Body / Glass: Door keys

[GinettaG12P]

My 1959 Silver Hawk has no door keys and the ignition key will not fit the door locks. I've ordered a production order of my car so that I will know the ignition (and door) key number, but now I see that in order to buy a key blank from SI, I need to know if the door locks are Hurd or Yale. How do I tell? Thanks.

[Warren Webb]

If I were in your shoes I would wait until I have the production order, then go to a nearby locksmith that can make a key from the code. They would be able to determine who made the lock. After that you would be able to have the ignition switch coded to that same key providing it is not one of the aftermarket switches.

[rockne10]

Does anyone have a '59 Studebaker with Hurd keys? I know they were more common in the late forties and early fifties. I haven't seen any as late as '59 with Hurd. Just asking.

[StudeRich]

1959 was the last year the Hurd Locks were used on V8 Cars, the 6 Cyl. cars have Yale Locks.

But this car either does not have all the same brand or cut on all three of it's locks as it should.
Look at the paper or online S.I. Catalog and you will see the picture of the Hurd and Yale Keys and you can tell if you have a DOOR Lock that the key enters the lock correctly and it is a very narrow short key as shown, it's a Hurd.

I would not pay as much attention to the Ignition Lock, as way too many Studes. have those cheap Switches with the knurl nut retainer instead of the correct Chrome or aluminum BEZEL and the locks in those are wrong, have only 4 Tumblers/Cuts on the key, and will never match your door locks to even enter the lock.

The best plan is to buy the complete new 3 Lock set from a Stude. Vendor.

[53k]

If I were in your shoes I would wait until I have the production order, then go to a nearby locksmith that can make a key from the code. They would be able to determine who made the lock. After that you would be able to have the ignition switch coded to that same key providing it is not one of the aftermarket switches.

I bought a '65 Cruiser at a sheriff's sale a few years ago. It had no keys. Got the production order and a locksmith made the key set for me with no problem. And, when I bought my '53 a long time ago it had the original keys, but the ignition switch was a dreaded replacement type with a key that didn't work anything else. I found a '53 in a salvage yard with the original ignition switch, bought it and took it and the original key (door/ignition) to a locksmith and he reset the ignition switch to my original key- still using it.

[GinettaG12P]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll wait for the production order.

[52hawk]

Couldn't a locksmith re-key the door locks to match the ignition?

[StudeRich]

Couldn't a locksmith re-key the door locks to match the ignition?

Maybe NOT, Post #4 says:

I would not pay as much attention to the Ignition Lock, as way too many Studes. have those cheap Switches with the knurl nut retainer instead of the correct Chrome or aluminum BEZEL and the locks in those are wrong, have only 4 Tumblers/Cuts on the key, and will never match your door locks enough to even enter the lock.

[Warren Webb]

Couldn't a locksmith re-key the door locks to match the ignition?

They could, but why pay for coding 2 locks when only one (ignition) would do the same thing?