Key ?

[wolcottdigger]

I found this key, on one side it says GM and on the other side it says Briggs & Stratton.
What do you guys think it was for.

 

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[jeff of pa]

Car Key (CHEVY Product)

Trunk & Door

Not sure when Briggs & Stratton stopped putting their name on the Keys

 

[Mackaydon]

Here's one onliner's explanation:
"Briggs and Stratton used to have a lock division in Milwaukee, WI that made locks and keys for the auto industry. It's still there but now called Strattec and not owned by B&S any more."
Source: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=196311

Adding on:
1924: Briggs & Stratton becomes involved in the automotive key business.
1994: Strattec is formed as a Briggs & Stratton automotive key subsidiary.
Since gaining its independence in 1995, Strattec has become the largest maker of automotive locks and keys in the world.
More than 80 percent of the company's revenues come from four customers, automakers Ford, General Motors (GM), and Daimler-Chrysler, and auto parts manufacturer Delphi Corporation.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I had a key like that for my '64 and '66 Pontiac GTO. (GM)
Like Jeff said the ignition key was different. Looks like trunk/glove box...

 

[GpSnoopy]

Mackaydon is correct.

Here is a link to Briggs & Stratton's 28 page PDF outlining their history.

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/corp/about_us/briggs-stratton_history.pdf

Page 5 has a blurb about their key manufacturing. Seems that locks, switches and igniters for the automotive industry was part of their start in 1908, and the keys and locks were manufactured in their Milwaukee automotive parts plant until 1973, when it moved to Good Hope plant in Glendale, Wisconsin. Briggs & Stratton Technologies designed and manufactured automotive locks until it was spun off into its own company, STRATTEC Security Corporation, in 1995

Searching on the internet, I found many references to Briggs and Stratton keys used for GM, Buick, Jeep and other car manufactures throughout the 50's and 60's, and earlier.

 

[wolcottdigger]

Thanks everyone

Thanks for all the great info guys.

 

[cival war hunter 2 !]

That wouldn't be wright because car keys are longer.

Car Key (CHEVY Product)

Trunk & Door

Not sure when Briggs & Stratton stopped putting their name on the Keys

 

[jeff of pa]

That wouldn't be wright because car keys are longer.

Car Key (CHEVY Product)

Trunk & Door

Not sure when Briggs & Stratton stopped putting their name on the Keys

Trust Us We are Right

 

[baspinall]

Chevy/GM Trunk key for sure.
Have one just like it for this.

 

[cival war hunter 2 !]

for the glove box yeah that would make sense.

That wouldn't be wright because car keys are longer.

Car Key (CHEVY Product)

Trunk & Door

Not sure when Briggs & Stratton stopped putting their name on the Keys

Trust Us We are Right

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

for the glove box yeah that would make sense.

That wouldn't be wright because car keys are longer.

Car Key (CHEVY Product)

Trunk & Door

Not sure when Briggs & Stratton stopped putting their name on the Keys

Trust Us We are Right

Kinda makes us feel old. lol The ignition key was the exact same size, just not rounded. I have a whole ring of them here somewhere. Some even uncut. They are getting a good price on e-Bay.

Those GM ignitions were so poorly made that a key from one car would often fit another car. I knew a kid that would steal cars by using his own ignition key. Of course you could just cut the wires and connect them to start the car. The ignition was located on the dash. Oh now I really feel old.

 

[Mackaydon]

BCH:
In response to yours, I read this earlier today and it seems fitting to insert here:
"Old people are really young people who just don't know what the Hell happened."
I can relate.
Don....

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

BCH:
In response to yours, I read this earlier today and it seems fitting to insert here:
"Old people are really young people who just don't know what the Hell happened."
I can relate.
Don....

LOL I wonder that every day.

 

[mrjosh]

My work truck is a 66 Chevy 1-ton. This ignition key looks just like this. I always thought is was strange that it was a Briggs key.

 

[TimC]

As a former locksmith (25 years) I can say YES it is a GM trunk/glovebox lock. There were 8 different keyways back then, 4 ign, 4 trunk/glovebox. This key is a D keyway. For one year A ign, B trunk. The next year C ign, D trunk (this key) E & H, J & K. The fifth year the A & B were used again, etc. The GM sidebar lock was introduced in 1935 and was pick-resistant. A small hole drilled at a certain position made it pickable. Of course, if you saw the small hole you knew it was compomised. ETC. ETC.

Finally I got to use real info on my past!

TimC

PS. I still have many of the blanks.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

As a former locksmith (25 years) I can say YES it is a GM trunk/glovebox lock. There were 8 different keyways back then, 4 ign, 4 trunk/glovebox. This key is a D keyway. For one year A ign, B trunk. The next year C ign, D trunk (this key) E & H, J & K. The fifth year the A & B were used again, etc. The GM sidebar lock was introduced in 1935 and was pick-resistant. A small hole drilled at a certain position made it pickable. Of course, if you saw the small hole you knew it was compomised. ETC. ETC.

Finally I got to use real info on my past!

TimC

PS. I still have many of the blanks.

Wow great info. Where else but TN. I remember locksmiths having a ring of these keys and they would fit any GM car.


Here is a set of ignition (left) and trunk keys on e-Bay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-Pa...ptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

[TimC]

Good going BigCypress. You will notice that the ignition keys are 8 sided and the trunk keys are round. Those are the earliest GM sidebar lock keys. The keyway was the same for all. That is why one key may operate many cars. The next keys were the same shape, but different keyways, A+B, C+D, etc. I don't know offhand the year, but the key head shape changed to rectangle - ign, oval - trunk. AM keys had the same shape as the earlier GM shape, but used a different keyway than GM.

More recently, GM made the VATS, Vehicle Anti Theft System. You can tell the ign keys for them, they have a resister built into the key. Some people call that insert a chip, but it was a simple resistor. If you used the wrong key, the system shut down for 4 minutes then reset. The next key did the same untill the correct key was used. The ign keys had one of 15 different resisters for security.

My fingers are cramped!

TimC