Guest Randy7 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Is the correct location for the horn button located on the inner drivers door flap ? That is where mine was and I thought that was really a poor place so I relocated it under the dash. However if that is the original spot I will change it back. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brian j Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Hi. I have a 1919 DB convertible coupe. the horn button is installed in the driver door, and has a set of contacts installed in the door frame to make the connection when the door is closed. I'll dig up a couple of pics and post them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest brian j Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 Here's pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 quote..........set of contacts installed in the door frame to make the connection when the door is closed..........amazes me that they were doing this back then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.White Posted March 20, 2012 Share Posted March 20, 2012 This is truly an eye opener!!Apart from the tailgate on moderns, I never expected to see this idea on a car of such antiquity.Was this a practice in general use at the time or was it only found on Dodge Brothers cars?Looks like you have a little job on your hands there, Randy7 !! Good luck with the car.Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy7 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 No mine is a roadster and it has a fabric flap over the inset (pocket) in the door. The horn wire came out from under the dash and just was strung over the side of the door and under the door flap. Man Brian yours is amazing that they would put contacts in the door hinge. That is crazy. Mine is really crude compared to yours. It's amazing they couldn't think to just mount it on the dash and save a lot of time and money. There was a comment on another post that lead me to believe my door flap install was original but I still wonder. Anybody have any other input please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.White Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 The flap over the pocket would, I believe, have been designed for practical reasons; i.e. the weather. Although, I would have expected it to have been leather. The way you describe the wire being "just strung over the side of the door" does not sound right for Dodge Brothers, so perhaps it was a later mod. I guess you might as well keep it where you have put it. At least you have electric - a good many cars at that time were still relying on bulb horns! POOP! POOP!Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 (edited) Quote........The flap over the pocket would, I believe, have been designed for practical reasons; i.e. the weather. Although, I would have expected it to have been leather...........Yes Ray is most likely correct.Just prior to the 1920 models the 1919 Dodge Roadsters began coming off the line with pleated leather upholstery, replacing the buttoned or tufted type prior to serial no. 355280 in June 1919Quote.........It's amazing they couldn't think to just mount it on the dash and save a lot of time and money..............They made this change just a little later, to the dash I mean, cant remember the serial number car but I could look it up if you like.I bet it was a cost saving method though.Quote.........Anybody have any other input please........Pictures are most helpfull Edited March 21, 2012 by 1930 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72caddy Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 I have two 'Books of Information' (1917/1919) and both have illustrations of the door horn button just being directly mounted on the top center of the drivers door. No flap, but that may have been omitted for clarity. Wiring was just straight from under the dash to the button with some slack for when the door is open. Doors don't swin that open because of the side curtain snaps. Yours sounds very interesting and ahead of the time, so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 Sending you a P.M caddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WD Smith Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 According to my information the horn button on the door of the early cars was that the driver could press the button with the side of his knee as he was driving down the road. He then could keep both hand on the steering wheel. if you ever driven one of the old cars sometimes you need both hand on the wheel just to go around a corner. Thats my story and I am sticking to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 According to my information the horn button on the door of the early cars was that the driver could press the button with the side of his knee as he was driving down the road. He then could keep both hand on the steering wheel. if you ever driven one of the old cars sometimes you need both hand on the wheel just to go around a corner. Thats my story and I am sticking to it. Now that you mention it I think I have also heard that, good that you thought of that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest A1915dodge Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 My 1912 Cadillac has Contacts in the door. my 19 doge has the horn button in the drivers door and it is a pain because I always push it with my knee by accident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.White Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Is the horn permanently live? If the problem is knocking it when getting in or out of the car rather than when driving, diverting the wire to the ignition terminal is what I have found works for me.Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAH Posted April 11, 2012 Share Posted April 11, 2012 Randy, All OPEN cars from '15 to '23 had the horn button top center of the drivers door so as to bew operated with the knee while both hands were busy operating the controls. the wiring was behind the door upholstry which was NOT leather but Imitation Spanish Leather. Roughly translated Naugahyde. The wires exited the upholstry at a point adjacent to the bottom of the dash where there was a cable clamp under the windshield stud nut. Yes there was a slack so if the door was swung open to it's extreme the wire would be taught but not tear. Thear early horns were self grounding and had only one terminal so power was brought via that twisted pair of wires to the horn switch. The closed cars (coupe) had the door swing out and yes, did have that disconnect in the door sill. Unique to the coupe and later 4 door wooded sedan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy7 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Here is a shot of my 1919 roadster door. The wire came out under the dash and was just draped across the door panel and under the flap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 Id like to see more pics of that Barracuda, if the horn button was under the flap than it would seem someone misplaced it. If you cant find any other holes in that original door panel than I guess someone misplaced it a very long time ago Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Randy7 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 No the horn button was on the outside of the door flap. The wire just went in under the flap and attached to the back side of the button through a hole in the flap. I believe it was the original set up. But it just looked cobbled that way so I moved it to a small plate I made fastened on to the lower edge of the dash panel. The Cuda is a 69 formula S, 340, 4speed. I also have a 68 383 formula S. I have a soft spot for second generation Cudas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1930 Posted April 19, 2012 Share Posted April 19, 2012 No the horn button was on the outside of the door flap. The wire just went in under the flap and attached to the back side of the button through a hole in the flap. I believe it was the original set up. But it just looked cobbled that way so I moved it to a small plate I made fastened on to the lower edge of the dash panel. The Cuda is a 69 formula S, 340, 4speed. I also have a 68 383 formula S. I have a soft spot for second generation Cudas. Yes I would agree, that would look sorta cobbled I suppose, how would one open the flap if there were a horn button mouted there, I guess Id have to be there to see it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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