Replacing Original Horns with Klaxons...AHOOOOGHAAAA! Is this a crime?

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Hey guys.  I've got a 1929 Graham Paige model 612.  I'm working hard on getting it on the road this spring.  I fixed the horn that came with the car but I'm not sure it's the original.  It has a disappointing "beep beep" sound.  Yawwwn.  My friends were disappointed as they thought it would "ahoooghaaaa".

 

I made a video about the restoration which you can watch in the "Member Photos and Videos" posts.

 

What do you think of ditching the original horns to get the cool sound of the Klaxon? 

 

What year did car companies start to do away with these cool horns? 

 

Oh yeah...anybody wanna buy a boring "beep beep" horn?  Just kidding...

 

 

 

Edited Thursday at 01:56 PM by GrahamPaige29 (see edit history)

[Walt G 2,615]

My 1930 Packard has a beep beep horn too, and there is a Klaxon sitting here waiting to go on the car.

[Brass is Best 1,602]

You can never have too many horns! Don't replace add another.

[Walt G 2,615]

A question about who can repair horns- Sparton musical horns used to be restored by the late great George Jepson of NJ. He was a fantastic guy who owned fantastic cars but he DROVE all his cars! George used to repair Sparton dual and triple tube musical horns. There was the horn shop in central , NY state at one time as well. Both are gone. Does anyone know who can be trusted to restore to working condition the Sparton horns for a cost someplace under the national debt? If so please message me, I have a horn or two that I would like to see back working again to fit to my car.

Thanks

 

Walt

Edited Thursday at 02:33 PM by Walt G
spelling (see edit history)

[GrahamPaige29 12]

I hope you guys will watch the video I posted.  It's so cool to look at the "guts" of the Klaxons and see what makes them work.  It's basically just a mechanical speaker.  A ribbed disc just spins against the diaphragm...

 

 

[GrahamPaige29 12]

These horns can be expensive on ebay.  I managed to find one about and hour from where I live and being sold by a lady whom I think was clearing out a bunch of her departed husband's stuff.  She said she had a bunch of "gaskets sets" for sale too but I have a Graham Paige so no luck there.  Maybe it's generalization but I've got cheap parts from ladies who have no idea what they are and think they're "stinky"!

 

 

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Here's the quick link over to the video post...

 

 

[padgett 1,782]

Motor driven horns are interesting. Long time ago I added air horns to my motorcycles because many people didn't see me on a big bike with a full fairing. Later added to Fieros for the same reason. Now I just like the sound.

[31plymouth 39]

I hid an ahooga horn under my 1931 Plymouth because so many parade spectators wanted to hear the horn.   Beep Beep didn't do it for them. 

Parents love it but it can scare the little kids who don't know what it is.

[PeteO 36]

You've got to be careful with those Klaxons since they are six volt motors. To make them sound properly a series resistor needs to be added. I wound a simple resistor of nichrome wire insulated inside a thin fiberglass sleeve; the correct value was determined when the voltage measured across the horn was six volts. Once a resistor is in place, adjusting the motor penetration screw can be done.

 

The horn that I added to my '37 Buick came from Midnight Auto in 1961 when I was a teenager. It came out of a 1925 Dodge hearse that had rusted to pieces.

[Fossil 363]

It's your car so make it the way you want. I have one setting here that's going under the hood of the 30 DeSoto. 

[Roger Walling 573]

 I have a motor home that has an electric horn that the state auto inspector didn't think it was loud enough.

 As he leaned down to hear it better... I hit my 24' air horn that is right next to it...

 

 The devil made me do it!    😈

Edited Thursday at 05:05 PM by Roger Walling (see edit history)

[46 woodie 711]

Graham Paige, I watched your video and think your rendition of the horn sounds better than the real one. I have found that most of the time a horn doesn't work, it's ether the armature needs a clean up or a brush replacement. I wonder if the gaskets and diaphragm are close to the readily available Model Sparton horn?

[Tinindian 1,640]

3 hours ago, Roger Walling said:

I hit my 24' air horn that is right next to it...

I would love to see a 24 foot air horn.  Perhaps you meant 24" as in 24 inch.

Perhaps you meant '24 as in 1924.

The international standard symbol for inch is in (see ISO 31-1, Annex A) but traditionally the inch is denoted by a double prime, which is often approximated by double quotes, and the foot by a prime, which is often approximated by an apostrophe. For example, three feet two inches can be written as 3′ 2″.

