Ingenuity of a car guy

[Thumpin455]

Today I was at the bank waiting to talk to the loan guy, when I hopped out of the car I locked the doors. About then I realized I had the truck keys in my pocket, not the Formy keys. Crap, sure enough they are in the ignition. So I meet with the loan guy, things go well, and I head across the street to Ace Hardware.

I pick up a spool of 14 gauge wire, a wire cutter, and a package of cheap door stops. I but the wire to about 5' in length, use the needle nose to make a hook, and then pry the window out slightly and insert the door stop between the glass and weather strip. Hook the keys, drag them to the corner of the glass, and gently pull them out and unlock the door.

Its the first time in my life I have locked the keys in my car. Usually I am opening doors for everyone else, so I am an old hand at it now.

How many of you guys walk into a hardware store and get things to fix or open your car when its broke in a parking lot away from your tools and stuff? Have you done something similar?

[Deaf Bob]

Gal pal of a buddy locker her keys in a Monte at a country store a few miles away, he already left on another errand..
I got there.. They expected me to slim-jim her car.. I understand the concept but never did it.. Pass side window was down a bit.. Electric locks, no button to hook at the door.. So. I removed her radio antenna, bent it so I could hit the lock button.. It worked.. Straightened it decently so she can use her radio..

[Barry Donovan]

its countless.

wow.
if I slow down enough, I'll mention just one.

the radiator hose episodes.. how many times has it been an upper after getting out on the highway...

a common one was to pull radiator back to the cut hose. direct fan makes that hard ... tapes. I even used zip ties and a bag once.

reminds me to get silicon tape for the glove box. not for the glove box, to put it inside the glove box for the radiator hose.



I never locked out yet, this city is the first I ever locked anything... I left a way in, needs no tools.

my most unusual events has been the ten geared suby. half built with a tractor trailer drivetrain.

I strapped the rear end to the tranny crossmember more than once (busted like a twig). that only took 25 pounds of mig weld and 50 hours...spread over 6 years.

I blame Subaru forums to this day.

'my "little" sube should not need anything extra'.

[dulcich]

One time I swapped out the tranny on my 73 Ford LN 600 Dump truck on the shoulder of I5 half way up the grapevine. Tow estimate was1800 buxs just to bring it back down to Castaic. Tranny literally split in half pulling the grade! Did I mention this was in the dead of winter in a snowstorm?
-dulcich

[VTJUNK]

The 70 C10 in my avatar spit out a ujoint cap at 75 mph on the highway a couple hundred miles from home. Pulled over, found a breather grommet in the tool box of junk I carry, pushed it into place in the yoke, wrapped the thing with some duct tape and proceeded to the next exit. Found a parts store, and a curb in the parking lot I could drive up on so I could slide under. Changed the joint under the truck with out removing the driveshaft.

The piece of wood I cut to put in the trans of my Falcon at the drags a couple weeks ago when the shift modulator rod went missing. Just took that out and put a real one in, headed to the track again in the am.

[Scott Liggett]

Todd, I keep a wire hanger where I can get it because I have locked my keys in the car more times than I'd like to admit. I can get into my cars in less than 30 seconds. Hence, the reason I have kill switches and steering locks in both cars.

[Beagle]

the diesel spit out another vacuum pump at less than 5k miles a couple weeks ago. That'd be fine, just no power brakes, but it takes the accessory belt out when it seizes. I drove another 2.5 miles down highway 82 and coasted into O'reilly's that had just been built and replaced it in their parking lot. Ingenious? no. Lucky as hell? Yes. I did have to buy a 5.99 combo wrench set, but it beat a 60 mile tow.

I think I'll leave the power steering pulley puller under the seat. Lucky is good, but prepared is often better. I used to keep a coathanger folded up in my bumper, my keys got locked in the car a lot. My mom would lose glasses on top of her head so I got it naturally.

[redneckjoe69]

i've not found a car i couldnt get into yet, but i'm no locksmith or burglar.
coathangers, wire, fishing poles, etc, all work great, lol.
ironically, my camaro keys open my wifes ford escort. ask me how i know, lmao. maybe the gods smiled on me once?

[OldMachinist]

I keep a key behind the license plate with the screw through the key hole and have screws with a slot that can be turned by a quarter. Hidden key, stays relatively clean and no tools needed to access.

[phitter67]

My back door key would work in a buddie's locking gas cap. I always break in the middle of nowhere.

[squirrel]

One time when I went to the thrift store, I locked the keys in my 55. So I went back in and asked for a wire coat hanger, took seconds to make a snare to pull the button up.

[pdub]

Key management is a critical life skill. Red's taught me that. His doors lock when you open them after about 15 minutes.

That's time parked and also time driven. Open the door, LOCK. I park him in the garage with both windows down. Locked out? No, not this time. But one of these days....

[squirrel]

No power locks for me....it's been a long time since I locked myself out.

[oletrux4evr]

A spare key in your wallet is a good investment. Even power door locks respond to a key.

[pdub]

A spare key in your wallet is a good investment. Even power door locks respond to a key.

Unless and except for an 06 Ford Fusion. They don't respond. I swear they don't. The battery's dead, YOU are dead. Nothing works when the battery's dead. Been there, seen it, lived it. Nothing works. Dead as a Food Lion mackerel. Dead.