Split horn

[RareAir]

[Suboval]

Here are some pictures of the Split flower/swirl horn:

[coad]

[wolfsburgvw]

the horn is like that black one,steve.

[VDubMattStuart]

[johnshenry]

That horn started in the late 50s and was used through the 60s. Those are common as dirt.
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[RareAir]

[Kubel Nick]

while we're on horn subject, anyone know if this is VW correct? Supposedly be off a Kubel, but Kubels are known to acquire non-factory parts over the time...

[johnshenry]

Haven't seen that one before Nick.

Anyone ever seent his one? It was on a really bad Hella bakelite horn. I blasted and sprayed it even though it was in horrible shape. Would love to have a good one, I think it is a real cool design.

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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[Brezelwerks]

Don't forget this one

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=261563

Gary

[johnshenry]

Ahh, the rare "VW" chrome horn...............
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[johnshenry]

Figured I would post in this thread instead of starting a new one.... perhaps there is such thing as a 12 volt split horn......

Restoring a few split horns tonight and found something kind of odd. I have two "swirl" horns, and discovered one has a small hole in the center of the face (like most I think I have ever seen), and one doesn't. And one one is a "B III 6" and one a "B III 12". Could this be a 12 volt split horn!?

I actually had them apart before I discovered the difference in the faces, and am not sure which one went with the 12 vs. the 6. The 6 volt one pulls about 20-21 amps (closed contact) and the "B III 12" about 15 amps, so it quite possibly could be a 12 volt horn. Another Hella "Mercedes sign" horn I have is also marked "B III 6" and pulls about 20 amps.

Anyone seen this before? John, God and owner of all VW literature, do you have something that lists the Hella B III 12???? Has anyone ever seen a swirl horn without the small hole in the middle??

Perhaps B III 12 is a later horn and someone just changed the face? The housing is the threaded bore kind for the 6 screws and all of the later ones had nuts and bolts I think. Also, the contacts, condenser etc. inside is virtually identical between them.

Note that the 6 volt one has brass terminal blocks and the 12volt one has plated blocks.

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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[johnshenry]

Well I finished restoring the horns and the " B III 12" one doesn't seem to be able to run on 6volts, it is very feeble at that voltage no matter how tuned. At 12 volts it wails pretty good. Only thing that is odd is that it pulls about 8-9 amps when tuned, vs 4 amps for the 6 volt ones. For the same power, the amperage should be half for the 12 volt vs. the 6 volt. And it gets warm if you run it for a long time.

So it is using 108 watts of power vs. 24 for the 6 volt one. The tone and volume are about the same.......
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[johnshenry]

I notice K-N is selling a "B III 12" one, and it has the hole in the center of the face...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=894218
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[virtanen]

I have one war time B III 12 horn with the face like left one on the picture. It has brown bakelite body and very poorly made inner parts. It is 12V version of course.

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Mika
Split beetle restoration panels
Oval beetle restoration panels
New projects

[johnshenry]

Interesting Mika. Of course many other vehicles used 12 volt systems in the 40s and 50s and Hella made parts for lots of cars. Same with the star coils, everyone assumes they are all 6 volts (and "KDF!" split VW parts when selling them).

I have the brown body for the Mercedes sign one who's cover is seen in the pic and it is a "B III 6". I think that style preceded the swirl design.
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[rlegg]

Sorry to dig up an old post.

How often do swirl horns (6v) come up? The K-N has is sold, and B III 12 so by the sounds of it 12v.

I have a swirl horn on my 11G, but the back is real badly damaged and no longer works, it also has the original big horn cover. I've never seen another of those on a car.

Rich
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Click to view image

[johnshenry]

They are definitely getting pretty rare. I used to see them for sale in the $100-$150 range fairly frequently, but I don't remember the last time I saw one. I don't think I even saw one at Hessisch this last June. If you need one and something comes up, it is one of those parts you better grab no matter how much it is.

Rich, you might be able to use the back from a B 30 6. I have one here and from the back it looks nearly identical, I'm sure the cover would fit. Somewhere here there is a pic of the B 30, I don't think it was ever uses on VWs...
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John Henry

'57 Deluxe
'56 Single Cab

[lzamora]

How about this horn?

[johnshenry]