Usually, unless we’re talking about race cars with a dedicated panel or modern, software-intensive vehicles that are connected to the cloud, cars come with keys. Keys on their own can get easily misplaced, so there’s a good chance you’re rocking some sort of keychain or lanyard on the key ring of at least one of your vehicles. The question is: What sort of keychains are you rocking, how did you come to own them, and are you happy with them? I’ll start.
Admittedly, I haven’t always been a key chain guy, partly because many of the car I’ve owned have featured a separate fob for the remote locks from the physical key, and that’s been enough to keep things from getting lost. However, I now own two cars with integrated fobs, so key chains have become necessities, and here’s what I’m rocking.
On the ring for the fob on my 3 Series, I’ve got a keychain with an orange E30 M3 printed in it that I got from One Hell Of A Town. It’s been durable, and there’s some greater meaning to it too — not only do I love E30s, this one’s a depiction of the one on the cover of Frank Ocean’s Nostalgia, Ultra and that’s one of my favorite mixtapes ever. This one’s a 10/10 keeping forever sort of scenario.
Now, my Boxster’s key is attached to an actual chain with a lovely metal Porsche pendant on the other end. It came with the car and I believe it to be period-correct, although I’m not entirely sure whether or not it’s an actual Porsche accessory. It’s a little worn from decades in pockets, but that sort of patination feels like an honor rather than a burden.
So, what stylistic accessory lives on your key ring? It could be a key chain, it could be a lanyard, it could be a jet tag, whatever the case, I want to know all about it in the comments below.
Pete piping in … I’d also like to know how you’re keeping your keys findable at home. Are you a key-hook person? More of a key bowl fan? I really like this miniature amp setup as shared by Shitbox Showdown author Mark Tucker:
Meanwhile, ya boy Stephen! Walter! Gossin! favors this fantastic Time Machine key-keeper, which is clearly getting a workout:
I’m a fan of this very clever and fun Lego setup. It’s easily DIY-able, you definitely don’t need the official boxed item.
To the comments!
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As minimal as possible. No special key ring, and only the keys I absolutely need: car, house, office. That’s it.
Mine has a brass piece from the Blood Center that I got for donating some certain amount of blood. Has my blood type and “If found, mail to…” on it. The latter is starting to wear out, though, as I’ve carried it for somewhere around 14 years.
I learned, via Doug DeMuro, of an artist who does chunky pixel renders of your car and sends you a key chain of the result. Both of my fun cars have one of those.
I usually don’t carry keys, I control my car through my cell phone, and haven’t had a physical key for my house in years (haven’t been locked out yet, knock on wood). My motorhome requires keys, and the keyring for that is a reproduction vintage Autoweek key ring. https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/a1697186/sorry-we-are-sold-out/
The last branded keychain I used was for my brown, manual transmission Pinto Country Squire:
Similar car:
https://paintref.com/graphics/sample/pinto1973brown.jpg
Similar keychain:
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/PzoAAOSwgqZd3PuO/s-l1600.jpg
Amazingly both the car and the keychain failed to impress at parties.
I only rock one keychain, ZZ Top baby
When you go out to drive, are you just looking for some tush?
RIP Dusty
I always drive like I Just Got Paid, it’s better than using my Legs
It definitely beats Waitin’ For The Bus all day.
Iv’e had the same keychain for 22 years: The seal of my college. It has held up better that I would have expected.
The Bentley keys live in one of those little leather wallets that your grandfather had, the backplate of which is made from my grandfathers WW1 RFC dog tags.
This is one of my favorites (favourites?); seems so appropriate on so many interconnected levels. Thanks for sharing!
I have a Tucker Motor Cars one that I got at the Antique Automobile Club of America museum in Hershey, PA
I have so many keychains, some don’t get used but every car gets one that’s appropriate on the set of key(s) and fob ring, with a small carabiner too hook on my belt. I’ve never lost keys. Each car also gets an ignition key with another keychain that is used when I drive the cars to avoid heavy weight on the ignition cylinder. At home I used to have a set of 3800 ignition coils mounted to a plank for a key rack, but ran out of capacity and bought a lockable key box to store them in instead, it’s still convenient.
