut looking.

[Inf]

Yeah, I think I could start my Z with a screwdriver sometimes... I can even pull the key out of the ignition while it is running and it keeps goin.

[240Zdragon72]

Same with my '72 240Z. I can pull the key out at any given moment....let alone the fact that I can't even get her to run. Oh sure, she'll start, but the second I go to on, she dies....Rebuild here I come.

Brian:cry:

[nutxo]

when i was 11 my dad had a morris minor, steak knives worked fairly well :-)

[240Zdragon72]

Ha, ha,ha!!! :stupid: :sick: Laughed till my side hurt!!

[Datzun76]

My friends Dad owned a Nissan pickup. Late 80's model.

The key to his truck started both of our z cars right up.

Must be a Nissan glitch I guess.

[Daniel]

240z dragon,If it dies when you go from start to on it sounds like a bad ballast resistor.Wire across it for a test.One wire supplies 12v to the coil to start it .On position run thru the resistor,drops the voltage thru a different wire.

[speedyblue]

I don't think it was just the Nissan motor company that swapped keys, I think it was fairly common through all japanese cars.

We had one key that would start my Dad's Mazda work ute, which was about 5 years old, out Mitsubishi Sigma, and the Suzuki outboard motor on out boat. Made the keyring light though. Other keys wouldn't work though. Strange coincidence maybe.

[Alfadog]

I remember my dad said his Morris Minor (or something) key used to open every other Morry aswell........ And mum drove the Alfa Spider to the shops once using the house keys.........

[1 Bravo 6]

Yeah well it ain't just Datsuns.

I had a '84 Toyota 4 Runner.

The ignition key would also work on my '89 Toyota ute.

In a carpark one day, saw a lady trying to get into her Toyt,

having locked the keys inside.

Yep, you guessed it. the 4 Runner's key not only opened the door, it also worked on her cars ignition.

Rick.

[Daniel]

Since there are only so many combinations of key patterns the rumor is the manufactures send the cars with matching keys to east and west coast.Once when I was in a training school we had a pool of the same type cars.One night we got in one and went out for a night of bar hopping.When we got back to the hotel we found we had taken a car that the key fit and was a pool car but the wrong one.The guy that the car was signed out to had reported it stolen!!!Glad we made it back to the hotel!!I also had that happen at a hotel once.Me and a friend in a drunken easter weekend went to the right location,wrong floor.The key opened the door and we caught a couple enjoying their weekend.After that I always deadbolt my hotel door!A friend in the army told me ANY gm key will crank a military hummer.Guess that would be a mess to try and find the correct hummer when they all look alike huh?