MTFCA Forum

Got my latest issue today. On the cover is a beautiful 1914. Why is it so many people with '14s mount their horn upside down. Is it ignorance, or they plain don't care? At least 50% of the '14s I see are that way. Strange. Some '13s too.

The last issue of the Vintage Ford, Jan./Feb. 2019, has a 1914 touring on the cover, too. It also has the horn mounted upside down.
The Rootlieb advertisement also shows a 1913 roadster with the upside down horn.
Why does this happen so often?

Larry
Curiously I checked out Bruce's book.
There is a picture on page 190.
Thanks

There is an old post from last year were I asked the same question. It looks like on later 12 slab side or smooth side bodies when the 3\4 twist horn went thru the fire wall it was mounted bell down.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1519238133

I think it would matter where the holes were drilled in the dash board? I doubt there are any perfect 1913/1914 dash boards surviving and with the change of mfg Dodge Bros to whoever? Seeing how the horn is positioned by the holes in the dash what does the expert on the dash say?? I remember well it is not a slot but rather a hole drilled at a angle!! Bud.The horn on our 14 is bell down but i bought it and did not build it! Bud.

The horn on my 14 is bell down. It is reasonable to mount the bell down to allow water that might collect in the horn while driving in rain to be able to drain rather than collect in the twist.

All the holes for the horns were drilled at the factory. I'm guessing the reproduction firewalls should be drilled correctly too. otherwise, how would they sell? What has always confused me is how the Ford assembly workers got those two round head wood screws in. What a pain in the butt!

I agree with Larry that getting those two round head screw in correctly is a big pain in the butt! Were the holes drilled by the factory at an angle like Bud mentioned?

I also agree with George on why the bell goes down on these horns. My '14 has the horn bell mounted bell down.

Keith

Sorry my comment about the hole drilled at a angle was about the hole for the carb adjust rod.I once called it a slot and was corrected by the person who built the T-100 dashboards! I wish he would comment on the horn placement and the dashboard?? Bud.

The pilot holes, if any, were probably drilled in the "dash assembly room" where the men would know they were making a LHD or RHD dash. Factory photos show good access to both sides of the dash and the horn is mounted at that time. Otherwise, you would have unused pilot holes "showing" on the dash used in a RHD application, even if you didn't drill them all the way through. Defeats making the dash "reversible".

Original Smith wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:42 pm

Got my latest issue today. On the cover is a beautiful 1914. Why is it so many people with '14s mount their horn upside down. Is it ignorance, or they plain don't care? At least 50% of the '14s I see are that way. Strange. Some '13s too.

Maybe they like it mounted that way.

People who point out the horn is upside down on that beautiful 1914 touring in that beautiful setting must have their “glass half empty.” My glass is “half full” and I loved the beautiful Fall colors in the foliage behind the touring. BTW, the horn on my ‘14 runabout is “bell down”.

I don't find that stating the a horn is 'upside down" is very helpful without including a picture or a description like "bell up" or "bell down". Since different types of horns were mounted differently, then "upside down" depends on the car year and horn type.

Since on LHD cars, multi-twist horns were mounted bell up, and single twist (as referenced in the encyclopedia) or 3/4 twist (as referenced by the technically obsessed) horns were mounted bell down, I think that mounting a horn "upside down" would be an easy mistake, if looking at the other type of horn as an example. I am not familiar enough with RHD cars to state whether this description holds true for those cars too.

Keep crankin'
Eric

PS, my LHD '14 Touring has the black and brass single twist horn mounted bell down....