Trip To Georgia - 1 issue

[Eastlight]

I told my sister that I do not think this incident has happened in the history of automobiles. Here is the story:

I let my sister drive my '80 Fiat Spider because I trust her and she loves the car. After a couple test drives around town over a couple days, she needed to run an errand to the supermarket and I let her drive. Leaving the market, I handed her the key chain and watched the dash lights illuminate (seat belts - hand brake) then she said "the key won't turn any further!"
Surprise! I discovered she had partially inserted a small ket to the padlock on my garage into the ignition and it actually rotated enough to turn on the system. After that, the key would not budge either way.
I was able to pull the key out with pliers (it was only in about 3/8-inch) but...
because the little pins inside the ignition (tumblers?) lock the key into the keyhole when the key is turned, I could not insert the Fiat key or anything else into the ignition, which was still ON.
Forget a locksmith... we called one (Saturday) and he said I'd have to force the switch, which I was not going to do if I could find an alternative. I could not pick the lock because the little pins inside were locked down.
Since the ignition was ON, I jumped the switch contacts with a screwdriver and started the car, then drove it home (her house).
I could not remove the ignition switch because to do that, you need the key inserted into the switch (see ignition switch removal in the on-line manual).
I ended up buying a little plastic "project box" at Radio Shack, a rocker switch and spring loaded toggle switch at NAPA, cut the ignition wires from the switch and conected them to the switches I purchased, which I mounted into the plastic box. Now I turn on the ignition with the rocker switch and start the car with the toggle switch. I am awaiting the new ignition switch I ordered and will likely have to saw the face off the old switch to remove it from the car, unless someone knows of a better method.
Odd that the ignition switch wire bundle connects to the car via a nylon plug about eight-inches behind the switch. I thought if someone wanted to hot-wire the car, all they would have to do is disconnect the plug and insert a couple jumper wires.

[mdrburchette]

They could hotwire at the plug, but they would not be able to disengage the steering wheel lock mechanism.
I had a strange thing happen to a switch on my 72 Spider. I tried shutting the car off with they key and the switch wouldn't move to the off position. I had to disconnect the battery to shut the car off, but I could turn the key enough to engage the starter. I was able to remove the switch since the steering wheel lock wasn't engaged.

[Eastlight]

Locking steering wheel - good point. However, I once had my '81 Monte Carlo stolen, which was subsequently used to chop down a telephone pole, then caught on fire and no one (cops) could figure out how the perp (who was caught since he almost died in the car fire) got the car started. I suspect the reason he crashed, after driving around town for awhile, was because the steering wheel finally locked. The ignition swith was not turned and there were no jumper wires found. I loved that car

I called a place called "Mick's" in Texas for a replacement switch. They have them but said the steering wheel locking mechanism was made too long so they cut them off.

Midwest-Bayless has the switch listed for models up to 1976 (if I recall correctly). Their switch shown in the photo enlargement appears exactly the same as the one in my 1980. I'll call them Monday and see what they say about it.

[james124]

You may be better off getting a good used original switch from one of the members. There seems to be a good supply.

I had my switch out of the housing the other day and I was contemplating removing the steering dead-bolt mechanism from the switch to avoid ending up in a similar predicament as you have. This problem also occurs if one ends up keyless. Upon examination of the switch mechanism, however, there is also a cross-shaped clip that sits on a spring (on the opposite side) and is also controlled by the key. I believe that this clip also has to be removed. Has anyone made these mods already? Can that clip be removed? Any thoughts? I am not worried at the car being stolen. Never more than ten feet away.

[Eastlight]

Funny, after repairing something that has no instructions, I usually end up saying, "I wish I knew that before I started."
That was the case of the stuch ignition switch - stuck in the ON position in the previous episode. After spending hours literally tearing the ignition switch into small bits to remove it from the car, I discovered I could have kept the electrical-switch-mechanism intact and saved myself a lot of trouble.
I didn't know there was only a thin snap-ring on the rear of the switch and once removed, the electrical switching mechanism pulls right out. That could have saved me the time building my own starter switch box; I would not have had to cut the wires off the switch and could have removed the mechanism from a new switch, replacing it with my original with the harness attached. I wouldn't have had to cut any wires and especially re-solder the wires on the new switch. BTW, soldering wires onto a new switch is something I do not recommend. The plastic holding the attaching points (male spade-clip) tends to melt rather easily and not holding a spade-clip in the proper position will cause it to come loose and not make contact inside. Plus, two of the wires had to be reversed from the original pattern. That, again, was time consuming, pluging the switch into the car, finding out the car will not start, then figure out why using an ohm meter.
A long lesson from a small spring-clip.
The new switch is installed, the baby is purring as usual but, as I told my sister, the problem is I no longer have an orginal switch and now have two keys, one for the ignition and one for the doors and trunk.