Replacement horns?

[FastWoman]

Hi all,

I came across these air horns that come pre-bracketed for Miatas, and I thought they might be good for our Z cars as well:

http://www.thompson-automotive.com/Air_Horn.html

They sound pretty good, based on the MP3. I was wondering whether any of y'all have used these and have any thoughts about them, either positive or negative.

My only experience with air horns was this kit, which I put on a power boat:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIAMM-66030-3-Trumpet-Car-Truck-Air-Horns-12-Volt-Compressor-Kit-LOUD-/290747241403?hash=item43b1e2d3bb&item=290747241403&pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

The horns initially sounded good and were very loud. My only complaint was that it took a split second to pressurize the tubes, so the horn blast didn't begin instantly. After about a year on the water in a very high humidity environment, the compressor (which was well sheltered from rain) began corroding up inside. It developed an obnoxious rattle, but it still worked. After a few more years, the compressor finally froze up, and the horns crumbled from the sun.

The Nautilus horns look better constructed, and the tubeless design makes a lot of sense (eliminating that split second delay in the horn blast). I'm tempted to buy three -- one for the Z, one for the Miata, and one for the boat. I'm tired of our sports cars politely going "meep" when some texting kid in a noisy pickup is about to run us over.

Any thoughts?

[Willoughby Z]

I like it.

I've had compact air horns on motorcycles. The stock "beetle beep" on a bike is worse than the Z "meep".

Good find.

[FastWoman]

Hey Willoughby!

I hope y'all are staying dry down south there. (Do you live around Willoughby Spit, perhaps?)

So about these horns -- do they hold up over time? A boat is a pretty hostile environment for ANYTHING mechanical, so I hate to draw conclusions from my first air horn experience. In your estimation, how well would these things hold up on a daily driver sort of car that's not a garage queen (until we can get a larger garage built, that is)? I suppose it depends somewhat on usage, and I'm afraid I use the horn very sparingly and infrequently. (Maybe I should make a point of using it more often! )

[Willoughby Z]

Hey Sarah

Yup. On the Spit at 12th. We've lost 2' of dune face.

I had different horns than the Nautilus, lasted a couple of years. Lots of ridin' in the rain...

A friend has the Stebels on his bike for four years now-still working. Mfg says the horn has to be vertical or it may quit working. His are horizontal and have worked fine. That's the only testimonial I have.

[FastWoman]

Yikes! You've lost 2' of dune with just this storm so far?! We're getting a bit of wind and water here (Gloucester), but nothing like that (yet).

I'll check out the Stebels. Thanks!

[Willoughby Z]

You already have...

Stebel makes the Nautilus Compact. Sorry to mislead.

[Bonzi Lon]

As a kid I remember some of our mid 60's Buicks had electrical trumpet horns that sounded like a freight train, it got everyone's attention within blocks.

Another horn would be an older 6 volt horn on a 12 volt system. Very unusual & loud sound when used in short bursts. It will burn out if very long blasts are used. One kid in town had that set-up, it would set off store alarms on Main Street that had a glass vibrating alarm system.

Bonzi Lon

[TomoHawk]

I replaced my weak-sounding horns with some I got from Advanced Auto. They sound very European/Italian, which to me is more appropriate than the stock ones that sound more like something off a Chevy. They mount in the factory way, without any brackets or hoses, and use the existing wire, but I did add a ground wire/connection.

I used both high and low tone horns: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_horn-disc-hightone-wolo_10018606-p?

Edited October 30, 2012 by TomoHawk

[Travel'n Man]

I put these in last year - HUGE difference in horn volumn and quality!

http://www.griotsgarage.com/product/compact+italian+air+horns.do?sortby=ourPicks