Gemelli
LVC Member
I don't have either the factory ignition or door/trunk keys for my 91 LSC SE. Can someone please post a picture or their OE keys and possibly point me in the right direction as to where I may be able to buy blanks?
Factory/OE Ignition and Door Keys
- Thread starter Gemelli
- Start date
Gemelli
LVC Member
That picture help a lot. Thank you! I figured they would have a star, but I can't seem to find them anywhere.
Gemelli
LVC Member
Oh, that's a good idea! I just wonder...
Any idea where one may be able to get a couple sets of blanks?
Any idea where one may be able to get a couple sets of blanks?
Can't hurt to look around. You might see something that needs attention..
I might have been installing new bushings on the front stablizer bar... or a new radiator. Underneath the front bumper where the plastic meets the metal, about a foot in from the edge of a tire, there's a narrow little cubby hole. Even has a lip to prevent something from falling out.
...can't recall ever getting a key cut. I'd call a Ford dealer and ask what to do. Bring the tumblers? Bring the car? For all I know there may be a way to make keys off the VIN.
What are you gonna do with blanks?
I might have been installing new bushings on the front stablizer bar... or a new radiator. Underneath the front bumper where the plastic meets the metal, about a foot in from the edge of a tire, there's a narrow little cubby hole. Even has a lip to prevent something from falling out.
...can't recall ever getting a key cut. I'd call a Ford dealer and ask what to do. Bring the tumblers? Bring the car? For all I know there may be a way to make keys off the VIN.
What are you gonna do with blanks?
Gemelli
LVC Member
I didn't find anything yet, but I'll have the engine out and a new front suspension setup is going in soon, so I'll look more then. I'm sure I'll find more than needs attention when I'm in there though. 
I'll keep my eyes peeled for a set of OE blanks too.
I was planning on having the blanks cut, using the incorrect, but working keys I have now.
I'll keep my eyes peeled for a set of OE blanks too.I was planning on having the blanks cut, using the incorrect, but working keys I have now.
A casual search shows a whole lot of Fords use a very similar, if not the identical, blank.... '88-95 T-birds, '81-87 Escort, F150's, F250's and probably many more. Even Yamaha uses a similar blank....
One thing about the Marks is the trunk/glove-box/console is a mirror image of the ignition/door key.
Ebay had some Mark blanks at one time. Note that earlier '80s Marks used short keys which won't work, and a seller might not know or care. I think there are 3 possible lengths in total.
One online site sells a set of 2 'star' Mark VII blanks for $25. Maybe that price indicates they are difficult to find.
I once had a set from an insurance company. It was a wallet card thing with 2 plastic punch-out keys for emergencies.... I used it once. Probably still around here somewhere.. No clue how they molded them unless the digital pattern is available.
One thing about the Marks is the trunk/glove-box/console is a mirror image of the ignition/door key.
Ebay had some Mark blanks at one time. Note that earlier '80s Marks used short keys which won't work, and a seller might not know or care. I think there are 3 possible lengths in total.
One online site sells a set of 2 'star' Mark VII blanks for $25. Maybe that price indicates they are difficult to find.
I once had a set from an insurance company. It was a wallet card thing with 2 plastic punch-out keys for emergencies.... I used it once. Probably still around here somewhere.. No clue how they molded them unless the digital pattern is available.
Gemelli
LVC Member
Can you post a link to the site with the Lincoln Star keys please? My Fox Mustangs all used the square/oval set, but the star set is what I'm really after. I stopped at a dealer today, but they couldn't find any NOS ones, and certainly no suggestions on where I could find them.
The page title says 1958-1999 but on closer inspection the blanks specify '70-89. http://www.classiquecars.com/lincolnitemsinterior.htm
Was the SE all that different? I know the interior got an "upgrade"...
Another page has star blanks for $2.95 ... http://www.svpu.com/?http://www.svpu.com/MarkVII.html
I dunno enough about keys to fill a keyhole, and would be asking advice from locksmiths and dealers.
From what little I can gather, there were "5-cut" and "7-cut" keys. Each "cut" adds to the length of a key, so a 5-cut would be shorter, and from an earlier Mark..
Check out thelincolnmarkviiclub.org if you haven't already. There's a couple posts about keys and blanks.
Was the SE all that different? I know the interior got an "upgrade"...
Another page has star blanks for $2.95 ... http://www.svpu.com/?http://www.svpu.com/MarkVII.html
I dunno enough about keys to fill a keyhole, and would be asking advice from locksmiths and dealers.
From what little I can gather, there were "5-cut" and "7-cut" keys. Each "cut" adds to the length of a key, so a 5-cut would be shorter, and from an earlier Mark..
Check out thelincolnmarkviiclub.org if you haven't already. There's a couple posts about keys and blanks.
Gemelli
LVC Member
Perfect! Thank you! I'm on my way to talk to a locksmith about this now.
I don't think the SE changed a whole lot. I was after the monochromatic look, since I'm not a huge fan of chrome.
I don't think the SE changed a whole lot. I was after the monochromatic look, since I'm not a huge fan of chrome.
I called my local Ford dealer and this is what Parts told me.
They cannot make keys off a VIN earlier than 2005. (sounds bogus to me but whatever...)
They buy blanks (if you insist on having the original design) from the same people we might... aftermarket/resellers on Ebay and the like, who buy them directly from key blank manufacturers in bulk quantities.
The dealer then uses a local locksmith (likely an expert vehicle locksmith) to make the keys off your tumblers, just as if he came to your home to do it.
I got the name of the locksmith my dealer uses.
So, a dealer is just a middleman, which might be convenient in some situations but adds unnecessary costs in others.
The blank "cut" is the same for many vehicles and many will work. Matching make / model and year is a matter of the key's authentic details.
They cannot make keys off a VIN earlier than 2005. (sounds bogus to me but whatever...)
They buy blanks (if you insist on having the original design) from the same people we might... aftermarket/resellers on Ebay and the like, who buy them directly from key blank manufacturers in bulk quantities.
The dealer then uses a local locksmith (likely an expert vehicle locksmith) to make the keys off your tumblers, just as if he came to your home to do it.
I got the name of the locksmith my dealer uses.
So, a dealer is just a middleman, which might be convenient in some situations but adds unnecessary costs in others.
The blank "cut" is the same for many vehicles and many will work. Matching make / model and year is a matter of the key's authentic details.
Gemelli
LVC Member
Good info! Thank you! My dealer told me 01, but same difference. Any idea what year they changed from 7 cut to 5 cut ignition keys?
only the vaguest idea ... I think I read the short Mark keys were used for 1983 Mark VI and prior... .. but mighta stretched into the very first Mark VII's ? Someone bought them on Ebay and found out too late.
2001 ... 2005 ... So it is dealer's choice... I wonder if there's a more capable source, like a specialist, to get keys off a VIN. The FBI?
2001 ... 2005 ... So it is dealer's choice... I wonder if there's a more capable source, like a specialist, to get keys off a VIN. The FBI?
Gemelli
LVC Member
Lol! I'll call the FBI and see.