Replacing your Clear Hooters

Most of us have had to replace their Clear Hooters car horns with aftermarket horns. Of course, CH horns are long extinct and rebuilding them can be a challenge. If you are not that concerned with originality, I have found that FIAM brand horns make excellant substitutes, have a similar mounting system that will bolt right up to your original brackets, wire up the same and are just about the perfect size to fit in place of the original Clear Hooters. The ones I bought were made in Italy, although I wouldn't be surprised if the manufacturer hasn't moved to Asia. The best part about using the Fiam horn set is they are cheap, well made and very, very loud . I sound like a deuce-and-a-quarter (that would be Buick).
They are available at most auto parts stores.

Bill

I like Fiam also and have used their air horns previously. I recently installed Hella "Supertone" horns on the TR250.

https://www.autobarn.net/twinsuphorki.html

These are also bolt-in/plug-in replacements and great sounding. And still made in Germany.

Hi Bill up north here we have buildings full of Hooters and perhaps some of them are original equipment. I have personally never been there to make the proper analysis. I am too busy restoring my old British Sports car. I bet I spend 20 hours a week out in the garage. Analytically speaking and the truth be known, my 30+ years of interest and ownership of sports cars was to find the right sound that a nice set of hooters would provide. I thought that the vehicle itself would provide the hooters, but I was mistaken. It is not the make, but the model. Despite the beautiful appearances of my sports car, the resonance of the hooters comes, alas, from some other car. At least once a week, I travel around my local area looking and listening. I usually end up back in the garage working on my car and dreaming of the day when all will be revealed. Ooohh a revelation, that reminds me. If you are not going to do anything with that ugly, old, and moldy tr3 OD transmission let me send you down 100 bucks and you can mail it to me. I can rebuild it and put it in my car. The upgrade will provide me with greater range to look for my hooters. I have exhausted my locus of control.
sp53

Thanks for the offer, SP, but since I was able to finally dismantle the engine half of that free combo, I found that the engine is indeed bebuildable. Had I found some major problems that would have caused it to stop running 30 years ago, I would have junked (parted out) the engine and donated the tranny. That is, until Quantum offered me $350 sight unseen for just the A-type overdrive. Kinda made me sit up and take notice. Are those babies that hard to find?
My plan now is to rebuild the engine to specs with some improvements (headers, new carbs, and maybe 87mm sleeves {have them on order from TRF, so I have at least 6 months to get ready [rathole some cash]}) and then send the tranny to John Esposito for a rebuild. Then, I will get serious about that body. Have to decide if I want to go back to a TR3 or even go to a TR4. Very interested in getting a new frame and making a rolling chassis. I have told you more than you probably wanted to hear, but bottom line is I guess I will hang on to the overdrive. If things change, I will certainly keep you in mind.


When was the last time anyone used 3 sets of parentheses?

What is the SP?

Bill

Hi Bill the sp is just an old speedster term. I have rebuilt a few tr3 non-od transmissions and I am really not too sure about an od. I think a very nice good od goes for about 2,500.00 and I have seen just a handful of parts go for a couple of hundred bucks on ebay. There is an old variation of the OD that takes the older starter, and perhaps only has od on the top gear, but I do not know. I have seen people actually punch out the back of the bell-housing to accommodate the newer starter, but it seems to me they could just dump the guts into a newer case, the hole just looks flaky. Anyways, around here the tr3 goes for about twice the money of tr4, probably because of the side screens. I bought my first tr3 in 1972 and still drive it. You know the drill, get a good one that is pretty much all there and pay special attention to sheet and frame metal. The rest of the stuff is easily available. I have an old frame out back that came off a 58 tr3 and it was painted an ivory white from the factory, but if I was you I would buy a whole car. Maybe look for one of those stalled tr3 or tr4 projects were there are two cars and plenty of parts.
sp53

I have the Fiamm horns too. They are nice and lightweight, in addition to being loud and having a sporty tone. Pete