Replacing horn/Opinions on Horn Sound...Does It Match Car?

[kshapiro]

Me thinks not. Neither does wifey or daughter. I'm really surprised nobody has posted on this yet (at least to my awareness). My "S" has been described as "cute" or "bulldoggish", but the horn is neither. The sound is very undistinctive, especially for a car that reaks of distinction. To me it sounds like a Chevy sedan....like 1968 Chevy. Watcha think?

[Sealevel]

I've had two Toyota 4x4 trucks in the past. Both had horns so anemic and whimpy it was more a matter of them not being fit for use on any vehicle. They certainly didn't "fit" the trucks. By comparison, I'm so happy the MINI horn has enough volume and timbre to be heard that I haven't thought too much else about it!

[Jim Ray]

Correct. The horn (as fitted in the US) does not match the car.

68 Chevy it is.

It is certainly not the horn in the fourth MINIusa production. Nothing distinctive at all.

Why advertise a Beep Beep horn, then install bland?

Might have to go back to eBay again.

I did see that there are some AAAOOOGAA horns available at JC Whitney



Jim Ray

[Bilbo Baggins]

I like the alternating Hi-Lo tone air-horns. A real attention getter.

[BruceK]

Gee, I don't want to sound like I don't enjoy the fun aspect of the MINI, but from my viewpoint, I want a very loud horn rather than a 'cute' horn. A "beep-beep" horn suited for a moped has no place on a car.

On my classic Mini I have fitted loud air horns as a matter of survival so the little car can deal with the real world. And with my new MINI I feel the stock horns are adequate in dealing with traffic. I could go for louder, but is the only change I'd want.

[Britax Cooper]

Try disconnecting either the high note or the low note horn and you might like what you hear. A friend owns a Mini restoration shop and he had a guy with a MINI dropped by with the same issue. He found the horns and disconnected one...presto, the guy loved how it sounded.

[ELISEBOY]

Most people in the UK seem to love the sound of the horn, is it different to the US one then?

My Cooper sounds great, quite meaty i think, better than the usual wimpy sound associated with a small car

[Wynn]

I grinned like crazy when I first honked the horn on a Cooper about six weeks ago-- I'd anticipated a high-pitched, wimpy sound; the sort of thing commonly found on small cars. So, to find a much fuller tone was reassuring, and seemed balanced, to me.

[R1]

A mate of mine (who has a Dodge Viper) said of my MINI "Thats a big sounding horn for such a pipsqueek of a car!!"

[EBMCS03]

Should fit in a Ferrari Horn... that would sound nice!

[monsta]

I quite like the horn on the MINI, it's quite European big car sound if you ask me...

A while ago I recorded the horn for someone, I will try and find the thread, perhaps the UK & US have different ones? Doubt it but it could be.... MiniGuy?

[Martin L]

IMO the sound is great, a nice meaty/loud sound.
Remember you have to have your windows wound down to hear the proper sound

[Morty]

I like the sound of it too.
Quite a nice sound for such a car.

Morty

[Yurinaut]

The horn is nice and loud and for that I am thankful but, for some reason I'm thinking of installing some Maserati Triple Trumpets. I just love the sound and it would be so distinctive, people here in the states would have to pay attention to it!

-Mike

[MINIjewel]

Personally, I'll be having an air horn put on my little Betsy. Kinda like putting a bicycle helmet on your kid. You have to protect them from dangers!