FE-FC ORIGINAL KEYS?

[ekolden]

 "HI ALL" CAN ANY BODY HELP ME OUT WITH WHAT THE ORIGINAL KEYS ARE FOR FE-FC?ARE THEY THE "GM" ONE'S WITH BRIGGS&STRATTON ON THEM?.  THE HEX ONE FOR THE  IGNITION & DOOR AND THE PARE SHAPED ONE FOR THE BOOT AND GLOVE BOX? THEN IN WHAT YEAR/MODEL DID THE  KEY WITH"GMH" ON IT COME OUT ?AS  I AM A BIT CONFUSED OVER WHAT KEYS ARE THE ORIGINALS.
CHEERS-
--EK

[ridgey_didge]

G'day EK,
I have what I have always believed to be an original ignition key for my 1958 FE special sedan.  It has Briggs & Stratton details and a number on one side, and on the other side has "GM" in the middle, and "Your key to greater value" around the edge.  It has an octagonal head.  So assuming it is original, and given my FE is latish (Sydney built), the key with GMH that you refer to must be later.
I hope that helps narrow it down a bit.
Cheers,
David

[RET]

The octagonal head keys were used in all Holdens from the first (and possibly even non-Holdens produced by GM-H before that), until at least the late 60s.  Not sure when they switched from/to GM to GMH on the head.  Never noticed it, actually.  Even the later rubberised head (eg early Commodore) ones have "GM" on them.

Early Holdens had no separate boot/glove-box key: that's why they had a separate LOCK and OFF ignition positions.  This was a "feature": if you left your FE or FC with a valet, you could lock your glove-box, leave the ignition in the OFF position and take the keys with you.  The valet could move the car if need be without them.

Dunno about the pear-shaped one: it could be for either a locking petrol cap or a column lock.

Hope that's some help.

cheers
RET