The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 55 2nd horn button

I have seen both of these horn buttons on 55/56 Chevy trucks. Which one is correct?

Horn buttons

the one on the right is 55/6, but the wheel is the same as 54 so maybe the other is 54 or earlier, don't recall ever seeing one quite like it

Bill

I just had about a dozen of these in my hands this weekend, I believe the top right one is 1955 and the bottom left is 1957, but this is not my strength. I was checking out some parts that a buddy has had for over thirty years of collecting, lot's of stuff I haven't seen in a long time. He showed me three different types of horn buttons for the 1955-59 Chevrolet trucks.

RE: TF, I believe there are 3 round types. Left 56, right 54-55.2 and a third not shown for 57-59. I think I've seen all three on all those trucks.....and then, of course, GMC has their own.

So then, Bartamos you are saying that the "shield" (left) type horn button was used only on the '56? There is a pic in the 55 2nd shop manual that shows the horn button on the right. Page 9-4

Yes, seems so. But you know how that goes, left overs, guys using wrong one. A genuine brochure or manual would confirm.
57-59 Button

I don't have a copy of the '56 shop manual, wonder if it shows the horn button? May not, as it is just a suppliment to the '55 manual. I do know the '56 horn button seems to be much harder to find. Interestingly, I see some of the design features of the TF trucks mirrored in the '56 button, the upper area looks like the eyebrows over the headlights and/or the visor over the windshield... Or maybe Iv'e been marilizing too much?

A one year button, as it is, is harder to find in good condition. It's the most Art Deco of the TF bunch.

picture, 55 shop manual, the wheel and horn button stayed the same in 56 .... in 57 the deep dished wheel started and that requires a different horn cap [the one that bart shows], the earlier one for the flat wheel will not fit ..... master parts manual indicates same part # for "55-56 [2nd design]" .... left cap in the capn's pic is not a TF cap, and may not even be a truck cap, prolly car
..... end of discussion, don't delete that pic Duane, for future reference

Bill

Does end of discussion mean end of pictures? Here are some 1956 trucks I found, tried to use one's I thought would not be modified. I could be a big silly goose here. a military base truck
Farm fresh
"Restored"
Another "restore"
Searched Chevy cars 49-to the bubble tops, no cap. Somebody can correct me, I am open to complete ridicule.

Very interesting! Classic parts.com lists 3 caps for the TF trucks, and they are pictured on page 26 in thier catalogue. They are shown as Bart says.

but.....he scdued it up! Arte Johnson.

well, all I know is the parts book shows 55-56 the same, and I've parted out 3 complete 56's that all had the button Classic says is 54-55, never seen the oddball type - last 56 wheel I had with the button here

I do notice on the accessories list that 56 was the first year for the 'high note horn', maybe that option included a special horn button?

Bill

Its all good! Just noticed that there seemed to be a lack of knowledge, a descrepancy, in the various buttons, a quest for the facts, so to speak.... At least I think I know the one with the round center is correct for my 55 2nd !!???? Whos on first?

My '56 came to me with the button on the right of the original post. One year in Kansas City I noticed Arch's '56 with one like the one on the left. I then checked vendor catalogs and they listed a repo of the one on the left for '56.

I bought one of the pieces of junk. When I needed the horn it wouldn't honk. A block later while I'm trying to make it work, it sticks on. I decided to pull it off to see why and it came apart. I put the old one back on. I don't care if it's right or wrong, it works.

It is possible they are 1956 Cameo buttons. I have many pics of 56 Cameos and they ALL have the Art Deco Button. The catalog info capnduane listed is pretty convincing.

My 55.2 came with the top right one.

I did some more investigating and discovered that the button with the rounded center (top right in pic in first post) is listed as 54-55 by LMC, 55 by Classic parts.com and 54-55 1st by Classic Chev parts. The one with the shield shaped center (lower left in pic) is listed as 55-56 by LMC, 56 by Classic parts.com and 55 2nd-56 by Classic Chev parts. This is not ideal documentation, as I have no idea where these suppliers got thier information. It would seem that the rounded center is correct for 54-55, and the shield center for 55-56 with the 55 2nd possibly having either one? Maybe the Cameo is the key to this?

aside from what's shown in the MPC, I'd vote for Cameo [or the dual horn option], what the vendors list is no documentation at all IMO, and based on what they're supplied or what they find on "an unmolested truck" and subsequently reproduce, just the variation between them indicates lack of real research

Bill

Here are the facts.
1. Vendors don't do extensive research, they rely on best info they can get from customers, restorers, parts books and manuals, if they even go that far. By now most of their "mistakes" have been weeded out.
2. There is a Chevy "Art Deco" horn button of that era, it is shown in many photographs of old trucks and is sold, repro, as being around 56.
3. Part numbers can be published too early for a design change.
Whether a part number is found or not, it did and does exist.
4. It can be a Cameo. It can be some sort of option. It can be non-truck.(researched some, not found)
5. The WWW shows it on mostly 56 trucks and Cameos.
6. Documentation may be out there somewhere.
7. Best reasonable assumption: 1956, 1956.1, 1956.2, 1956.3 ....or Rev A in the parts book.
8. We have all given our best judgement, I don't claim any better knowledge than anyone else.

Some problems that arise trying to use period publications to verify it, such as shop or owners manuals, is that they tended to reuse pictures from prior years if there wasn't a mechanical change. In the case of the '56, the shop manual is a supplement to the '55, and only covers the mechanical changes. The only interior shots in the owners manual look to reuse the same picture found in the '55. I have looked at the advertising brochures on the Old Car Manual Project, unfortunately the one interior picture is somewhat fuzzy, can't really make out what button it has.
I don't believe that the "Art Deco" button is Passenger car, I've never seen one in any Chevrolets I've ever been in. I have picked a few '56 trucks for parts, but honestly never paid much attention to the horn button. Either I simply didn't look, or it was not present on the truck.

Well, unless someone comes up with more information, we seem to be at an impasse with the round and "Art Deco" horn buttons. I for one, like both of them, and it looks as if both are acceptable on my '55 2nd. Not that I would ever presume that my truck is anywhere near original, I have tried to keep its originality intact as much as possible. I am fortunate to have both types, and switch them out from time to time! (this guy has waaay to much time on his hands) Thanks all for a "Beerry intressting" discussion.

I think you wanted to say "barely un-stressing." If you put on the wrong button on your 55.2, it will hail. Gatta go put Sta-bil in my Ranger 373V.

I think we've about covered it.