Factory Horns

[87mj]

Hi,

I am in the process of restoring a 6/70 car.  I am curious if anyone remembers what color the factory horns were.  The car was factory white but it was rattle canned white later in life. That is why the overspray in the first pic.  It looks to me as if it was painted black at the same time as the radiator support.  But when I tore it apart, the insides looked like an olive color zinc plating of some kind.  See the second photo at about the 4 o'clock position behind the gasket. Any ideas? 
Thanks

Edited December 24, 2019 by 87mj

[Zup]

Yep---it is a fairly dark olive drab green color.

 

I haven't found it as an in-the-can spray, but approximated the color closely by using Rust-oleum  Camouflage Green with a very light overspray of Rust-oleum Oil Rubbed Bronze. You'll have to go back and forth with the spraying between the two to get just the right shade, but you can compare your result to the seat rails and heater box and blower for correctness since they were the same finish----at least on the earlier Z cars like yours (6/70), Mike's (?/70) and mine (7/70).

The beginning of the discussion was started here by Mike ( @CanTechZ )

 

@zed2    Keith described it as  Imperial Japanese Army green and gave the formula for it here:

 Imperial Japanese  Army Green color match by Sherwin-Williams

Oil base semi gloss

[AZ-240z]

 

[Zup]

Thanks Dan for providing that link.

A nostalgic trip down memory lane for me, seeing posts by @DeesZ, @rtaylor, @Arne, @Mike B ,yourself and many others.

Can't believe that was 10 years ago and wonder how everyone is now.

Lots of good information in that thread and really the beginnings of the horn discussion.

I looked and looked for a seller of the Aervoe camo spray but never could find one.

 

[grannyknot]

1 hour ago, Zup said:

Thanks Dan for providing that link.

Yes, thanks, I never found that thread when I was doing my horns and nice to see a full page of text without an apology for a "long read".

An olive drab rattle can paint is the most practical finish for a few small pieces but I'm convinced that the finish on the horns, heater fan and seat rails was zinc plating. When cleaning up the seat rails the old green finish just didn't act like paint, it didn't load up the sand paper, it was very thin.

[Patcon]

It is probably olive green chromate

[87mj]

Thanks everyone.  That was helpful. The front, including the disk inside was plated olive green.  So was the nut in the center.  The screws were probably also plated olive green.  The back and the base were clear.

[zspert]

At my shop in my restoration "Bible" I have front and rear pictures I took many years ago of a set of virgin NOS 240 horns. I'll write myself a note to take pixs and post them tomorrow.

[CanTechZ]

On ‎12‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 2:51 AM, 87mj said:

Thanks everyone.  That was helpful. The front, including the disk inside was plated olive green.  So was the nut in the center.  The screws were probably also plated olive green.  The back and the base were clear.

I just disassembled one on the horns on my7/70 car. All of the olive green coating is paint over clear zinc plating. The outer front cover has only a very light coat of the olive green paint on the inside and the center disc is painted on the outside only. The center nut and small screws have olive green paint over clear zinc plating. The attached pictures show both sides of all parts as I found them.  The paint seems to sand or scrape off with minimal effort, leaving the clear plating.  The back is clear zinc plated with no paint, and the inside plating has a slight yellow tint.

Edited December 30, 2019 by CanTechZ

[87mj]

 You may not be able to see it in my photos but on the inside of the front cover where the gasket was, there is a rainbow effect as if it is plating rather than paint.  It is at about the 4:00 position in my second photo.  The outside looks more like paint but mine is in terrible condition.  So it is difficult for me to tell for sure.

[CanTechZ]

3 hours ago, 87mj said:

 You may not be able to see it in my photos but on the inside of the front cover where the gasket was, there is a rainbow effect as if it is plating rather than paint.  It is at about the 4:00 position in my second photo.  The outside looks more like paint but mine is in terrible condition.  So it is difficult for me to tell for sure.

I do agree that it is plating, but from what I can see I think it is clear plating, with a slight yellow tint that has the rainbow effect and then olive green paint and overspray on top.  Here are a couple of close up pictures, notice the rainbow areas don't look olive green.  The picture the inside of the back shows the clear plating on the flat areas near the gasket and a light yellowish tint on the curved surfaces and internal parts with some rainbow effect. I believe that all of the horn parts were plated in that manner with some surfaces being painted olive green as a top coat. Just my opinion.

 

It surprised me that the inside was so well preserved after 50 years and 150,000 miles in a wet climate. Those paper gaskets sure worked well.

[zspert]

As promised, here are the pictures of a pair of virgin NOS 240 horns. Sorry about the quality, they are a picture of a picture. The shiny stuff is clear zinc and the color is satin black. The yellowy bits are actually poorly applied glue used to secure fasteners.

 

Couldn't help but throw in a snap of my newest product just picked up this am from the manufacturer in beautiful Hollywood, MD. They are a pair of rearmost front inner fender liners for 260/early 280.

 

Happy new year to all!