On Tue, 02 Feb 2016 22:40:30 +0000
Indy Jess John <
jimw...@OMITblueyonder.co.uk> wrote:
> The P4 Rover had horns with mountings like that. they were mounted
> sideways either side of and behind the radiator with two fixing
> bolts. The spring style mounting was simply to accommodate vibration
> without metal fatigue. The fixing method pulled on the top mounting
> hole and pushed on the bottom one.
>
Now that all makes sense, and matches one of my thinkings. Since I
never had to worry about them, I never paid much attention to their
mounting method.
> I can't imagine the fixing lasting long if the fixing holes are
> horizontal rather than vertical, so if you want to mount them on a
> headlamp bar, you are looking for a clamp with a vertical bar to
> which the mounting bracket of each horn bolts with one hole above the
> other.
Hmm, I see what you mean. That would be not too difficult to make up,
but is not how they were originally sitting.
> Also the make and break contact will not work so well if the
> horn is mounted horizontal. It is not designed for that orientation.
>
The original ones were horizontal, and sounded really good.
When I tested these replacement ones after purchase, I sat them
horizontally on my car's engine compartment bodywork near the battery,
and they were LOUD, so what possibly better operating conditions might
be like, I can't imagine! I think that there may be effectively no
aural problem in mounting them horizontally, even if they were designed
as you say, for vertical mounting.
> It might look best if the one vertical mounting was central, with one
> horn pointing left and the other right. The alternative is two
> verticals with the horns pointing towards each other.
I am thinking more of a central post, with one horn mounted on each
side, or two posts a distance apart. This is in no way yet thought
through, though. (Say that when drunk).
>
> One thing you might like to think about is how weatherproof the horns
> are. The Rover ones were positioned under the bonnet out of the way
> of rain and spray. On a headlamp bar they will be at the mercy of
> the weather, and if they point forwards they will fill with rain as
> you drive on rainy days. Pointing sideways they are still at the
> mercy of wind-borne rain when the car is stationary. The electrics
> inside won't survive long before corroding. I suspect you are going
> to be faced with a decision of whether to have these horns as a
> working set out of sight, or a pretty chrome set in full view which
> are for decoration only.
>
> Jim
>
The ones that were there originally had been there for many, many
years, and still worked fine. Early photos of the car from 1948 show
them, and my intention is to restore the original 'face' of the car.
They had a mesh in the throat, which might have acted as water
protection as well as a stone guard. The mesh was much finer than those
in the e-bay ad. My replacements don't have that (yet), so your point
is valid.
And £225 for the pair is silly money, they go, chromed, for more like
£70-£100. Those do look good, though.
Thanks for confirming the mounting setup.
This is a long-term project, so don't expect any updates soon. I'm
gathering information before deciding what to do.
--
Davey.