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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - door and boot locks

Gday lads, my problem is I don't have a key for the boot. Are these fettleable by a locksmith or should I get a new lock set for the whole car?
Cheers Rod
R W Bowers

I stand to be corrected, but depending on the year of your car, you may find the key number on the lock barrel.
Bernie.
b higginson

key no. may also be stamped into the square shaft
David Smith

If you want the boot lock to open with the same key as the others, then it is relatively easy to dismantle the lock barrel, and by a combination of swapping the tumblers (little brass shapes) and some work with a needle file, get the lock to match your existing key. Or a locksmith could do it for you.
Guy W

As Guy says. Or as Bernie if you have the number off the barrel the locks were all from Lowe and Fletcher (LF) Willenhall in the black country and just cheap cabinet locks still in production today. A key or lock supplier can get you one or cut one that fits from the number. Its a very common key blank world wide.

Dave Squire 1500

Don't you just love it.

There are millions of office cabinets the world over, with the same keys cut to the same pattern, that fit numerous old BMC door, ignition, and boot locks.

So if your car gets broken into, or stolen with a key, suspect your local office worker. ;)

And if you lose your keys, ask at work if you can borrow the office keys. They might just fit. LOL.
Lawrence Slater

Better still ask another 70's bmc owner to try his key. Good chance it will fit. The number of possible combinations is only a few thousand if that I think.

This happened to me: Princess 2.2 (1978 model) in Tenby. Locked keys in car. Just one other Prinny in sight and yes you guessed it the keys fitted. (luckily for me. 3 nippers and of course the current SWMBO wondering about getting back to the holiday let). Good job I know about these keys. Phew!
Dave Squire 1500

Let me really toast your brain...

Theres only around 12 differant keys that open all midget doors

Is that true... check the old dusty arcives there was some discussion on how many keys they really were

Im talking 15 years ago ???.... look for names like david lieb and bill young

Prop
Prop and the Blackhole Midget

when I found a couple of spare BL keys from a car I no longer have (FS 908, one original other cut) I remember that there was a table for keys in the reprint of the factory Parts Catalogue and sorry to contradict Dave but there was more than one manufacturer listed (especially for the steering lock)

I don't think Rod is too bothered about originality so can sort whatever lock and key for the boot

if anyone wants an original FS908 key and/or cut one then let me know
Nigel Atkins

There are many manufacturers of this type of key and blanks, (they are all out of copyright by about a centaury and maybe more) LF are the originator and by far the largest producer. Certainly in the 60's and 70's. When steering locks were introduced more effort (cost) was made to increase the number of combinations but the door locks remained basically the same - cheap cabinet locks and keys. I wouldn't be surprised if its a 1 in 15 chance of fit they are very simple and basic.

For those of you interested in locks the national lock museum is in Willenhall (the one near Wolverhampton) and Lowe and Fletchers original workshop is now in Blists Hill Museum near Coalbrook Dale together with original tools and workbenches. (well worth a visit, cart horses, blast furnaces, rolling wills, casting shop, very early cinema, pub, village buildings etc. etc. very Victorian). Lowe and Fletcher works still exists and is going strong together with Chubb, Erebus, Legge, Squire, (distant cousins), and a whole plethora of other large and small manufacturers and sub contracting companies. These all make run of the mill cheap cabinet and cupboard locks as part of their range and wholesale one another's products in a whole range of guises. (Hence Nigel's lists). Its an industry that continues to make money while protecting other peoples property especially when times are hard. Most of the companies have been going over a century and many are still in the family. If you can't find it some one will mekit feryer.

Dave Squire 1500

thanks lads excellent info, I'll start trying all my old filing cabinet keys in it cheers Rod
R W Bowers

This thread was discussed between 29/01/2014 and 30/01/2014

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