Hi All,

So i finally went and bought an old CK 1500 from the US and imported it to the UK. What a surprise that the vendor lied his teeth off about the condition of it so now i'm left with a hunk of junk to get right!

Ok, ok, so its not all bad - as an Arizona truck, its pretty rust free and he uprated the engine to about 450HP (so he says) and it has a decent size cab.

I'll post some pics later as i've just come out of hospital after having a tumour removed, so i'm gonna have to do her up in stages.

The first thing is, when i initially picked her up from the port, she would start fine although the ignition barrel would come out! The other day however, i came to start her and there was a click (like a steering lock click) and now she just won't let me turn the key.

My first question is, is this a common problem and is it an easy fix? Plus if its the steering lock, where can i get a new one from (she's a 1983 CK1500).

Oh and the other thing is, the guy fitted a slam box transmission, but its not a seedy kinda car so somehow, i just want to cover her back to a regular auto - is this possible?

Many thanks for any replies!


David

 

I assume that by "ignition not turning" you mean that the ignition key is not turning the ignition lock cylinder. If that is the case your ignition switch or key may be worn to the point where it won't turn the lock cylinder. You can determine if it is the key or the switch by seeing if the key works well in the door (if it uses the same key). If it doesn't work well in the door lock, the key will have to be replaced. I don't know if there are any GM dealerships over in the UK, but if there are, you can go to one with your truck serial number and proof of ownership and they can cut a new key for you. If you don't have a GM dealership, you will have to have a key made in the U.S. at a G.M. dealership. Some dealerships have a tool which will read the key cut so they know how to punch out a new key correctly. If the key works, it probably is the lock cylinder which will need to be replaced. I did that earlier in the Summer on my 69 Impala convertible. It isn't difficult, but it does take some time. You will have to remove the steering wheel and the turn signal cam, etc. Then there is a retainer which will have to be removed before the ignition switch can be removed. You can purchase a new ignition switch from www.rockauto.com at a very competitive price and they will ship to the U.K.. Once you receive the new ignition lock, it will have to be re-keyed to match the original key. (If your truck's ignition key only fits the ignition lock, you can use the key supplied with the new ignition switch.) Otherwise the ignition lock can be re-keyed by any competent lock smith that has G.M key blanks. Let me know what you find and good luck.

Harv