Removing keyhole from door

fletch

I've got remote central locking & have thus never used key to open the door. What would be involved in completely removing the keyhole from the door & filling the hole? (or would this be even possible)....just thinking it would be a good way of improving security as the lock couldn't be picked.
What ya's reckon? Good or bad idea. Oh it's a hatchback so I would still have access using the key via the boot in an emergency.

Farls

Its something that a lot of modders do, although they remove the handles as well and put in "poppers" where when you unlock the car the door pops open. Or they have a button under say the mirror that opens the door if the cars unlocked.

Anyway yes you can get your locks removed, easy enough job then get them flushed with the door. Wouldn't be too expensive either...you'd have to goto a body shop to get the work done though.

unkel

Might have NCT implications - check with them first!

Delta_ie

also what car do you own? if it came in a 4dr version then you might be able to use the two rear door handles that won't have locks.

Edit: just read the post again and your locks could be in the door not the handle, but easy enough job to do. Any good body shop should have no trouble doing it.

Cake Fiend

What's to stop someone picking the boot lock?

dahamsta

If you're just doing it for security, don't, car thieves haven't picked locks since the Opel Kadett. If it's for show, any good body guy will be able to do the job for you (when I say good, I mean one that'll weld up the hole rather than just fill it).

Doing it yourself shouldn't be that difficult -- removing the lock should be pretty simple and the welding would be a good learning experience if you haven't done it before (since it's relatively simple and not structural). However you need a good eye for filling and painting.

Shouldn't this be in the Modding forum? Heh.

EDIT: Here's some popper kits for reference.

adam

ondafly

dahamsta wrote:

If you're just doing it for security, don't, car thieves haven't picked locks since the Opel Kadett.

if the car is a honda - I strongly advise getting the rear door handles from a saloon model. Extrememly common these days, for the scum to just jam a screw driver directly into the door lock and turn to unlock.

fletch

unkel wrote:

Might have NCT implications - check with them first!

Mmm never thought of that mike....nice 1

fletch

dahamsta wrote:

If you're just doing it for security, don't, car thieves haven't picked locks since the Opel Kadett.

The car that I drive is a Ford & the locking system that it uses I can remember from way back when we had an '88 Orion so I'm pretty sure it'd be no problem to pick

dahamsta

...and the Orion...

fletch

dahamsta wrote:

...and the Orion...

Well it was robbed more times than I care to remember....my car tho has a Cobra alarm with dead locking but anything that improves security can't be a bad thing

Ernie Ball

Here's what my door handles look like:



The keyhole is plugged with a piece of plastic in the OEM colour that looks like a factory fit:



I can still get to the locks if I need to but the average gurrier just sees a smooth surface with no keyhole.

I got them from a guy on the US MR2-related board Spyderchat, but he only makes them in the OEM colours for the mark III MR2 as far as I know. Maybe somebody else makes similar products for other cars.

PowerHouseDan

What happens if your Bat goes dead in the car and cant open the car via Remote C locking?

Ah Yes just saw the boot part but how easy would it be to get into the front of the car via the boot......

Ernie Ball

powerhousedan wrote:

What happens if your Bat goes dead in the car and cant open the car via Remote C locking?

In my case, I can take out the keyhole plugs with a credit card. The average joyrider isn't likely to bother trying to figure that out.

ando

http://www.griffonline.plus.com/myfocus/howtos/doorlock/doorlock.htm

How to delock a Focus, seems like a lot of work for a subtle modification

layke

Yep, can help you thar sonny.

I have it done myself, mind you if your battery in the remote dies your screwed so be warned.

The way I did it was by isoponing in the removed keyhole. You'll need a pro to do it and it won't cost that much. I cannot see a reason why an NCT would look for that or if it would matter (It didn't for me).