ascMcLaren Enthusiasts

Was a remote key fob available on the '87 McLaren? If so, are there any available anywhere?

No. I don't think there were any cars with remote keys back then. Maybe the town car.

-Mike

What do you mean by remote key? My 86 has a key fob that locks and unlocks the doors, sets the alarms (Yup. plural) and will open the trunk remotely also.

Kentennis wrote:What do you mean by remote key? My 86 has a key fob that locks and unlocks the doors, sets the alarms (Yup. plural) and will open the trunk remotely also.

I am pretty sure that would be an aftermarket system.

I was talking about factory. Although knowing my luck, leave it to Sandy to tell me there was some special key fob option back then.

There are indeed plenty of aftermarket remote entry systems. Ford even made an add-on system that the dealer could install in the early 90's.

-Mike

It was an OPTION on ascMcLarens, for 1987-1990 Mustang McLarens. It was installed at & by McLaren. The MSRLP was $353.00 and it included the key fob that locked & UNlocked the doors and popped open the trunk.
The key fob has a mylar printed facing with ascMcLaren AND the Ford oval on it. My Silver Anniversary car has the same, but that car has an installed alarm (I cannot stomach the thing) and the alarm can be set or UNset (is there such a word?) with the key fob thingee. The alarm was also a ascMclaren install.

Well, there you go. I stand sorely corrected.

I guess I just don't know enough about the later verts. I'll defer to Sandy next time.

For some reason, I couldn't think of when I saw a key fob talked about here so I jumped the gun and gave bad info.

-Mike

Ford had this as a Ford aftermarket accessory also my sons 85 turbo coupe has it and it has Ford logo on the remotes to give you that Ford feel. Keep a search i bet a nos system will turn up on ebay

What I cannot stand with the one on the Silver Anniversary car is that you cannot remote key fob LOCK the doors withOUT the system automatically setting the alarm!! Now then, the alarmed alarm pulls juice from the battery. WHY? I do not know, but it has a tiny little red lite on the dash that blinks on & off constantly, when set. After a week, the battery goes dead !! SOoooo, Sandy thinks he'll outsmart it. I click the interior door lock button to lock the doors and I exit the car in the garage.
Now, the alarm is NOT set, as I did NOT use the remote. Right ?

W R O N G

10 days later - it's DEAD !??! I look. the tiny red light is flashing ! Why ?
How did it know I locked the doors NOT using the remote?
I dig out the owner's manual from ascMcLaren .... @#$@## it says! "If you lock the doors with the power door locks, rather than the remote control key fob, if no door is opened after 120 minutes, the car will self-alarm itself ! GREAT ! Dead Battery, again.
There is no way to beat the system.
Maybe........ manually pushing down the two interior door buttons, will fool it.
Anyhow, now for winter, I pull the battery cable off. She's covered in quilted blankets, under her car cover.

You should never lock a convertible. It's not worth the $500 deductable to secure the $10 in change that can be had by slitting the top with a knife.

I know that. But, remember she is NEVER left alone. She goes for "rides" ~ but she does not park. Okay, once or twice I ran in on a Sunday AM for bagels at Bagel-Man but I kept a watchful eye on her.
See, my coupe knows how to fight back, but the 'verts are kinda siissy-fied a bit, and terribly spoiled, so they need be watched.

Funny. Mine doesn't appear to set when it's locked with the key and I have no flashing light. There is a small light appearing thing on the dash but Hank had no idea what it is. Doesn't blink - ever. And if I lock it with the power lock and not the remote the alarm doen't go off, even a week later. I only have 1 remote and the mfr cannot send me one without the serial number on the back of it. It is a paper strip and has never been on there since I've had the car.

But the battery does go dead after 3 weeks. The previous owner installed marine type battery cable ends so I could unscrew one and disconnect the battery. The cable ends have jumper cable marks on them, so evidently it was a problem before! But that makes the radio lose the presets. And both clocks cease to function.

My Austin-Healey 3000 had a switch concealed in the trunk which disconnected the battery. It went bad once, actually one of the wires came loose, and the damn lights would blink on and off. Until I found out about the switch and tightened it!

If I do not lock the doors (this being in the garage) and just get out and shut the door, leaving alarm not set & doors unlocked, I do not get a dead battery. It's the continous tiny diode-type lite blinkng that takes down the battery after like 2 & 1/2 to 3 weeks. But, now it's battery cable is off, for the winter. She & our Jeep will share the garage over the winter. The rest of the cars will be in that car-condo. It's not far away, at 4 miles. I will stop by weekly and reassure them that spring will arrive.

negusm wrote:You should never lock a convertible. It's not worth the $500 deductable to secure the $10 in change that can be had by slitting the top with a knife.

Thats assuming you have a 500 deductable. (mines 100, the $ difference was almost negligable).

I see it as, I lock the doors to keep honest people honest and wont just grab what they can, cause I left it unlocked.

AND for the fool that cuts the top, I get a new one for 100 bucks. I win!

To me, THE problem is that I have found 95% of the people who replace the top, will buy aftermarket. The aftermarket tops ALWAYS have THE wrong sew pattern, and I can spot them immediately. Hank in Florida has the REAL DEAL, 100% original "left-over" tops in every color.

rod442 wrote:

negusm wrote:You should never lock a convertible. It's not worth the $500 deductable to secure the $10 in change that can be had by slitting the top with a knife.

Thats assuming you have a 500 deductable. (mines 100, the $ difference was almost negligable).

I see it as, I lock the doors to keep honest people honest and wont just grab what they can, cause I left it unlocked.

AND for the fool that cuts the top, I get a new one for 100 bucks. I win!

You don't win. Not even close. The insurance company ALWAYS wins. You're wasting far more money with a $100 deductable. You need to bump it to $500.

-Mike