I noticed when I was getting my Dad's Cutlass out of the garage that it did not have a steering lock in park and that I was able to shift out of park without the key being turned at all. Is this normal on a 67 Cutlass?

 

Yep, The first year for steering locks was 69

And Welcome aboard

How bout some pics of your car?

 

I have a '72 Chevy pickup that will shift without the key. Ignition is on the dash. I guess this was only for column mounted ignition switches.

 

It's the other way around. The ignition switch was moved to the column in order to facilitate the lock mechanism (although newer cars use cables or solenoids to allow the key to be just about anywhere these days). More to the point, the law in 1969 applied to cars only. The locking requirement for trucks was later, and was phased in by GVW.

 

ahh haa. thanks

 

That's what I meant Joe, I've never seen a lock on a dash ignition.

Chumley

 

I had a '66 Bel Air Wagon back in '83 (?) that I could remove the ignition key while car was still running, that was cool! Don't know if some early cars still do that or if it depends on the key.

 

I can take the keys out of my 71 442 while it's running too...has been that way ever since I got the car in '89....but I thought it was because the keys are worn.

 

It is because the keys (and more likely the lock cylinder) is worn. When the gov't mandated the steering column lock for the 1969 model year, they also specifically mandated that the key could only be removed in the LOCK position. On earlier cars it was possible to remove the key with the ignition switch in the RUN position, but the feds mandated that not be possible on later cars.

 

Cool! Thanks guys.