Only to a certain point, openings on the bottom (engine compartment) & windows will compromise that (some 70s cars had antennas in the windshield). If you keep a car in a metal garage though that would probably be quite the faraday cage.
Early 2000's/late 90's Toyota?
2003 Mustang.
Sounds like you're on the right track. While you have the cylinder open to replace the ignition switch, make sure the actuator pin is lined up and is actuating the switch correctly. Almost sounds like the cylinder is just far enough out of alignment to cause problems. If there's any issue with the cylinder, you're better off getting a replacement matched to your key and replacing it than trying to fiddle with the lock ears.
It's less of a "high idle" feature and more like a happy coincidence, when you cold start the engine it can't measure the air/fuel ratio due to the oxygen sensors being too cold to function, so it runs a really aggressive "blind" cold start map until the sensors warm up and it can start running on the proper closed loop map. The cold idle it settles into is still a bit higher than what it'd run on a warm engine though.
You were supposed to buy diesel or dump it at 3 years...
Sounds like the end broke off the key switch (usually its a contact group clipped to the end of the key cylinder actuated by a pin or stub). Take it apart and look.
I'm sure it's measurably better in some lab tests but I bet if you ran a controlled experiment with 3 civic engines from new, one running expensive liqui moly, one running mobil 1, and one running walmart synthetic, they'd all last longer than the car itself. Oil change interval is far more important than boutique oil vs "meets API standards" cheap synthetic.
Is it a 2.2 or 3.9?
3.9. Thanks, for the help! It's definitely a learning (re-learning?) curve, driving such an old vehicle, again. While we can fix everything, given enough time, I forgot about simple things like the dead spot in steering, needing a windshield rag for especially cold weather, and the fact that Ed definitely needs to warm up for a few minutes in any sort of cold temperature. Stalled out like an ass my second time driving him, because the of the choke. New cars spoiled my ass. Yes, I am new to fixing up a truck like this. Yes, it's been over twenty years since I owned a carbureted vehicle. Please, have patience with me, until I figure out what I'm doing, through a bit of trial and error. Please help me on this journey, and I'll reward you with many pictures of this new old boy. Especially once we take his bed off to brush the rust.
God, I miss old utilitarian trucks. Unless it's hiding catastrophic problems under the hood, that looks to be in incredible shape for an '87.
Those have those weird multipart body Holley carbs.. If you find it randomly runs good one day then bad the next check to make sure the screws holding the carb together are snug. Take the air cleaner off and grab the top of the carb and give it a wiggle. If you see any movement in the body or at the base then you have to snug up the screws. The base ones are a total pain in the dick because you have to remove the carb.