 

WHO COULD TELL.

 

The apostrophe (' or ') character is a punctuation mark, and sometimes a diacritical mark, in languages that use the Latin alphabet and some other alphabets. In English, it is used for three purposes: The marking of the omission of one or more letters (as in the contraction of do not to don't).

 

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1CHBF_enCA819CA819&ei=hdm2X9TcDtfJ-gSEh7ngBg&q=apostrophe+symbol&oq=apostrophe&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQARgAMgcIABDJAxBDMggIABCxAxCRAjIECAAQQzIHCAAQsQMQQzIHCAAQsQMQQzIFCAAQsQMyAggAMgIIADICCAAyAggAOgQILhBDOggIABDJAxCRAjoFCAAQkQI6DQguELEDEMcBEKMCEEM6CAgAELEDEIMBOgUILhCxA1CQnAFYq8MBYPPbAWgAcAF4AIABpgGIAfoIkgEDMi44mAEAoAEBqgEHZ3dzLXdpesABAQ&sclient=psy-ab

[padgett 1,782]

Beep-beep is appropriate for Nash Ramblers.

[zepher 711]

I like the Klaxon beep beep horn on my Pierce.

It's very understated and not brash, keeping in character with the stately car that it is.

My Rickenbacker has always had an aooga horn and I restored it about 16 years ago.

I think it fits the car better than a beep beep horn would.

[Roger Walling 573]

1 hour ago, Tinindian said:

I would love to see a 24 foot air horn.  Perhaps you meant 24" as in 24 inch.

Perhaps you meant '24 as in 1924.

 It wouldn't matter if it was 24' or 24", he was pissed!

[Joe in Canada 808]

I have a hockey arena trumpet horn that signals a goal or end of a period if anyone is interested in a horn that people will hear. But they may go temporarily deaf after you hit the button. 

[padgett 1,782]

A real horn will require revving to keep the engine from stalling.

[franklinman 92]

7 hours ago, PeteO said:

You've got to be careful with those Klaxons since they are six volt motors. To make them sound properly a series resistor needs to be added. I wound a simple resistor of nichrome wire insulated inside a thin fiberglass sleeve; the correct value was determined when the voltage measured across the horn was six volts. Once a resistor is in place, adjusting the motor penetration screw can be done.

 

The horn that I added to my '37 Buick came from Midnight Auto in 1961 when I was a teenager. It came out of a 1925 Dodge hearse that had rusted to pieces.

If 6 volt horn is the issue, find yourself a Northeast Model X from a Dodge Brothers of the late teens to mid-20’s. They are all 12 volts. They aren’t that scarce and a decent one won’t set you back more than $75-100.

[Tinindian 1,640]

My late friend Brian had a 1930 Nash 450 that was mechanically restored but looked like a depression era family was on their way to California.

http://www.nashcarclub.org/b_mckay.html  

When we were at a Saturday night show and shine we often parked next to one another.  Sometimes we were asked to blow our horns.  Some/many/most were disappointed with his Beep Beep not knowing that as the Nash was a higher quality car it would naturally not have an old fashioned ahooga horn.  Most people thought he had replaced the original horn.

The most annoyed people were those with there multi thousand restorations who found the public around my "old crock" and his "depression era" restoration rather than their nice shiny cars.

[GrahamPaige29 12]

46 Woodie.  Thanks for the sound effects compliment!

[BearsFan315 592]

Klaxon 8C what was and is still on my 1929 Chevrolet. very simple device, tore mine down, cleaned it up, rebuilt it then tuned it. man that thing is loud.

 

friend has a 1931 Chevrolet, no Klaxon, just the older beep beep horn. he really wanted a Klaxon. i found one for him, and then convinced him to keep the factory horn, as it is located on the headlight bar and visible. then we tucked the klaxon in its factory position, inside the driver side frame rail next to the engine. His 1931 frame still had the holes to mount it and secure it.  both horns are there, both work, and he is happy as can be with his ahooga horn. 

 

1929 Chevrolet Klaxon 8C Bench Test

 

also the Tag for the Klaxon 8c is readily available if you decide to rebuild and need to replace it.

Edited Friday at 05:02 PM by BearsFan315 (see edit history)

[padgett 1,782]

Most extra loud horns need a relay to control power through the horn button.

