Loud, authentic vintage sounding signal flasher

[davepl]

What do I look for, besides buying one from an auto parts store adjacent to a senior center perhaps?

When I was a kid, the originals made a distinct "TEE-KU" sound. Yes, that's my best effort at typing the sound. And I just had my hearing tested before the obvious answer is offered :-) About all I hear now is the clicking of the relay, which isn't much on a modern relay.

But even though I have non-electronic, they're still not loud. I was thinking of taking a 9V battery with me and trying them out, but maybe there's a better way, like reading the label.

Is there anything specific to look for to get a retro-sounding, period-authentic signal flasher?

I found this one but the reviews are mixed. I do NOT want it loud for the sake of loud, so I don't want a beeper electronic one. I'm more looking for one made the same WAS as 40 years ago. There's a huge difference, for example, between a key minder or horn relay of 1970 and a 5-prong relay of today. They're tiny inside now!

[BrianG]

Local Junk yard maybe?

[davepl]

I haven't seen an auto wrecker for 150 miles in 20 years. Literally. I wish we had a pick-a-part somewhere, that's a great idea!

[SS Tim]

The old thermal flashers were loud, but then they also reminded people not used to signals to turn them off!

[dmjlambert]

My 70 Olds Cutlass had what looked like a standard flasher, but it was fastened to a metal plate next to the ash tray and had a two-wire connector going to it. I took it off of the metal plate one day to look at it and wonder why it was there, and it quieted down significantly and stopped making the "TEE-KU" sound. I put it back. When I needed to replace it, the one I got from the auto parts store did not have the tab necessary to fasten it to that plate, so from that point on the turn signal was quiet.

[davepl]

I noticed my Camaro has it up on the dash near the heater controls, that's likely why.

What's a "thermal" flasher? I've not heard that term before.

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by davepl

What's a "thermal" flasher? I've not heard that term before.

Not sure when I picked that term up but its been a long time. A lot of people also call them mechanical flashers. Both are simply a description of how they worked. A bimetal strip, when cool, completes the circuit through the flasher. In actual use when the flash function is lamps on the strip heats and opens the circuit turning the lamps off. It cools closes and repeats. Thus the classic tick tok of the contact opening and closing.