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Working on restoring an Edison Fireside. The horn needs to be repainted and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for the proper red color. It will be applied to the bare metal. Thanks.

My red gem horn I had good luck with a red oxide primer and used Citroen Wicked Red car paint from Halfords here in the UK, the same colour might be available in the US, I couldn't use the Citroen red as a translucent paint because of the heavy pitting that was on the horn which would have shown through, I believe it would be a great match to original if I could have, but I did some research and it was the closest colour I'd found.

You can see it here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myT-J3YirKQ

I hear the red color from a Volkswagen Rabbit (?) 1984 model is actually the same color as a red Gem or a Fireside horn.

It will be applied to the bare metal

You'll want a good iridescent red. If the bare metal is a consistent color, it will be fine. But many times a stripped metal horn will have dark blotches. When painted with iridescent paint those blotches will show through the color. The temptation is to apply more paint. You don't want to apply so much paint that you lose the iridescent quality of the paint. If the surface of your horn is blotchy you might want to consider using a silver base coat before the red. I'd appreciate the opinion of a more experie//////////nced painter than myself. Others?

Jerry B.

Jerry B. wrote:

It will be applied to the bare metal

You'll want a good iridescent red. If the bare metal is a consistent color, it will be fine. But many times a stripped metal horn will have dark blotches. When painted with iridescent paint those blotches will show through the color. The temptation is to apply more paint. You don't want to apply so much paint that you lose the iridescent quality of the paint. If the surface of your horn is blotchy you might want to consider using a silver base coat before the red. I'd appreciate the opinion of a more experie//////////nced painter than myself. Others?

Jerry B.

Etching primer, then chrome spraypaint, then red is what I have used in the past. The color is tricky, though. I think Van Eps is close- VW LA3A "Mars Red" seems well in the ballpark. If you are mixing it and spraying it yourself you can control the color saturation or irridescence by the amount of reducer you use. If you are not set up like this and want to use spray cans, my advice is to get some pieces of sheet metal from Lowe's or Home Despot, an assortment of spraypaints, and then play around with it.

The composition of spray paints has changed in the last ten years, though, and even a second coat of identical paint can cause the first to lift. It can be frustrating, not at all a simple process as it was in the past I'm afraid. Automotive paints shot with a small HVLP detail gun are easy to control and you can add hardener which will prevent crinkling and lifting on recoating.

If you do go the red over bare metal look, have the horn bead blasted (NOT sandblasted). this will give it a slightly rough surface to give your red paint some adhesion. A few "age spots" showing through the paint here and there actually make a horn look more vintage IMO.

Joe Busam wrote:Working on restoring an Edison Fireside. The horn needs to be repainted and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for the proper red color. It will be applied to the bare metal. Thanks.

Dupli-Color Metalcast Red MC 200 over Metalcast base/groundcoat MC100... I'm finishing up one tomorrow and will post pictures, ***Edited to add the pictures of the finished Red.