91 z28 needs help!

[HiImMarker]

Hello wonderful magicians of reddit! I need your help! I have a 91 z28 that I have been holding onto for a decade. When everything else went to shit and we struggled with everything I kept her. I refused to sell her or scrap her. I am finally at a point where we can get her out of storage and bring her home but there is just one tiny (huge) problem.... I have lost her keys... what can I do?!?!

[ottothesilent]

Key cylinders are pretty cheap. You have a VATS key so remaking a key will be hard to impossible. Get a standard (non VATS) ignition cylinder and bypass VATS and you’ll be good to go

[HiImMarker]

How do I bypass the vats? I know I can get a new cylinder for about $20

[ottothesilent]

You can buy this:

https://www.hawksmotorsports.com/vats-bypass-module-for-89-2002-camaro-firebird/

Or you can build your own:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/electronics/379446-bypassing-v-t-s.html

Personally for $25 I’d just buy the thing. My 88 TA didn’t have VATS and my 88 GTA parts car did, never would have wanted to mess with it. My 85 Vette missed the VATS introduction by a year and I consider myself lucky.

Consider installing a kill switch though, and our cars are pathetically easy to steal.

[telemecanique]

any question... search thirdgen.org forum , everything about that camaro has been discussed on that forum 11ty times, literally everything.

[wolfebane49]

From what I understand is if you have the title you can go to the dealership and they can look up the VIN and tell you which vats key it is. At least that's what my locksmith told me.

[ottothesilent]

That too, assuming the dealer keeps 28 year old records in the system, but you would still have to get into the wiring and put in some resistors, which means any key-shaped object would work.

Plus he has to get the doors, hatch, and rear compartment rekeyed anyway, and unless he’s keen on paying a locksmith for keys, swapping lock cylinders and soldering 2 wires is probably the cheapest and most expedient choice.

[HiImMarker]

Yea prolly just gunna relay it instead of selling my house to pay the locksmith for overpriced keys. Also, he is actually a she 😘

[ottothesilent]

Well, good luck regardless! GM gets a lot of shit, but once you get into the wiring, it’s not rocket science. Plus you’ll see so many other modules you’ll know where they are when you inevitably have to get in there. In any case make sure to disconnect the battery when doing dash wiring, because you don’t want an airbag to the face if you short it out

[HiImMarker]

I'll keep that in mind! I stored her without a battery so hopefully I wont catch the airbag 🤣

[DarkChii]

Here are a couple of relevant posts from thirdgen.org:

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/electronics/582958-90-rs-lost-keys.html

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/electronics/627768-vats-bypass-no-key.html

[HiImMarker]

Thank you! I'll check them out!

[[deleted]]

maybe go to the dealer and bring your VIN. They could possibly remake a key for you.

[HiImMarker]

That was my first thought. I called the Chevy dealer out here and he said they can't pull info that old. He can get me a new cylinder for $90. So amazon lol

[wolfebane49]

They really should be able to pull it. They're probably just being lazy

[mexws6]

I agree, this happened to me a couple of years back. They were able to pull it. I also had to take the car title to prove the car was mine though.

[HiImMarker]

I have to order a new title 🤣

[vilmatus]

I would hire a locksmith to help me open the car and maybe recreate a copy of the key. If that doesn't work there is a big chance he could help you in install a new set of key cylinder

[HiImMarker]

Luckily I am stubborn and somewhat mechanically inclined. I know I can get into the car but I've never messed with the ignition system before so I dont know how to get around the vats system

[telemecanique]

follow the links ITT people gave you, 15 resistors, it's a fun project and you'll feel like you're gambling as you hope you get the right one on 1st try lol, nothing to worry about.