Hoons' Horns
TTAC commentator Winklovic recently posted a link to an interesting website that introduced me to aftermarket air horns. I don't mean the pissant little Marchel and Hella beepers. Go to www.hornblasters.com and you can hear them; by God they're straight out of a Johnny Cash train song. I drive an ambulance with an air horn– the kind where you reach up and pull a chain when the kids on the sidewalk pump their elbows– and I'm here to tell you, those things can evoke miscarriages, soiled pants, split colostomy bags and pacemaker misfires. I was never aware that it's legal to put them on a car. A search of FMVSS, ISO and DOT standards turns-up nothing about maximum-horn-noise regulation. There are, however, numerous local noise regs that can get you ticketed for blowing one (apparently silent ownership is perfectly legal). Unfortunately, people who actually have these things seem to use them solely to cruise city streets at 15 mph and get close enough behind pedestrians to literally blow them into the weeds. That ain't right.
I'm the automotive editor of Conde Nast Traveler and a freelancer for a variety of other magazines as well. Go to amazon.com and read more about me than you ever wanted to know if you do a search for either of my current books, "The Gold-Plated Porsche" and "Man and Machine." Been a pilot since 1967 (single- and multi-engine land, single-engine sea, glider, instrument, Cessna Citation 500 type rating all on a commercial license) and I use the gold-plated Porsche, a much-modified and -lightened '83 911SC, as a track car.
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Some of those people even had drinks in their hand and didn't throw them at the car! I have the small Fiamm horns on my car. I had two sets on my previous car. I don't honk at other cars that often, but when I do it's for good reason and I want them to hear it. I don't want it to sound apologetic like most factory horns. In university, I once hooked up one of those swearing keychains to a small Rockford amp and bolted an old 6X9 behind my front grille. It didn't scare anyone, and most people laughed at it.
Where you guys been? This site has been around for years.
off the topic a little but a guy I got a ride to work with years ago suffered from road rage. there is not much funnier than angry guy in an mid 70s civic with pathetic meep meep sounding horn
But it takes the genious of Stephan to point it out to those who are unaware Factotum. Stephen: Keep up the great contributions. More and more I see myself looking for your comments; they are usually spot-on!