Boot/Key Danger

As there's no 'chip' in the key, can a key cut 'in town' be used?

yes you can (as long as they have a suitable blank). I have one that I had cut at a cobblers/key cutter.

This has been a good discussion. The bottom line is that if someone wants your car they can steal it, even if they have to hook it up to a tow truck and haul it away.
Most car break ins are to steal contents...radio, jackets, briefcase, change etc. or to joyride. Parts for our cars are so plentiful and cheap in the UK it's hardly worthwhile stealing one to break for parts. That flashing red light helps keep the casual thieves away, and like someone said in the posts above. Thieves don't care how much damage they do getting in.

As for the key in the wallet. I was able to buy a Rover key here in Canada without a search. Unfortunately the thing is so big sitting on it all day really doesn't appeal. I routinely have to replace cracked credit cards already. I can't imagine what damage that big Rover key would do!

David Aiketgate wrote: As we're talking about guarding against locking your keys in the boot, you only need a spare key hidden/ or in your wallet/ whatever.:shrug:.

wallet wouldn't have helped in my case at the weekend ..... wallet was in trouser pocket!.
Definitely going to hide a key somewhere underneath the car .... so many places to hook it outta sight.
As for the fob, I always carry a spare battery in the boot.

i have to hold my hands up and say im one of those simpletons who locked there keys in the boot and guess what i didnt have a spare key. but lucky for me i had my car on the drive. after a lot of deliberating got into the boot in 1 min. but took me 2hrs to rectify my error .now got 2 keys one i leave at home as the wife drives and if it happend again i can phone. on a long journey i would tie wrap it to somewhere i could access it, and make sure i had a pair scissors with me.

Leigh Ping wrote: Rich makes a good point about the key alone without the fob. Let's face it, if a thief wants in then there's only glass, at best, stopping him. Ozzy's horror story, which we all have concerns about, has convinced me to do something with both key and spare fob.

If the car gets stolen then 'Que sera sera' (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). I have insurance for that. I'm going to keep the spare set in the car and punch the back window open if ever required. Anyhow, I'll feel happier touring round europe knowing that I have both a spare key and a fob should I lose the main set.

Out of interest.. I've seen car thieves accessing brand new cars in 5 seconds (no exageration) and driving away in less than 15. That's because they don't respect damage limitation as we do. We can make it more difficult is all. But if they want it, it's theirs and there's no stopping them.

When I ran the guard dog section for Rover group I had 4 dogs and handlers at Longbridge, Birmingham who apprehended 96 thieves in one year alone. Just ask any ex Longbridge Rover worker about coming off shift to find cars broken into or simply gone and they will tell you how prevalent it was.

After a while word gets out to the car crime community that there was a chance they'd end up wearing a black and tan necklace if they troubled the cars at Longbridge. Even that doesn't stop them. The desire for the next fix is way too great to scare them off.

Paying your insurance and hiding your keys is about as good as it gets for peace of mind.

i done a spell a car park security up at v gate (powertrain) the scumbags even robbed in the daytime .

Inside side air intake. Just need a small phillips to get at it...

rayb wrote: i done a spell a car park security up at v gate (powertrain) the scumbags even robbed in the daytime

It was a nightmare trying to cover all the employees car parks because there were, as you know Ray, about 5000 cars to protect. But they were parked all across Longbridge in various carparks. Fortunately, the only time I guarded production cars with the dogs was during their launch and open testing at Gaydon test track keeping photographers out of the woods. At the MGF launch, Coombe abbey, we even caught 4 guys who drove up from Coventry to pinch them. I would give the dogs an extra biscuit if they did good.

Leigh Ping wrote: As there's no 'chip' in the key, can a key cut 'in town' be used?

I got a MGR key blank from Sussex Classic Car Parts, but you need someone who can cut double sided keys! i understand they have to be cut on both sides at the same time ~ The EKA Code is a good thing to have with you, as David has said, it will get you home without a working fob. A spare fob battery in the boot is a classic idea when you have shut the keys in the boot!!!!! :rant:

Not true. You use a standard key machine (as for house keys) and cut one side at a time. Both sides are identical.
As the key doesn't have a shoulder a tip stop is used to locate the key blank in the machine.

bryan young wrote:

Leigh Ping wrote: As there's no 'chip' in the key, can a key cut 'in town' be used?

I got a MGR key blank from Sussex Classic Car Parts, but you need someone who can cut double sided keys! i understand they have to be cut on both sides at the same time ~ The EKA Code is a good thing to have with you, as David has said, it will get you home without a working fob. A spare fob battery in the boot is a classic idea when you have shut the keys in the boot!!!!! :rant:

I will now keep a copy of the EKA code in my wallet, a simple idea I hadn't even thought of.
I'll continue to keep the spare fob battery in the boot ..... If you lock the keys in there, it doesn't matter where the battery is kept

As some one who can confess to having put the keys in the boot, I can state "Its not something that you will do twice".
However I now have an electric release and a spare key ( just the key, only need it to get into the boot ) Gaffa taped in the cockpit. Why " inside " well with the top down most of the time I am never locked out. Why a boot release and a key ? Well i did have the wire from the solenoid to the lock jump off once. Am I worried that someone might find the switch to the boot, not really as any valuables are in one of those small safes attached to a cable. As to my spare coat, rain hat, spare cloth and can of OAT coolant not sure anyone would want them.
So what do you guys keep in the boot ?