Guest thomaskenney Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 does anyone know what i'm talking about? bermuda bells were made out of brass and had a foot activated plunger. the bell made a loud "ding-dong" sound.i've seen them on old cars in parades. people would sound the bell instead of the horn.i found them listed on this web site:http://www.lonewolfwhistle.com/ding-dong-bell.htmli grew up in west philadelphia and the bermuda bells were popular there in the 50's and 60's. now i live in the baltimore area, and no one has ever heard of the bermuda bells!cheers, tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Green Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 I have heard of them. When I was young my fathers friend had one and use to ding dong it once stopped at the traffic lights. He use to get a kick out of ringing it when the police were directing traffic. I don't know if this is true but he use to state that they were illegal to have at that time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Thomas, A friend of mine had one on a '57 Pontiac. They had moved to Virginia from Maryland, near the DC area. I guess they must have popular up there. I'd never seen or heard one before or since. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
palbuick Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 The last one I had, I sold at a swap meet, about 4 years ago. This was an original one and sounded great. Every once and while one will pop up. These were all over in the 50's, especially at the drive inn's when 4-5 cars would start dinging away.Jim SChilf palbuick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 They were popular on early Pre - 1905 cars, I have one on my 1912 Ford. Never understood how they got the revival in popularity in the 1950's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Binger Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Bob,I think they got popular in the 50's because J.C. Whitneys sold them for about $10-$15 . They were made of aluminum. I have one on my Model T and have a good time with it.Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 Dan, The good ones are cast bronze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 There is one listed on e-bay right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest douglas mitchell Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 I too, am looking for a bermuda bell. had one in the early '70s on my 46 willys cj 2. now want one for my 53 cj3a that i am restoring. where to find? seems to be plenty of interest so why doesn't someone manufacture? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 douglas mitchell,Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum. I assume you found this discussion through a search engine. This particular discussion is over 7 years old. Hopefully someone will see your post and be able to offer you some help in locating one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest johnhorace Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 Some of my friends had them on their cars in the Fifties in Newark, NJ. I remember them being chrome plated, don't know if they were brass. Looked like the one I saw on the link mentioned above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coley Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I have one in my shop that my uncle had in his shop service truck.I ring it every so often in his memory.Always makes me feel good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 (edited) my brother bought a '40 stude with one back around 1970. it was missing the foot pedal so it only had the end of the shaft sticking up...but that was fine. i do want another bell. cheap. Edited May 9, 2012 by mrspeedyt (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curti Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I have a bell, but it is missing the foot pedal. Does any one have a pix of the pedal, so I can make one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D Yaros Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I am old enough to remember the Bermuda Bell. Seems to me we had one on one of our cars in the 50's? I also recall J.C. Whitney selling them in their catalog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I have seen and heard them in Depot Hacks and early station wagons. They were used to alert customers of hotels etc. that their ride was coming from or going to the depot at the train station. I have an early cast one and plan on using it my my '48 Packard Woody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cben09 Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 Best description of pedal is a big nail,,,not sure if they are all the samePoke in a round whatever in and see what happens,,,Cheers,,Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huptoy Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 As far a the foot peddle, think of a engine valve, just shorten the length. Additionally, there is a washer to fit on the top side of the floor with 4 holes for the screws. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. Ballard 35R Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Popular plunger for Bermuda Bell used to be a choke rod from a Model A - cut to appropriate length and grind off the flare on the knob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 Should have bought it Al, darn!!! I would have paid you $50.00 for it!Everybody needs one of them under the floorboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillOutThere Posted May 11, 2012 Share Posted May 11, 2012 My '34 Terraplane has had a bermuda bell in the center right of the floor board just ahead of the front seat for many decades but I couldn't tell you what year it was installed except to say "probably early" years. Obvious in this pic with the floor mat out. Its FUN and to my mind a heckuva lot less offensive to bystanders than 150 decibel electronic music systems people have on their cars playing stanzas of songs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrspeedyt Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 (edited) has anybody bought one lately? any (at present) being produced? Edited November 22, 2012 by mrspeedyt (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 If you get ahold of any car magazines from the fifties you will see them in the ads. Motor Trend, Sports Car Graphic etc. used to carry full page ads from accessory companies, they used to sell them. This is where the fad took off, some manufacturer revived a bell from the early days. I suppose auto parts stores carried them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD in KC Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 There are two of them on ebay now. My dad had one in his '53 MG (during 1954-56). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 A number of the kids at my high school had Bermuda Bells on their cars, this being 1953-1956. However sometime during this period they were made illegal, as were blue dot tailight lenses where I lived. That was Arlington, VA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huptoy Posted November 26, 2012 Share Posted November 26, 2012 I sold an aluminum bell in good condition at the 2011 <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]-->Chickasha swap meet for $125.00. It sold in about 90 minutes the first day. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]-->A couple of people came back later and inquired if it had been sold. The price was fine with me and I will always wonder if I could have gotten more. I had purchased it about 5 years ago in eBay. Later I found a working 6 volt electric bell allowing installation any were on the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hlinkjr Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 Bermuda bells Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hlinkjr Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 (edited) In 1952 an Air Force officer was dating a young woman in our neighborhood. He had a light yellow MG TD which he bought in Bermuda while he was stationed there. Cars were not allowed on the island until 1948. Previously only horse drawn vehicles were used. All had Bermuda Bells so it followed cars should have them also. The roads are narrow, curvey, and hilly. It was very important to warn other drivers at a blind curve. Also in those days the noise levels in the background were almost nonexistent so it was easy for the bell to be heard. Edited October 3, 2015 by Hlinkjr (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I bought one off this site two years ago still in its original box and unused. I paid what he was asking, $65 dollars ! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I think they were found on early emergency vehicles like this ambulance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Mellor NJ Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I think they were found on early emergency vehicles, like this ambulance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 (edited) AlCapone, If you are willing to part with the Bermuda bell, please PM or email or phone me. I would like one for the 1915 Hudson, and maybe for the '54 Caddy (from my 'teen years in the '50s) Edited October 3, 2015 by Marty Roth (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 AlCapone, If you are willing to part with the Burmuda bell, please PM or email or phone meI will give it some thought but I never sell, I only trade! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Roth Posted October 3, 2015 Share Posted October 3, 2015 I will give it some thought but I never sell, I only trade! WayneOK, PM or Email me and let's see what we might want to trade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now