New Horn

[newmaac]

I am in need of a set of horns for my 1980 Special.
Other than stock, have any of you successfully tried any horn options?
I would like to find something that looks as good as the stock set, but maybe louder?
TIA, Mike

[TopCatGr58]

Honking your own horn!

Hey there Mike,
Well, a quick glance at the JCWHipme catalog shows several in there starting at $24.99 a pair and up, at 108db, up to 125db, but at a price of $99.00! I replaced mine with a set for import cars from Pep Boys or some other Auto Store, they are usually rated 12Volt, but they may require/draw a bit more amps than the stock ones!? I ran a separate power feed from the Aux junciton, to a relay, then to the horns so that they would get essentially direct power from the battery, although your existing plugs and circuits may work. Neither the manual nor the Clymers's mentions any info on Amps for the HORNs!!
Some after market horns have 2 connectors, one for the positive(+), one for (-) vs. the actual housing being the (-)grd!! The button you push is just a little grounding switch that completes the power circuit tap from the fuse block, thru the horns, thru the switch to ground. I just felt that that wasn't a thick enough gauge of wire for the power requirements of the horns I got, so I wired in the RELAY circuit. If you're not sure how to do that, drop another post, and I'm sure someone will help in describing or drawing a diagram.

[Mike Hart]

If you have an old-fashioned junk yard nearby that lets you pull your own parts (there's one left here), you can get some great horns and the relay for them for under $5.

Look for snail-shell types, they are loudest. Some Taurus models (late 80's early 90's?) had Fiamm horns that are really loud, also newer VW Jettas. You may need to fab a bracket that bolts onto your existing horn mount area. The horns I found had brackets on them already that I was able to modify easily. Cost me a buck to get in the yard (admission fee) and $3.24 for the horns and relay.

Here's a pic of one side of a pair of fiamm's on my xj (fairing bracket holds fab'd bracket for horns as it is in way of stock horn mount):


These same (or very similar) horns with relay in a kit from a bike shop will run you maybe $40 or more.

[Bill]

Re: New Horn

Mike "newmaac" wrote:

I am in need of a set of horns for my 1980 Special. Other than stock, have any of you successfully tried any horn options?

Junk yard horns are a great deal, if you can test them first. OTOH, universal auto horn replacements start at about $8/ea at your local DIY auto supply. Pick up a high/low pair an you'll make plenty of noise. Of course for more money you can get fancier ones. FWIW, YMMV.

[newmaac]

Thanks for the advise guys. I will look into both suggestions.
I do remember reading a post a couple years ago where a guy used the horns from the Jetta.

[jasonwatkins]

Hello guys,
I love this forum, finally a group of people that actually know what it is to be XSive. Anyhow, i got the biggest, loudest most annoying horns available from a truck stop. They let anyone out there know you're coming.