27 replies to this topic

[stolichnaya]

Hi all. I have bought a mini and am due to pick it up on Sat - Just had a call from the owners (family) to say that they have looked high and low for the keys and they cant find them!!! They expected them to be in with the docs butthey are not! My options are to not buy the car or to fit a new ignition barrel etc. The help i need is how easy is this? Is it worth me still getting the car?

Can i have a new set cut with supplied VIN numbers ec???

I also need to think about the lack of ability to lock the doors!! oooooh god

Any help and advice is very welcome!!

thanks

John

[markaboot]

Hi all. I have bought a mini and am due to pick it up on Sat - Just had a call from the owners (family) to say that they have looked high and low for the keys and they cant find them!!! They expected them to be in with the docs butthey are not! My options are to not buy the car or to fit a new ignition barrel etc. The help i need is how easy is this? Is it worth me still getting the car?

Can i have a new set cut with supplied VIN numbers ec???

I also need to think about the lack of ability to lock the doors!! oooooh god

Any help and advice is very welcome!!

thanks

John

never done it on a mini but it was dead easy on a bike.
personaly i wouldnt let having no keys put me off buying it. id just ask them to lower the price a little.
might need to get in with a coat hanger down the window seal. never had to do it myself but i no it can be done on lots of cars, i assume a mini is no different.

[sazal]

I wouldnt let it put you off! Aslong as it has a V5 and the documents and isnt stolen! Make them lower the price though accordingly. Also, if you have a Mini already or know anyone with the a Mini, take the keys along with you, they might work! Ive opened my Mini with another Minis keys before! Not too sure if it would be the same with the ignition barrel though

[stolichnaya]

I have sat in the car, its open (on a family members farm) but they are getting all the stuff ready for my Saturday pick up and have called to say keys are nowhere to be found. Is it just me who nothing ever goes smoot with!!!

Does anyone know if a new set of keys can be cut for the original ignition/doors etc?

[il-barba]

once i managed to turn my ignition barrel with a flat screwdriver, i have tried it again but never succeeded

[Joloke08]

Hi all. I have bought a mini and am due to pick it up on Sat - Just had a call from the owners (family) to say that they have looked high and low for the keys and they cant find them!!! They expected them to be in with the docs butthey are not! My options are to not buy the car or to fit a new ignition barrel etc. The help i need is how easy is this? Is it worth me still getting the car?

Can i have a new set cut with supplied VIN numbers ec???

I also need to think about the lack of ability to lock the doors!! oooooh god

Any help and advice is very welcome!!

thanks

John

Id just get the price for a new handle set or barrel set and ask them to knock that off the price
Its not that hard to change the handles/barrels dont think its that expensive either?

http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=37293
or
http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=35560

ignition
http://www.minispare....aspx?pid=33378

not as cheap id look around breakers yards to be honest but if the car comes from family and you know its not dodgy i wouldnt let the keys being missing put you off

if you can park it off the road until you get new locks or leave it with them and replace the barrels before you take it away
Huggz
Jodie

[stolichnaya]

Thanks for all the help guys. they wont come down on the cost as they say its a give away anyway! 250 quid. this is ust a hickup i dont need!!! it is family and i know the cars not dodgy, he has lots of cars all over the place and kiddies sit in them so the think that one of them may have launched them somewhere or eaten them, you know kids....

dont know what to do!

is there no way of sourcing a re-cut of keys to fit my ignition/locks etc??

[sazal]

There might be a possiblilty if they know the key numbers?

Is the car for a project, or is to drive away and use?

[v21ash]

With most cars it is usually possible to get the key number from the VIN but i doubt this will any longer be the case with the Mini, as there is no Rover dealerships around anymore for one thing.

How old is the car? i know that with my last 3 mini's i have had a card in the owners hand book that had all the key numbers, stereo code ect on it, but they were all post 97, i doubt an older mini will have anything like that with it.

With no key number the only option left would be to fit a barrel set.

Edited by v21ash, 02 October 2008 - 10:04 AM.

[GraemeC]

Any classic car specialist shouild have a series of keys they could try in the door/boot locks and determine the correct key number - there are suprisingly few variations on those keys. As said above it is very common for keys from another mini to fit and work! However a new barrel set is cheap and won't be worn.

As for the ignision key - without it you will have an issue with the steering lock preventing you from pushing the car about. Personally I would use a cordless drill and drill out the shear bolts holding the ignision barrel in place to get the car mobile. I would then put up a wanted add for a replacement barrel with key.

[stolichnaya]

Hi All, thanks for the continued help. its really cheeseed me off this "hurdle" Can anyone tell me if on a 96 Mini the ignition key is the same as the dorr key? Are there 2 or 3 keys for one car?

Asking as i have found somewhere who have said that if 1 key only, i can send the door lock and they will create a key for me! Cool !! but if more than one key was issued for these cars then its a tad harder!

cheers

[minimadjonesy]

mini ignition keys are not the same as the door keys!

[stolichnaya]

oh dear! if above is the case then i am done for!!! i may back out of the buy....

[Mini_the_Minx]

I don't mean to be a kill joy but I would worry that they may actually have the keys and may come and take it back. Unless of course you know them etc. But I always look for the down sides first.

[sazal]

I have 3, door/boot, iginiton and one for the petrol cap