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Horn Painting or how to save $20

Big John

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I looked around at the different paints to paint my horn and found a reference on another forum to using Testor model paint. After seeing $30 for a 1/2 pint and $20 for a spray can of "restoration" paint, $4 for a can at my local hobby shop sounded pretty good. I tried it today and I gotta say the color looks right to me, although it looks a little blue in the pics.

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I sandblasted and wirewheeled the old paint off first, sprayed some duplicolor primer ('cause I had some) and some duplicolor white (again had some) as an undercoat to make the purple a little brighter. Testors #1234 purple in the spray can applied lightly. One thing about the Testor paint I noticed was it went on wetter and thinner then the usual rattle can paint I'm used to. This explains all those crappy looking model cars back when I was a kid.

I gotta tell you about the horn too. The horn itself is a repop and the bracket is a real one. Back in the eighties, you could get a horn over the counter at the local dealer, but the bracket was the shorter bracket for the newer cars. The original bracket for mine was broken and the horn missing, so I used the new horn. A friend painted it with something he mixed up that was pretty close and it was that way for a while.

So.. I was at a car show in Ottawa, Ontario of all places and found an old horn with the right bracket. The horn looked like it had seen better days, but the bracket was good. I held it up and asked how much.. the guy said in French "Avec beep-beep" and I said "American $$". I got him down to $5 if I remember right.

Ever since then, when ever I see one of these horns, I think of the grinning French-Canadian and "Avec beep-beep"
 

Big John

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Roadcuda said:
Looks pretty good there John! How's the rest of the car coming along?

Its coming along, a lot slower then I'd like, but its getting there. The horn was one of those little projects that I do to make me feel like I'm progressing. If I make something shiny once in a while, I feel like doing more.

Everything is off the car except for the rear end. i had hoped to have that out this weekend, but it wasn't in the cards. Once I take that out, it'll be set to flip on the rotisserie.
 

Basketcase

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looks good Big, wanna do anuther one? :thumbsup:
mine has a repop black one with the short bracket. I had an original long bracket for Freebird, but we all know what happen there.
what is the Testors #?
I'll check my Train/Hobby shop.
 

Hoosier Bird

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Looks good to me, keep the pics coming. I'll have to check and see if mine is original or not. :cheers:
 

Big John

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Basketcase said:
looks good Big, wanna do anuther one? :thumbsup:
mine has a repop black one with the short bracket. I had an original long bracket for Freebird, but we all know what happen there.
what is the Testors #?
I'll check my Train/Hobby shop.

Testors #1234 Purple
 

shadowtrain

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I was told by a local hobby store owner that the Testor Paint #1234 has been discontinued (he was out and informed me they can't order anymore). If you find that color (purple) buy a can! Another older store had older stock so I bought 2 cans of the Testor #1234 purple. Model/hoby paint is moving to water soluble to meet Canadian environemental guidelines

Seems the new environmental laws (at least up here in Canada) will prohibit any of the urethanes which are the basis of many paint forms including auto paint. Yes even auto paint will be water soluable (after next year) up here! I have been encouraged by a autobody guy to by my orange paint and store it until I am ready for it in case it takes me a year! He says the new paint will work fine, but the expertise of application will take years to catch up!
 

Basketcase

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thanks for the heads up. I better get going and see if I can find some.
 

ACME A12

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Basketcase said:
thanks for the heads up. I better get going and see if I can find some.


X2. This is a great resto tip that will go down the tubes if I don't grab some paint and soon!

:thumbsup:
Ray
 

Plymouthfan

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I used the $20 can from Totally Auto and it sucked!

You can also have a place like Tower Paint match the color from Testors and mix up a can for $20. I'm sure a few members can restore their horns with a single can of paint.... it barely makes a dent in a can to paint even one horn.

I sent the remainder of my can to someone on Moparts a few years ago so they could paint their horn.
 

Roadcuda

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I was at the hobby shop today running the club layout and when we take a break we always go downstairs to the model section. While there I saw some Testors paint and it reminded me about this. At first I could only find Panther Pink, then some Plume Crazy as well as some Ford colors, all cans with these companys trade marks on them. We then found some more cans and sure enough I found not only one, but three cans of this paint. I literally wiped the dust off two of them and off I went. If someone needs a can and can't find one let me know. I'll be in that store every week until after New Years. Considering the dust on them I don't think they'll be going anywhere These are $4.49 a can.
 

Big John

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Yea, the can I bought was pretty dusty too.
 

Basketcase

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I'll take one Steve! my local hobby store closed this summer, and It;ll be a while befoe I can get to another. PM sent

Thanks!
 

Roadcuda

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If anyone else needs a can of paint I picked up two more today. This is a new shipment as the price went from $4.49 to $4.99. Another clue is that they put the date on the price label which had 12/12/08 on it. Dave, check the date the can I sent you. The other can I got last week had a date of 1/9/06! :eek: No wonder it had dust on it! The ball sounded good when shaking it so we thought the paint is good. If it's not, let me know and I'll get a newer can to you.
 

Basketcase

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I now have a purty purple meep meep horn!
Thanks to Big for posting the paint tip, and thanks to Steve (Roadcuda) for finding the paint!
Thanks Guys. Now, if it wasn't 7 friggin degrees, I'd put it back on the car!
(and to all the............picture hounds...If I could find the $@$%$#@#$!!!! install disc for the scanner, :brickwall: I'd post a pic, and the Wife's camera phone died too)
 

69hemibeep

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Basketcase said:
I now have a purty purple meep meep horn!
Thanks to Big for posting the paint tip, and thanks to Steve (Roadcuda) for finding the paint!
Thanks Guys. Now, if it wasn't 7 friggin degrees, I'd put it back on the car!
(and to all the............picture hounds...If I could find the $@$%$#@#$!!!! install disc for the scanner, :brickwall: I'd post a pic, and the Wife's camera phone died too)
:eek:rly: :bs:
We need pics :redx: :jester:
 
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