I have a 91 240 w/ no key. I naively thought I could remove the locking unit and replace it but it appears that isn't feasible. The archives here and searches elsewhere indicate it's a non-trivial task.

And even so, it's not clear how to get a locked cylinder off the steering column - and I don't have a spare column for an SRS car.

My options seem to be:

1. Get an SRS steering column w/ a working ignition locking unit

2. Take the cylinder out w/ a slide hammer or other brute-force method and replace just the cylinder.

3. Get a key cut from the vin. Which will be a waste of $40-$50 if the ignition cyl has been changed; or it just might not work - as has happened w/ other cars in the past.

Am I missing anything?
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240s: 2 drivers and some parts cars