Miata Mailing List: March 1995, Message #193
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   From: dinsmoor%cfa4.DECNET@cfa.harvard.edu
Subject: RE: Air Horns
   Date: Sat, 4 Mar 1995 21:47:55 -0500

On Mar 3,  2:36pm, David Green wrote:
> Subject: Air Horns
> Air Horns                                3/3/95                
11:26 AM
>
> I'm thinking of installing Hella horns. The Winter Miata 
Magazine has two
> types listed. Imparts is selling a complete kit including wiring 
harness and
> relay for $25. On the following page, Performance Buyers Club is 
selling
> "deluxe" horns for $34.95, discounted from $50. Does anyone know 
what the
> difference is between deluxe and standard?
>
> >From what I've read on the list, both Imparts and PBC are 
reputable 
dealers.
> Does anyone feel otherwise?

> Thanks in advance for your advice & help.
>
> David Green
> 95 MBM w/PEP
> Los Angeles, CA
> david_green@studio.disney.com
>
>
>
>-- End of excerpt from David Green

Then, Tom Reinhardt wrote:

>I called PBC and asked.  The delux air horns are aluminum, 
>and the standard air horns that imparts sells are the red 
>plastic ones that just about everyone buys.  They both come 
>with a relay and mounting hardware.  In theory the AL
>horns would have a slightly different sound, but I really 
>doubt you would notice a difference.  Unless they also changed 
>the horn design, and not just the material its made from.  
>PBC will (and did) match the imparts price of $25. PBC did 
>screw up an order of mine, but they were quick to fix it and
>very courteous.  Now if I could just figure out where I 
>want to mount the things...


I saw the same ads, and like Tom, called PBC to asked.  The 
guy that I talked to didn't seem to have enough training to be 
taking orders on the phone.  He told me that there was no difference 
between PBC's and Imparts horns.  He matched the $25 price when I 
asked, but I got the plastic horns.  If the deluxe horns really are 
aluminum, I'm torqued, because I would have paid the higher amount 
to get metal.

They also wanted $11 to ship them UPS 2nd day air (Washington, DC 
to Boston) which seems a bit high.  Since I'd previously ordered 
from PBC, he said he had all my info (except credit card #).  I told 
him I'd feel better if we verified the ship to, so he asked me to 
just give it to him.  When the horns finally showed up, the were 
addressed to "Terrace Sky Publishing" instead of "care of Sky 
Publishing" (an indication that he was a bit green, and that he
didn't really look at my order history...)  

Maybe the moral of the story is whenever calling PBC, ask for Al 
Staats?

Douglas Dinsmoor
Red 90 A