Some of the keychains I’m using currently that I really like and think stand out are:
A small Eaton style supercharger on the keys to the SSEi – I’ve never seen another
A GM gold plated “Bonneville” keychain on the 92 SSE
A gold plated GM “Buick Know-How” keychain on the 91 Riviera I L67 swapped
A silver and chrome “Ultra” Buick keychain on the 03 Ultra, of course
The others mainly have branded/logo keychains, the Tahoe, Acura, Olds, and Z34. Also my house and storage keys have always had a real Craftsman 8mm wrench on it, which comes in handy a lot.
My DD keys (until very recently) were sporting an original 1983 Return of the Jedi bronze Millennium Falcon. Unfortunately, age and use pulled and thinned the loop where it attaches to a jump ring to the point of fragility. I need to take it to a jeweler to braze some meat onto that loop.
My pickup (’03 supercharged F150) has a MCM jet tag on the primary key.
My motorcycle keys have a mini garage door opener.
All of them have an “if found, mail to this address” dog tag on them.
The motorcycle keys have red REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT and checkered yellow FOLLOW ME (https://simpleflying.com/follow-me-cars/) tags… the car keys have nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at all…
I’ve got a blue I-Beam from a company called Benjamin Edgar right now. I love it.
Just looked at that. It’s stupid. And I can’t quit looking at it. And I think I love it, too.
Its the best keychain i’ve ever had, its so inconvenient.
lol
Looking at the specs – nearly 2oz and 4″ – it sounds pretty beefy.
Gotta be getting you some funny looks walking around with that beast in your trousers.
Nuthin. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Full nude, baby! Just a bare key (albeit with some buttons on the fat end) that slips into the watch pocket of my jeans. If I’ve got a ring that just encourages me to fill it with a bunch of crap I only need once in a blue moon.
My trusty Pickup Truck + SUV Talk keychain.
Camaro – > https://www.amazon.com/Bibber-Buddy-MotoMinds-Launch-Keychain/dp/B0852R4GH9/ref=sr_1_6?crid=1UI0TFFTNMGZQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wbwfSqUcrnW9i_9RlNxkDIq3ohlz5JuZLO6Iqe7PTquO3sXi3i9l4cgSLi8RjhhT9w0vgCdLnWJBK5cS3wbmx_zVpx6c2F5KUcdOHqVkyKML4AxiDR3lWNzUA4SXegiEvX59xKaN2BJ5_zHcV_kfL9Iq58kl16zHe2_VLlHWzUln9Eyxq8q_HDkBCYGR4WE_4PB50X2bOHfQAL9nC3k-BsgyIGezBQxLxcjITLce7L_DUR5A5cUMN4swmtYSu3-OJl5wqn3qI0Hm27KG4XDALFT2CCGQcE3EMeuEV78poL4.m6ELu94WvDIbK7zJ128O9r9VEzlO0nIfKEv_G9VekO0&dib_tag=se&keywords=launch+key+keychain&qid=1721844302&sprefix=launch+key+%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-6
Crosstrek -> https://www.amazon.com/Great-Eastern-Entertainment-Fairy-Keychain/dp/B00O1P3HW8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=28QM8060TWWKE&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hMNCEkLt8H4xQhRFfmEb43e–RmAZb60Y6xBChDFMesTsIgWRDMvJHtQkxlLrKKpDNaIpTLTqe6M-hteANESwAIAywCgu2PzAsn4xSEeJ1NM1FSvBRfZ7KMDJXxUINyMS_wBEP82ogGSh_AvaQI2pHlYVGJ06AkliW1yqLpmQ8tK71WrJ3ZUp-nsQB6DJcgTSw13yravfp-dpLSCHDul0CXV0FfML6t0AMnJ3ovxa0Mbpk65WnGGmKgpnQlJe4SXXHHiPxwLvqsIgBNODMx1ej7BfdF4KA7YpPYEGK7fMCE.aaD4OLEzZsk1Gf0ScRPjwakfvFb0jQitYF_km3Llm8M&dib_tag=se&keywords=erza+key+chain&qid=1721844371&sprefix=erza+key+chain%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1
Backups for each as well so I know which are the second key. My wife has an Impreza and the keys look the same for the Subarus.
