Funny story, I was removing a lot of the stuff on the exterior of my car to get it ready for a paint job and while removing the rear bumper I noticed there was a Hide-a-Key stuck on the inside. Much to my delight I opened it up to reveal one of the original keys.

Can you guys pull your keys out of the ignition while the car is running?

I can on mine. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is because it's worn out and was not a feature on these cars?

That's correct. The key should only come out in the 'lock' position. But after 30 plus years of wear they'll come out anywhere. My 78 only has just over 98000 original miles and it sat for nearly 5 years before I bought it which could explain the condition of the locks. I put a new lock set in the 810 4 years ago when I bought it.

Doesn't take all that much wear, either. I can pull out the key on my red car, with only 62,000 mile on it. One of these days I'll buy a new lock and re-key it to the original code and be done with it.

One of these days I'll buy a new lock and re-key it to the original code and be done with it.

Sounds like what I'll be having to do sometime in the future too.

Speaking of new locks sets, I just noticed this at MSA:

http://www.thezstore.com/page/TZS/CTGY/SEIC02

I don't remember them even having lock sets in the past; at least in the old yellow catalog they were listed with an [A] and without a price.

Doesn't take all that much wear, either. I can pull out the key on my red car, with only 62,000 mile on it. One of these days I'll buy a new lock and re-key it to the original code and be done with it.

How can this be done? Where can you buy a lock without keys? Only my worn out keys work in my ignition but only my fresh keys work in the glovebox lock. I'd buy an entire ignition lock with door, hatch and glovebox cylinders if I could find it.

You can take you car to a locksmith and have that ignition tumbler reworked to fit the new key. Or, you can take the tumbeler out yourself and take it to the locksmith.

Linkstar, you don't buy a lock "without" the keys, you just don't use the keys that come with the lock.

Locksmiths will take your new lock cylinder and your old key and reset the lock tumblers to work with the original key. The keys that came with the new cylinder then become superfluous.

I took my ignition switch to a locksmith with a new key cut from the code found inside my glovebox and they were able to rebuild the lock in the ignition switch using the new key. Cost about $40. Works great now...

Not on my 78 280 or the 810. Only on the old truck.

I can. all i have found so far is two spare ignition keys made of a really lightweight metal, i don't want to use them because i'm afraid they will break off. I have also found 2 dead mice

I can pull mine out as well - I thought it was the result of a theft. In addition mine will not rotate fully CCW - I always have that annoying beeping whenever I open the door.

Oh and BTW great find.

Bob: on my 71 I just unplugged the red wire on the ignition switch, no more annoying sounds. Don't know if its the same on a 77 though.