It's probably been done to death this, but what exactly is the problem if a Car hasn't got the master key, but does has have three perfectly good normal keys and the red tag thing.
The tag at the bottom of this pic, form Pete's spider guide

I checked with a dealer and they say, only occasionally do they find they have to change the lock set, most of the time even after a battery removal the keys keep the coding.

Also this Car, a 98 GTV, doesn't have a fob for the alarm, which I suppose means the alarm is inoperable, is it possible to get a new fob, by tracing the alarm from the serial numbers.


I suppose what it comes down to is, do you walk away from a perfectly good Car, at a very fair price because of the lack of a key??.

BTW this is a question for a freind, so don't try to make me an offer for my little collection

you have the tag with the code on it so i dont see a problem

 

also, to solve the alarm question you have.....would an after market 1 not do as good, if not better than an alfa 1

 

Thanks Mr O, but I am not sure it's that simple, the code tag didn't have anything logical on it that I could see.
I would have thought it would have a number to put in to the system, but from memory it had a long referance number which I think included some letters and a series of numbers underneath that just read 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 a bit obvious I would have thought. (some numbers had an * next to them, perhaps that's significant.
Perhaps I am missing something.

 

Anybody had any more thoughts???

 

What ever happens you won't need to change the locks. If you have to get a new ECU and master key it just means getting the master cut and re-programing the remaining keys. Fairly simple but very costly.

Not having the master key is made out to be pretty serious, but the likelyhood of actually needing the key is fairly slim and if the car is a good price it would be stupid to walk away just because of this.

When you say it has no alarm fobs do you mean it has the early keys with the seperate alarm fobs (IR). If they are missing it probably means a previous owner has disabled the alarm as the early fobs are notoriously crap.

 

Does master key matter?

Having great fun with ex-Chris Faux 1999 Spider. I'm the sort who worries and there is no burgundy master key? Does it really matter? How many been stuck because they don't have this key? Could send immobiliser and ECU to Holland to have the immobiliser bit removed - for £250. Would that just be a waste of money, because as long as you keep the battery in good nick all goes well?