Interior/Exterior Piaa Horn...
#28
Posted pics of my install here if anyone care: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...940#post762940
#30
#34
Originally Posted by The MINITOR
I wish that I would have known about this. How was installation? And do you mind sharing a price? I can always add on or just dream.
#35
I'm so jealous right now. I was so happy with my new horn, but now I want yours. And I have always dreamed of having a PA so that I could yell at people "use your blinker" and "get off your cell phone" and "stay in your lane!"
Did you do the install yourself and was it difficult besides finding a space for it? And would you mind sharing the price?
Did you do the install yourself and was it difficult besides finding a space for it? And would you mind sharing the price?
#36
Fiamm Air Horns
I have been enamored by the air horns the Italian sports cars used in the 80's (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, etc...) and I bought a 20 year old set of trumpet air horns from an old Maserati for $160 on eBay a few months ago and brought them to Victor at MiniWorks to install for me. He said he would need to make a custom bracket, so I left the horns and compressor with him and, after numerous voicemail messages, he is not returning any of my calls.
I have no idea why, but after 5 months of this, I gave up and bought a new set of horns and figured I would do it myself.
I've since learned the manufacturer of these horns is Fiamm, so I bought another set of electric horns from a Ferrari Scuderia for $60, but when they arrived, they are just oridinary horns, sounding very much like the horns the Mini already has. So I re-sold those on eBay and found a new set of horns from Fiamm available, brand new in a package for about $20 and that included tubing, relay and dual trumpets (pvc though, not metal like the previous Maserati's that Victor is still in possesion of).
So, I got them mounted and wired up and they sound exactly like what I was wanting. Check it out:
I had to find a place to mount them where they would not hit the headlights or the headlight washers - with a little help of some L-Brackets from ACE Hardware, it was pretty easy:
I had to drill a hole for the tubing:
Found the perfect place for the compressor to go:
Used an existing hole at the bottom of this plastic housing surrounding the ABS to run the horn wiring to/from the compressor:
Tied the wires up along the way:
Used wire-taps to keep the original horn wiring intact, but disconnected the stock horns and left them mounted in place. So if I ever sell the car or change my mind, all I have to do is plug them back in:
Now I really feel like a fool when I realized I could have purchased similar horns from the Harbor Freight Tools store down the street from my house for $12.99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40134
or, the exact same Fiamm horns from JCWhitney for $27.99:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...002553/c-10101
I have no idea why, but after 5 months of this, I gave up and bought a new set of horns and figured I would do it myself.
I've since learned the manufacturer of these horns is Fiamm, so I bought another set of electric horns from a Ferrari Scuderia for $60, but when they arrived, they are just oridinary horns, sounding very much like the horns the Mini already has. So I re-sold those on eBay and found a new set of horns from Fiamm available, brand new in a package for about $20 and that included tubing, relay and dual trumpets (pvc though, not metal like the previous Maserati's that Victor is still in possesion of).
So, I got them mounted and wired up and they sound exactly like what I was wanting. Check it out:
I had to find a place to mount them where they would not hit the headlights or the headlight washers - with a little help of some L-Brackets from ACE Hardware, it was pretty easy:
I had to drill a hole for the tubing:
Found the perfect place for the compressor to go:
Used an existing hole at the bottom of this plastic housing surrounding the ABS to run the horn wiring to/from the compressor:
Tied the wires up along the way:
Used wire-taps to keep the original horn wiring intact, but disconnected the stock horns and left them mounted in place. So if I ever sell the car or change my mind, all I have to do is plug them back in:
Now I really feel like a fool when I realized I could have purchased similar horns from the Harbor Freight Tools store down the street from my house for $12.99:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40134
or, the exact same Fiamm horns from JCWhitney for $27.99:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/P...002553/c-10101
Last edited by Carey934; 03-13-2008 at 11:34 PM.
#37
Original Poster:
You are talking about these!
http://www.minspeed.net/PIAASH.htm
Sending you a PM just incase you miss it.
You are talking about these!
http://www.minspeed.net/PIAASH.htm
Sending you a PM just incase you miss it.
#38
Those horns look interesting but 500 and 600hz sound like they are on the low end of the audio spectrum. The horns I was looking for have a high pitch to them. They are two different tones working together. If you've ever seen CannonBall Run II, there is a white/red Lambo in the beginning that is messing with the cops and it honks it horn and that is the exact tonality I am referring to that all Italian super cars had in the 80s.
I don't think you can generate this sound with an electric horn. It's a very unique sound that I believe requires air being blown through trumpets to achieve.
Here is an audio file of an actual Lambo horn, and this is exactly what mine sounds like:
http://www.sounddogs.com/previews/22...UNDDOGS_Au.mp3
and a short video clip of one honking:
http://www.careyholzman.com/untitled.wmv
I don't think you can generate this sound with an electric horn. It's a very unique sound that I believe requires air being blown through trumpets to achieve.
Here is an audio file of an actual Lambo horn, and this is exactly what mine sounds like:
http://www.sounddogs.com/previews/22...UNDDOGS_Au.mp3
and a short video clip of one honking:
http://www.careyholzman.com/untitled.wmv
Last edited by Carey934; 03-14-2008 at 02:30 AM.
#39
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I installed the PIAA 500/600 hz combo in my 2004 MCS. They fit perfectly behind the bumper as replacements for the OEM. You will need rotate the right PIAA horn a bit from the way it is aligned from the box. OEM wiring needs to be cut/soldered for spaded terminals.
The sound is noticeably louder than the OEM setup and the 500/600 combo is a bit more shrill than the OEM. I think I have an "after install" sound clip somewhere...
HERE it is!
Theo
The sound is noticeably louder than the OEM setup and the 500/600 combo is a bit more shrill than the OEM. I think I have an "after install" sound clip somewhere...
HERE it is!
Theo
#41
I too installed the PIAAs - The PIAAs are a good and balanced compromise - louder than stock, nice sounding and clean install. I had air horns but there is so little room in the engine compartment that set-up location is a compromise. Eventually the compressor just corroded and thats why I went to the PIAAs.
No compromise in my engine compartment or I would have never installed the air horns, either. I was actually quite surprised how easy it was to find a location for them. I could have placed them downward in the plastic area by the ABS, or I could have placed them facing each side if I wanted to remove my bumper, but as you can tell from my pics above, I faced them straight forward and, more importantly, I got the sound of an air horn, which was of penultimate desires. The electric horns just don't have the tone I was looking for. Again, I was going for Italian Super Car sound, not a train or a firetruck.
But to each his own. That's why I love MINIs so much. We customize them uniquely to make them our own one-of-a-kind creations. Hard to do that with just about any other car.
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