The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I have a 1975 Toledo which came with only one key which operates the ignition but will not lock or unlock the doors.

Did British Leyland provide sets of keys that worked both the doors and the ignition and separate keys for the ignition only on some of their range of cars?

I am aware that there will be a different key for the boot and glove box.

Robert

Seems unlikely. My 1977 Dolomite has all its original keys and locks and the same key works both front doors and the ignition. As you say, a smaller key operates the boot, and yet another one does the fuel filler, but that would be an aftermarket fitment. I have two of each type of key.
I suspect that your door locks, or even the doors themselves, have been changed sometime.

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Mike
(1969 MGB GTV8, 1977 Dolomite 1850HL, 1971 MGB roadster now all three on the road)

Hi Robert, if you take the door locks out and take them to a good locksmith, he will match them to the ignition key

Tony.

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NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057

The door key and ignition key were always the same from the factory. But that was a long time ago!

I did have a couple of matching lock sets, now unfortunately for you, both are sold. What I do have, if you can't do any better, is a brand new pair of matched door locks with 2 keys, still BNIB. These were, when bought, the last set ever as the guy who made them was retiring! You can have them for the £35 they cost me (I now have matched sets on both my cars) plus the postage which shouldn't be too much for that little size and weight. They aren't factory but I can't tell the difference by looking at them, I think the manufacturer was an ex Wilmot Breedon employee who bought up a lot of old stock bits when he left the company and built them from that. He did locks for all sorts of classics, not just Triumph.

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.

Thanks for the comments.

I have all the original keys for my 1975 Dolomite Sprint and that is what has me puzzled. The Sprint was shipped fully assembled from the UK but the Toledo for which I require a key for the door was assembled here in New Zealand from a CKD kit. It was part of the arrangement which saw a lot of local materials incorporated into cars assembled here. Consequently some detail on the locally assembled cars change as has been noted elsewhere on the forum.

It is quite possible that the lock sets supplied for the cars assembled here were specified differently to what was sold on the UK market.

What intrigues me is the difference in the keys as you can see in the photo below. The key on the left is the ignition key for the Toledo. It is a British Leyland key and will be one of the originals supplied with the car. No other keys came with the car when I bought it. The boot did not have a boot latch fitted so I will be fitting one, with a matching glove box lock from some of the spares I hold here.

There is a subtle difference between the key on the left and a key which I picked out of my box of Dolomite keys, in this case, a (worn) copy of an original.

Look at the end of the key under the arrow and compare it with the key on the right. The relief which runs down the full length of the key on the right does not run to the end of the key on the left. You might see it a little more clearly in the second photo.

It is that lack of relief on the left hand key which prevents it from entering the door lock. Both keys will enter the ignition slot on the car although the key on the right will not turn. Likewise the key on the right will enter the door lock but will not turn.

I shall take the door lock and key on the left into a local locksmith next week and seek his comments.

Steve, thanks for the offer of a set of locks and keys. I have several sets of door locks, keys and if I could be bothered to retrieve them, locks from the steering columns as well all from cars which I have scrapped over the years and if I get stuck I shall fit something from my stock here.

I am sort of half contemplating shipping all my scrap back to you folk in the UK, since some of you showed an interest in the Sprint body which I am in the process of scrapping here. I have a bundle of front and rear quarterlights as well all with reasonable rubbers which seem to be in short supply in your part of the world. I have collected them from cars that have long since been scrapped.

I would keep all the lock sets though since they do not occupy too much space.

Robert

The issue of keys for this car has been solved.

When I looked back at some earlier photos I had of this car I spotted a bunch of keys hanging from the ignition with a distinctive medalion on the key ring. I remember spotting that medallion somewhere and in my search I found it and a bunch of keys. It included a spare ignition key and a round disc on which these markings were printed. On one face it said STEERING LOCK KEY SERIES NO. On the next line it said ESSENTIAL FOR REPLACEMENT. On the reverse face it shows the following; If I quote this number somewhere will someone will supply a new key? I have no idea where or who will do so. I have no need for another key at the moment for I had one cut to match the left hand key in the photo seen above which works satisfactorily.

On the same bunch of keys were two that actuate the door lock. It has a different pattern to the ignition key.

It seems that if when you try to unlock the car and use the ignition key the unrelieved end of the key will prevent it from entering the door lock. If you were fumbling around in the dark then you would just use the other large key on the key ring and that would open the car door.

That makes sense when you think about it and is quite a logical way of doing it, if as was the case with this car, the ignition and the door locks are keyed differently when the car was sold off the showroom floor.

Also on the bunch were two Wilmot Breedon FS 934 keys which would have opened the boot and the glove box. The boot lock has disappeared on the car but that is okay for I have a number of sets of boot and glove box locks and keys and I will fit a set in due course.

Robert

The TM number is definitely an ignition key number. A reputable locksmith may well be able to cut a key from the number. That is as long as the key pattern records still exist.

The 2 local and reputable locksmiths nearest me don't even keep TM blank keys any more! I had to buy some blanks off ebay, then they cut them for me!

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.