Know I have a Caddy "C" Trumpet (about 2 feet long) "somewhere".

[AL1630 24]

18 hours ago, padgett said:

A real horn will require revving to keep the engine from stalling.

How about one of those Chrysler sirens driven by a firepower Hemi?

Edited Friday at 06:57 PM by AL1630 (see edit history)

[Graham Man 505]

My 1928 Graham-Paige has the Klaxton 8C works great,  my 1929 827 has the vibratory Klaxton 18C.  My 1933 Graham has dual Klaxton high and low, they sound great (dual was an option).  I would put in whatever sounds good to you, and the grandkids.  My 1928 also has a high low bell chime (Starr Brothers Bell), foot actuated (mounted in the floor board), the story goes that is how you announce the car/carriage is in front of the house so the ladies may load into the car/carriage.

 

[padgett 1,782]

Have several of these. Just a nice compact package that can usually be installed in place of a factory horn.

BTW some say it pulls 14A, others say closer to 30A. Mine showed 20.6A on a jump box.

[keithb7 1,186]

I’m guilty. My 1938 Ply has a typical (spelled b-o-r-i-n-g) electric diaphragm horn. I pulled it out and installed Klaxon 8C. People love it.  They have no clue nor care that its not period correct for 1938. Heck they don’t even know my car is a ‘38. They just want to hear the aah-ooo-gah sound. So, I give ‘em what they want.  Huge smiles and waves are positive signs. I won’t win any shows. That’s not why I have my ‘38. So I don’t care. 
 

 

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Hey keithb7 that's awesome!!!  Ya gotta have some "ahooooooooooga" or it's not vintage.  Fellow Canuck here from Niagara.

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Graham Man...love the foot actuated Klaxon.  If I ever see one for sale I'll buy it and restore it!

[Marty Roth 2,331]

On 11/19/2020 at 7:58 AM, Walt G said:

My 1930 Packard has a beep beep horn too, and there is a Klaxon sitting here waiting to go on the car.

 

Walt, I've had the same thought, and now that our (same year, model, and series) Packard has her Preservation award, I may just do the same thing.

That "Beep-Beep" is very mellow, and kind-of sounds like it belongs on a Milk Delivery Truck-

Or, Maybe we should adapt my Buell Air Trumpets?

Edited Saturday at 06:51 PM by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[Graham Man 505]

Yes great point, a relay is a great idea.  Most of out cars run the horn button direct, not a great idea.  Napa still has a 6V relay available, this the one for a 1936 Buick, should be 6V.  A little black paint and it will look original.

 

 

Like this one even better with fuse

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 07:32 PM by Graham Man (see edit history)

[Walt G 2,615]

Marty,

Mellow horn - yes indeed. Milk delivery trucks are great and deserve a 'moo moo' horn. The Buell air trumpets are to loud , will shatter glass ( don't want to break the panes on the tonneau windshield or wind wings) or shake loose the stone guard! I like the Sparton musical horns too, but now need someone to restore to good working condition the set I have.

[Tinindian 1,640]

On 11/20/2020 at 11:50 AM, Graham Man said:

My 1928 also has a high low bell chime (Starr Brothers Bell), foot actuated (mounted in the floor board), the story goes that is how you announce the car/carriage is in front of the house so the ladies may load into the car/carriage.

 

4 hours ago, GrahamPaige29 said:

Graham Man...love the foot actuated Klaxon.  If I ever see one for sale I'll buy it and restore it!

GONG not a KLAXON and by the way Klaxon made thousands of beep beep horns as well as motor driven ones..

[Marty Roth 2,331]

39 minutes ago, Tinindian said:

 

GONG not a KLAXON and by the way Klaxon made thousands of beep beep horns as well as motor driven ones..

 

I always knew them as a "BERMUDA BELL" for the Island's horse-drawn carriages,

and currently have one installed on our 1915 Hudson SIX-40.

[Graham Man 505]

Bermuda Bell....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqI1KxrEIGw

 

[Tinindian 1,640]

FYI two pages from my Pontiac Parts Book showing some KLAXON horns.

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Oh man, the "mathed set"...😃

[Fossil 363]

I don't know what it is about an Ahooga horn but people love them and really expect all old cars to have one. It's well worth the trouble of installing one just to see peoples faces light up when they hear it. 

[GrahamPaige29 12]

Oh yeah.  Got the Klaxon installed on my 1929 Graham Paige...