HORN!!

I agree, that meep meep isn't enough. It might be good for say "Hi" but not for "HEY WTF!".

Here is a link to some ideas. https://www.speedsterowners.com/topic/loud-air-horns

Hella Twin Trumpets are very loud and reasonable cost.

These sound a lot louder than the PIAA's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX2Beu3ATrc

@Robert M posted:

These sound a lot louder than the PIAA's. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX2Beu3ATrc

I like that 57 Buick sound. Kind of like my BMW K75 that I spoke of in the other thread. If 8 was doing it again, I might go that route, but I’m pretty happy with the Hella pancakes I have now. So much so that I haven’t even bothered to wire up the relay discussed in the other thread.

The pancakes are more Euro sounding, like my dad’s 67 Fiat 850 Coupe.

Go air horns or stay home.

I replaced my PIAA semi-stock-sounding horn pair (which was loud, but not that loud) with a tri-horn Hella air horn tucked into the driver’s front wheel well.  

They sound great in a Big Car/Truck kind of way and are loud enough to really wake up the somnambulists in the nearby cars.  

The Bosch originals were 345 and 390hz, says Auto Atlanta; replicas 310 and 380 hz (d#4 and F#4) are available from Sierra Madre. The form factor is pretty common. I bought Wolo 306 2Ts and painted them black. They sing at 290 and 345 hz (d4 and f4) at a claimed 118 db. That's pretty loud.

.

Horns seem to be a polarizing thing on these cars - like oil type, fender shape (flared or no), suspension spindles (dropped or not), and road wheels (Fuchs or not). We are hopelessly and defiantly split into some very stubborn factions, and we all know who we are.

There are the authentista (Black Bosch disc horns mounted behind the horn grills), the air horn contingent, the '57 El Dorado Caddy types (loud, 'Murican), and the Just Plain Loud zealots (Hella Supertones).

The only thing we can agree upon is that any of these is better than the contemptible meep-meep, which is useful only to amuse people.

There are also some of us who are just plain cheap.

I have been known to fall into this camp on occasion. And it was on one of those occasions when I discovered these horns which, for some reason, besides being very reasonably priced, are also from a quality manufacturer (Hella), have that distinctive, two-toned Teutonic sound I was seeking, and even look a little like those far more costly Bosch articles which set the authentista so to swooning.

You could do worse.

.

Give me the old "loud, 'Murican" style.  People are surprised to hear them nowadays and tend to pay attention.  I don't know what Care Hines ( @chines1) put on my Coupe, but they were great.  Ask him what he used.

Hella twin tone trumpets are what we use on everything.

@Carlos G --Thanks for that link to the other thread -- I hadn't found that one.  While I don't want to go the airhorn route, within that thread I did find the exact sound I was searching for >> the FIAMM Three Trumpet Riviera Horn.  That's the sound I was after.  I'm still going to mount the PIAA's I bought, as to me they still sound European.  They were about $50 on Amazon. 

@IaM-Ray -- Thanks!  I did listen to those during my search.

@Robert M -- Thanks for that, and I did take a look at those.  Interestingly, the ones I purchased are rated at 115db, and those Hellas are at 110db. 

@dlearl476 -- Ahhh, you have the "correct for you" sound in your head, too >> you father's Fiat 850. 

@Gordon Nichols -- I hear what you're saying () -- louder can be viewed as better by many folks when considering horns.  Still, I want the sound to be in the ballpark of "historically correct" for the car. ;-)

@edsnova -- Thank you, Ed.  I just now went and listened to the Wolos you bought, and I like it -- might be my next choice if I don't like the sound of the PIAAs.  Nice touch with the Bosch data plates. 

@Sacto Mitch Indeed, you're telling a true story >> preferred horn sounds are extremely personal.  And the tale has an interesting twist, in that these devices are hidden from public view in our cars, and are rarely heard by same.  But, WE know what song they sing, and it's important to us.  Well, important to those who are detail-oriented, and that pretty much describes this bunch. 

@Lane Anderson -- Thanks for the tip, Lane! 

@chines1 -- Thank you, Sir.  I'll look that one up, too. 

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-0...&sr=8-1&th=1

@Wulfrik (John)

John, I kept the stock 'Beep Beep' horn for those polite beeps and installed an air horn for those "HEY, WTF!" moments. I've attached a short video as an audio reference for you.

Hope you find his useful!

That is pretty cool, but can you truly reach underneath the dash fast enough to get someone’s attention?

I have a horn relay circuit that essentially allows me to toot the original horn gently, but after so many milliseconds of holding down the horn button, the air horn comes on, and also flashes the lights. The headlights.   I was trying to use the kiss method.

@MusbJim -- Jim, thanks for this, Sir.  In case I missed it in one of threads I read, do you remember the air horn product you installed?

@IaM-Ray - Sounds like a neat setup! 

https://screaming-banshee.com/

I have an early model where I kept my original horn here is the link with the flashing light circuit something that one could do as well with a bit of electrical knowledge and relays

@Wulfrik (John)

John you can find these at most any automotive parts store (Pep Boys, Auto Zone, Action Auto, etc.). They will run between $30 - $35.

@IaM-Ray posted:

That is pretty cool, but can you truly reach underneath the dash fast enough to get someone’s attention?

I have a horn relay circuit that essentially allows me to toot the original horn gently, but after so many milliseconds of holding down the horn button, the air horn comes on, and also flashes the lights. The headlights.   I was trying to use the kiss method.

@MusbJim posted:

@Wulfrik (John)

John, I kept the stock 'Beep Beep' horn for those polite beeps and installed an air horn for those "HEY, WTF!" moments.

A two-stage horn is a great idea. if I did it Jim's way I'd reverse the installation though. I'd do the meep meep horn under the dash and the WTF horn where the WTF horn button is normally located; in the center of the steering wheel. These cars attract attention and you'll find yourself using your meep meep horn and waving a lot. But run a panic situation and your automatic reflexes kick in you're likely to not remember your WTF horn is under the dash.

@Robert M -- Very good advice.  Our reflexes are deeply ingrained when it comes to panic horn application! 

.

I find myself using the horn less and less, even in panic situations.

When things get tense out there, the steering wheel and brake pedal will probably do more good than trying to bring the distracted and comatose back to a state of wakefulness in time.

.

The PO of my car put the lexan screen on it when he repainted it and 86’d the wipers. The dash had a plug in it that drove me nuts. When I realized that making my horn button operational was going to be a lot harder than I thought, I bought a small push button switch and wired it for my horn. Perfect size for a red fiber washer to go underneath and remind me it wasn’t the starter.

Like the lack of auto-canceling turn signals, my motorcycling experience plays into this. When I see a potentially hazardous situation coming up, I “cover” the switch. When I don’t, I rely on the superior handling like Mitch pointed out.