The wait is over and we're going to start accepting payment today and shipping tomorrow!




EDIT: orders can now be placed here:
http://blenddoor.com/product/billet-aluminum-key-head

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Money Sent ! Thanks

You're very welcome. The rest of you who responded on the sheet will be getting emailed very soon -- Greazzer was the first one to pull the trigger when we announced this, and so he got the first email!

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Must have missed this. How much is one?

No worries. $35 each. Put your name in the spreadsheet and my assistant will email you -- I don't think she's made it down to the bottom of the list yet.

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

I've got a page live now where these can be ordered (with shipping included in the price this time around) to make things easier:
http://blenddoor.com/product/billet-aluminum-key-head/

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Science !

Attached Thumbnails

   

The wait is over for the second run of "early style" key heads! We now have all four colors that were requested by popular demand by w123/w126 owners in stock and shipping out. Limited quantities on the red, silver and blue.






The first generation keys that many of you bought were beautiful and I didn't think they could be prettier until I got the package from the anodizing shop today! Our prices have also been reduced by a couple bucks to reflect the larger run we made this time. More "late" style keys are going to be put into production and will be available in pretty colors very soon!

https://blenddoor.com/product/billet-aluminum-key-head/

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Hey I just got my key head in the mail yesterday but it doesn't quite fit my key blank. It is an early style Huf blank I got from Mercedes but it is a newer replacement key I got a couple years ago from classic center. I got tired of the new plastic heads breaking so I bought one of your key heads which looks really nice but my key doesn't quite fit in it. It seems the cutout is little too small on one side. Have you run into this problem?

Yes I ran into this problem with a VIN cut key from the classic center. It just needs to be filed down ever so slightly on the side of the T that is too large. Took just a minute, and then filled with black urethane to prevent any wiggle. Per the instructions, loctite will also get the job done.

Don't over torque the allen screws! It will ruin your key.

__________________
1983 300D Midnight Blue
4 speed, W115 intake mani, non-EGR exhaust mani, KKK K26, 3 pc Euro bumpers, Lo-spec Euro headlights, AL129X, hubcaps, custom A/C

1987 300TD Smoke Silver
Euro headlights, thermostat relocation, coolant bypass mod, rebuilt Becker + Jehnert + Helix audio, OEM Oris roof boxes and surfboard racks, Euro towbar

1983 300TD Reed (Moss) Green / Dark Olive MB Tex Euro spec

1983 300TD Silver Blue / Blue cloth Euro spec, OM648 and 722.6, 15" hubcaps, W126 S2 brakes

The second run of keys that are shopping now should have corrected this problem. I widened the channel by 0.5mm on each side to allow the classic center keys to fit. I got several reports of the classic center or dealer replacements being ever so slightly larger than the originals, so I updated the design.

How do you like the key head otherwise?

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Mine are from the first run and are perfect. I expected to have to file or fill as appropriate to compensate for the minor differences in keys.

__________________
1983 300D Midnight Blue
4 speed, W115 intake mani, non-EGR exhaust mani, KKK K26, 3 pc Euro bumpers, Lo-spec Euro headlights, AL129X, hubcaps, custom A/C

1987 300TD Smoke Silver
Euro headlights, thermostat relocation, coolant bypass mod, rebuilt Becker + Jehnert + Helix audio, OEM Oris roof boxes and surfboard racks, Euro towbar

1983 300TD Reed (Moss) Green / Dark Olive MB Tex Euro spec

1983 300TD Silver Blue / Blue cloth Euro spec, OM648 and 722.6, 15" hubcaps, W126 S2 brakes

I'm loving the black ones I got for my 85. Got a set of blue just recently for the 240D up a the farm. Dad was really impressed with the quality and didn't think twice with I give him the invoice.

-Andrew

__________________
'85 300TD "Puff The Magic Wagon" - Rolling Resto
'19 Mazda CX-9 Signature - Wife's sled
'21 Morgan 3-Wheeler P101 Edition
'95 E300d - SOLD
'84 300TD "Brown Betty" - Miss this one
'81 240D "China Baby" - Farm grocery getter

So update -- it looks like when the second run of keys were made, the same measurements were mistakenly used as run 1 to mill the key cutout. My apologies to those of you with dealer replacement keys, but you'll have to do a tiny bit of filing tom make the key fit.

The difference is 0.5mm total width, so a couple light passes with a file on the dealer replacement keys should be all you need. The next time we make these keys (likely in May or June) I'll be sure that the new measurement is used to solve this problem

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.

Thank you for the great feedback. I'm glad that you guys are enjoying the keys.

__________________
RenaissanceMan Labs: where the future is being made today.

Garage:

2017 Chevy Colorado Diesel (nanny state emissions)
2005 Volvo S40 T5 AWD, 77k
1987 Mercedes-Benz 300D turbodiesel, 4 sp auto, 156k - 28.7 mpg
1996 Tracker 4x4, 2 door, 16v, 3 sp auto. 113k - 28.6 mpg

WARNING: this post may contain dangerous free thinking.