Hi Wilson,

Thanks, that's very helpful. I worry that the wear may be in the lock, but it does make sense to start (so to speak) with the key. Thanks for explaining the starter noise. (It was my impression that engine area also smelled strange after that.) I appreciate the warning about using lock lubricants in the ignition.

This isn't the original key. A couple years ago, I somehow lost my keys; a locksmith made new car keys based on the locks themselves. (Expensive.) I need to find the spare. (The neighbor may still have it from when I went out of town and he was willing to move the car if need be.)

The key has long had a little twist in it. You're right that the keys must be something soft like brass, with a silver (nickel?) coating. I'm guessing that repeated difficulties with either the door lock or the ignition is how my keys get twisted. But combined with other problems in the system, the twist may not be helping.

Good idea about getting keys made from the original code. Is that likely to be available for a key for a car that's over 40 years old?

I take your point that in general, cold weather should not cause ignition keys to fail. That said, the car ran for several minutes before I managed to turn it off. I wonder whether that heated the lock up enough so the pins engaged more fully. It's not the only thing in my old car that works better after the car's been running for a while...

My regards to the tailgate latch on your 945.

Thanks again!