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1938 BMW R12 Ignition/Headlight Key

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:56 pm
by spider rust
Does anyone know who the manufacturer was that made the headlight key?
And what the correct length of the steel post should be?

A R51/3 key works and it will

Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 4:59 pm
by deyoung2837
A R51/3 key works and it will not scratch the paint with the two ears that hang down on the pre-war key.

Lee

BMW R12 Ignition Key

Posted: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:25 pm
by spider rust
See attached, NO BMW TRADEMARk or PART NO.
But the design is correct R12, and it is original as it was not supplied by BMW.

Original key scratching paint

Posted: Mon Mar 30, 2020 6:22 am
by spider rust
My restoration is back to its original WW2 finish in all detail. Which is correct for its provenance.
All these pre war R12's were conscripted into the Wehrmacht, why restore them in civilian disguise with no empathy to their prev owners
who probably were obliterated during this dreadful historic period.
Regarding scratching the paint by the 2 sections ea side of the post, could this problem possibly be too much high build paint prep
in a civilian restoration? This is a not a high glitz hot rod resto.,
As the key is listed in the parts manual of BMW, although not supplied by them, I would be surprised if they would fit a key that
scraped the head light paint.
If the ignition escutcheon is fitted at the correct and original height I wouldn't think it would hit the headlight shell around the key escutcheon.