Originally Posted by zip439

Does your FOB lock and unlock the doors, truck, gas cap? I think in the roadster the center console and glove compartment should also lock when you use the FOB button.
When you use the FOB to lock/unlock do the lights blink? Does the key you have lock and unlock the glove compartment? If you lock the car, the individual door lock buttons on the top of the door rescind down so no one can physically pull them up and unlock the doors; My questions is if you are out of the car and the car is locked use the FOB to unlock, then wait, do not open any door or trunk. The car should re-lock itself in about 30 seconds. Did your car re-lock? These may seem unrelated, but it helps us understand if your system is working correctly. The key is one part of a anti-theft system. There are a lot of interrelated parts.
What you are asking seems to be simply mechanical. The metal blades are just cut metal, no electrical "recoding" is necessary. The drivers door cylinder is just mechanical. There are electrical switches connected to it within the interior of the door, but the cylinder is just mechanical. Those locksmiths should have been able to help with the cylinder.
The key you received from the previous owner is not original to the car and he was having problems with the trunk from what i read of his description of the car.

Good luck John. Hopefully this is just a mechanical problem.