Help me secure my horn button
Question:
I have a 1940 Packard 120 that has a banjo steering wheel. However, the horn button is held in place by screws that go through the back of the steering wheel into the horn button. Over the years the beige plastic at the places where the screws go in has worn away so that they will no longer hold the horn button in place.
I have contacted all the parts sellers I can find without finding a workable horn button. I would like to repair the button and hope you can direct me a) to a suitable material and b) to a recommended repair procedure. Thanks for your help.
Answer:
That bezel that retains the horn button is actually made of pot metal, assuming it is the same as those on my 1940 110 and my 1939 120 convertible coupe. I would check with Max Merritt in Indiana, and Kanter Brothers in New Jersey, to see if they have any good ones, and if they don’t, you can also try Robert Escalante at Custom Auto Service in Santa Ana California for a replacement. Here are their addresses, etc.:
Max Merritt Auto
235 Terre Haute St. Franklin,IN 46131
Orders:
Inquiries:
Kanter Auto Products
76 Monroe St. Boonton, NJ 07005
Custom Auto Service
302 French St. Santa Ana, CA 92701
If they can’t help you, I suggest you remove the bezel and file down the damaged nipples that take those screws. Then I would use JB Weld to glue nuts with the correct threads onto the stubs. That may sound a little marginal, but I have actually seen engine block cracks fixed with the stuff, and it worked! Please understand that I in no way would ever recommend trying to fix an engine that way, but I have had great results fixing less crucial problems with JB Weld. It is available from your local hardware store, and has been around forever. Just follow the instructions on the tube.
