Most doorknob locks have a lock cylinder with a row of slugs of different lengths, and the springs behind them fit in the latch cage of the Corvette keyfob. Ace Hardware has a lock re-key kit with a whole slew of these lock cylinder pin springs that they use when you re-key a doorknob or a deadbolt. I guess that some are stronger than others. Pick the stronger ones so that the emergency key isnt so easily triggered to release in your pocket. Corvette key fobs are identical to about five or six Cadillac fobs from the same year, so go through your stolen car keyfobs for a Caddy fob and you might already have one. Any locksmith has these springs. I heard that the srping from a watchband pin would work.
The latch itself is held in place, seated, and under pressure, automatically if you wiggle it around in the half it is mounted in. Practice catching the locking pins on the half of the fob it mounts on before you put a spring in. If you have trouble with little fiddly things like this, do it inside a gallon zip lock bag.
Once you have installed a spring and the latch is seated and caught is in its mount, you are ready to try to snap these two cheesey pieces of sh..uh...marginal real-world design prowess together.
You cant do this by trying to hold the latch in place, because the side of the case with the circuit board must be facing upward because the circuit board on it has no provision to catch the board and hold it, so it needs to be approached like you would a sleeping cat with a full balloon and a needle.
It is a sloppy fit, requiring a bit of mojo to get everything lined up inside and the latch release in place sticking out of the fob. When you think you have it right, try to snap a corner down. If that works, say a prayer to the Gods of Plastic and try to snap another edge-snap in place.
If you get it right, it is has an amazing resembalence to a quality product, despite the fact that it is a fairly difficult re-assembly compared to most other fobs from other companies.Take pride in your abilities. Show everyone. Tell them you are a Very Stable Genius..
<<<(from my last post in this thread, I added this) >>>Since the first spring was a little too light, causing the key to unhook too easily, I went back to Ace and got all the ones that looked a little different. Sadly, none of them were quite enough to match the stock spring. That is, until I noticed how these little springs easily meshed with each other. A few twirls in my fingers gave me two springs meshed together. Yes! I put the double helix in and it was easily the match for my other fob with the stock spring. The two that meshed were a fairly tight spiral and of a tighter diameter than the open mesh of some of the springs

If I have helped you, stop and help a box turtle or a black rat snake out of the road so some jerk in a pickup doesnt kill an animal just because he ( or she) can.

 

I take it you did not snap some pics of the repair process. Anyway, thanks for the tip on repairing the FOB.

 

Interesting write-up.

Stop and help the critters, regardless.

 

We do not live in an area where either one of those are located.

I do however have a bird feeder, a bowl of cat food for the strays, and plants in the garden the humming birds, bees, and butterfly's like.

I noticed when I put the bird feeder out the local cats started hanging out at our yard. I put a bowl of dry cat food out every morning along with the birdseed. It is kind of funny, watching a cat eating out of it's bowl, four feet from the birds, more interested in his bowl than the birds.

 

Since the first spring was a little too light, causing the key to unhook too easily, I went back to Ace and got all the ones that looked a little different. Sadly, none of them were quite enough to match the stock spring. That is, until I noticed how these little springs easily meshed with each other. A few twirls in y fingers gave me two springs meshed together. Yes! I put the double helix in and it was easily the match for my other fob with the stock spring. The two that meshed were a fairly tight spiral and of a tighter diameter than the open mesh of some of the springs.
The end of this thread, for me, is go to a locksmith or Ace or somewhere they have kits to change door locks and come home with a bunch of them. If a 75 year old hillbilly like me can do it, you can too. Maybe.