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MG MGA - Horn Location

I am down to the last couple of pages of Barney's wiring harness installation and at the point where the horn is connected when I realized I had not installed the horn during the restoration. When I got the car someone had removed the horn and put it in a box of parts so I have no idea were it locates. Could someone please tell me were the horn goes.
Thanks
G Needham

Mine is in the space between the steering rack/lower portion of the radiator and the front frame brace tube. Attached to the front frame extension
F Valenzano

Hi ,

I hope it will help you , this the location it was on my old Coupe before doing the restoration . The car was completely original .

If you have the optional 2 horn , the other one is locate at the oposite side .

Jules




Jules Desbiens

Here's another photo on my Roadster


F Valenzano

Thanks for the replies and pictures. I would never have thought it went underneath the body. That explains why mine is so beaten up!
G Needham

You will find 2 holes in the chassis extension for the horn bracket. You can see them on my photo.

Steve


Steve Gyles

When I installed my aftermarket sway bar underneath the front frame extension, I turned the horns around so they would not bang on the sway bar.
Barney Gaylord

Thanks to all. The horn is now installed and happily tooting away!
G Needham

GN, you could go the whole hog and fit the the matching low pitch (assuming your existing horn is the standard high pitch) horn to the opposite frame extension. You will find the drilled holes for the bracket waiting to be used! The horn bracket is a mirror-image of the existing right hand bracket and should be available from the usual suppliers, along with the horn. Two horns, high and low, make a lovely, commanding sound!
Lindsay Sampford

Lindsay who supplies the low note horn ?
David
D C Grahame

David

They come up on Ebay. You might have to ask the vendor to look inside the trumpet and tell you if there is a raised 'L' or 'H' in the casting. I have about 3 of them. Unfortunately they are in storage and am unlikely to have access to them in the next few months.

There will also likely be some at the various classic car shows at the NEC, Stoneleigh and Beaulieu in the next 6 months.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Ummmm, I think that the std horn is the low note horn. The high note is the optional additional horn. At least that has been my experience. Absolutely the pair are MUCH better than either one alone.

Last I knew (10-20 years ago), the horns that were available from the usual suppliers were largely plastic and were about 3/4 the size of the original Lucas horns. Hopefully, by now, this has been rectified.
Chuck Schaefer

I think you are right Chuck
Neil McGurk

David, I bought a pair of horns and the brackets from Simon J Robinson in Darlington. His 'phone number is 01325 311232, or direct line to the parts dept.01325 319775. The horns are the proper metal jobs, and in November 2008 they cost £27.66 each. I don't know if he still has them, but it might be worth giving him a ring.
Lindsay Sampford

As Steve says, they come up on eBay, there are some there at the moment, http://tinyurl.com/32or849 but look at the price!
Lindsay Sampford

The horn is type WT618. It is suffixed L for Low tone (the standard issue on the MGA, as chuck says) or H for High.

The H or L are in raised letters inside the trumpet throat.

I have seen them in considerable numbers at autojumbles where they go for about £10 unrestored. Quite an easy and cheap restoration project and they come up looking like the ones in Lindsay's link at a fraction of the cost advertised.

Steve
Steve Gyles

Holden Vintage do something very similar. Not sure if they are absolutely the original design in fine detail, but they are very close: http://www.tinyurls.co.uk/G19862

Steve
Steve Gyles

Steve, those ones from Holden look like the ones I got from SJR. I remember cutting off those silly spade connectors and soldering bullets on, and mine too have red and black wires. From the look of the price, it would appear that I was in the right place at the right time with mine!
Lindsay Sampford

Lindsay , Steve , thanks for that. What a wonderful source of info there is on this BBS. Until Lindsays post I never even realised there were two different horns and the single horn "Pap" has always slightly embarrassed me.
Mind you I've got the same problem on my "other" car -- Toyota Verso -- same single note "Pap" so maybe I'll sort that at the same time.
David
D C Grahame

I've got an old one that works on the bench when tested. GBP15 or US 25 plus potage to the first one who mails me - and I'll even give it a coat of paint !
dominic clancy

Just done some research, and Chuck and Steve are quite right, it is the low note horn that is fitted as standard, the high note is the optional extra. My car was fitted with a nasty little after market horn that sounded like a high pitched fart, so I had to buy a pair rather than add to an existing one.
Lindsay Sampford

Dominic

What soup are you providing? Will it keep hot in the post?

Steve
Steve Gyles

If you fit the original oil cooler that has the steel pipes going through and under the front apron, you have to move the horn(s) forward. The Workshop Manual gives the positions for the two new holes.
I have not checked whether this info is on Barney's site.
Peter.
P. Tilbury

Steve

Given the glacial pace of the british post, I rather thought cucumber would be appropriate.

:-)
dominic clancy

Twin horns are standard on the Z Magnette, so if you want to source them, look on e-bay for someone breaking a Magnette. They often come up.

Malcolm
Malcolm Eades

Information for relocating the horns when installing original type oil cooler with metal pipes is on page A.23 of the Workshop Manual. See here:
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/books/wsm/wsm_a_engine.pdf
Barney Gaylord

I know some will not approve of this but that's just how it is. I have always felt that small cars require large (loud) horns. Bought these at a garage sale for $20. When I hit the horn button it gets everyones attention!


Ed Bell

Dominic, Is your spare horn the "L" or "H" ? I'm looking for an "H" and the proper handed bracket if you have that.
I'm chasing up one or two local possible sources and if they fail I will be interested.
David
D C Grahame

Just seen the exact answer to your lack of horn volume problem G.

You should look up "Souter Lighthouse, Hilary and the Foghorn" on YOUTUBE and fit a similar horn to your car.
I think you will probably flatten both your battery and any other unfortunate car within a quarter mile range also, whenever you use it.

But I think you will definitely be heard!
And I think one horn will be sufficient!

Colyn
Colyn Firth

I disagree Colyn, it has to be two horns! http://tinyurl.com/32cgezs
Lindsay Sampford

For a non-OEM solution, I can recommend the Nautilus air horn. It was designed for motorcycles, so it is very compact for an airhorn and VERY LOUD. 139dB at 4in, 115dB at 6ft. It will definintely get someones attention. I have one on my Locost. The electrical connections are isolated from the mounting so it should work with either + or - grounded cars. In volume, it is well beyond the equal of the pair of windtone horns I have had on my MGA's.

http://www.amazon.com/Stebel-Nautilus-Compact-Motorcycle-Horn/dp/B000NPRTII

Here it is mounted in the Locost. For reference, the steel tubing is 1" square. I would think it should fit under the radiater duct panel in the MGA.


Chuck Schaefer

Is that a two tone horn Chuck?
Lindsay Sampford

Yes it is a dual tone horn Lindsay. You might be able to make out the two openings at the bottom left, under the horizontal frame. They are a higher pitch than the Lucas Windtone horns. Rest assured, there is NO mistake that the horn was blown.

Go to youtube.com and search for "Stebel Nautilus" to hear the horn.
Chuck Schaefer

Chuck,

I especially like the "Red Light Changer" on the same Amazon site. It claims to "end long waits at red lights" according to the package. Maybe even more useful than a loud horn!

http://www.amazon.com/AMANET-RED-LIGHT-CHANGER-RLC-40/dp/B000NPNXOW/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_img_c


Ken
k v morton

This thread was discussed between 11/11/2010 and 18/11/2010

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