I used to have rubber prancing moose keychains on my Volvo keys but they broke too many times. As for where we keep our keys we have a hinged metal box that I think originally had candy in it. It is a nice size, (big enough to hold a bunch of keys, small enough to not take up too much space), plus should work as a Faraday cage should anyone try to nab the signal.
My keys are attached to the ring of a long defunct (30 years) Maglite Solitaire flashlight with all of the black paint worn off. Also on the keyring is one of my dog tags from my Air Force days. Used to be when I passed through security checkpoints, they’d ask me to turn it on and when I told them it didn’t work, they’d make me disassemble it so they could check the inside. All, while giving me a look that said, “who keeps a broken flashlight as their keyring?” What can I say? I’ve never lost those keys and the flashlight and dog tag have sentimental value.
I hate when keys get bulky.
For my truck, which is my main vehicle, I have the two truck keys, 2 house keys and a D-ring. To keep them slim/small I have a separate set for my car, which is just the car fob and a house key.
I’ve got the mini-amp setup, but I took one of the plugs and replaced the cable with a LuckyLine Twist Lock so I could forgo the keyring and minimize bulk. I also cut down and bent the bow of my home key so that it would lay flat against my car key, instead of sticking out.
My wife does not subscribe to the same philosophy, and sports her amp plug on an arsenal of dolls, printed plates and lanyards. I keep a cut-down copy of her car key and one of the mail key in my wallet for minimum bulk, maximum security, and to get the mail without turning off my car.
Before I sold my 2-series, I used to have the enormous BMW fob in my left pocket with my wallet and my house key either in my change pocket or back pocket, and after a while i got an N55 head gasket keychain from disagree.de, it was a really cool piece but really uncomfortable in the pocket.
I’m not a fan of chandeliers banging me in the knee or stuffed into my pocket. I use just the keys and fob I need, nothing else.
The last keychain trinket I rocked was from Sammy Hagar’s VOA tour in 1985, it was a 55 MPH limit sign with a red slash through it. I stopped using it when the two clear plastic halves split apart decades ago.
The keys go on the giant kitchen peninsula thingy that dominates the main drag of my house.
Sorry. Only the key and the lock fob.
Yes!
One of these: https://www.ebay.com/itm/225026152840
Where’d I get it? At a concert one tour before Dusty Hill died.
I like to think I’m a sharp dressed man…
<does the dual hand swoop>
Spins guitar
I got mine a few years ago after Dusty died. I love it.
Nothing. Integrated key/fob with no accoutrements
I travel full-time in my 2007 Express. I need only one key in my life now. My solo key sports a knotted leather string with a turquoise bead. Recently added to the ring is the metal tag from the bag of my best friend’s ashes.
I’m also an affront to the ‘daily carry’ folks. All I take with me is that key, my phone, and a wallet containing a few bucks, DL, debit card, Medicare card, passport card, and a next of kin card.
I laugh at Millenials who lug a backpack EVERYWHERE THEY GO. What the hell are you carrying in there? An entire change of clothes? A week’s worth of lunches? Your life savings in fives?
It’s become so ubiquitous that it’s creeped into other generations. I see plenty of my fellow Gen-Xers doing it.
And the whole “everyday carry” thing now seems to me like an offshoot of the “tacti-cool” thing. Like, I bet it’s a fairly small amount of people who aren’t in the trades who will be asked to say cut wires or light fires on a daily basis. But you’d never know that from all the stuff they carry around.
Yeah my boss, who’s young X, does it too. But I never see him open it.
Underwear and TP (the GOOD stuff!) in waterproof bags obviously.
In addition to her large purse, my ex lugged around and old leather mail carrier bag filled with stuff she thought she might need, including several hard cover books she would want to read if she found herself needing to wait a while. Even though her chiropractor said her back problems were from carrying that bag, she persisted.