i've seen where people just attach the antenna to the metal body under the fender/over teh wheel and fill the hole. They claim no difference in reception. I plan on doing this but will also add a antenna amplifier that you can get at radio shack for cheep. that's sort of the same idea....only different. And what's the point in a hidden antenna and then adding that plug..yuck.
[This message has been edited by DLCLK87GT (edited 11-17-2010).]
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01:59 PM
FirstDrCar Member
Posts: 718 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Feb 2010
i've seen where people just attach the antenna to the metal body under the fender/over teh wheel and fill the hole. They claim no difference in reception. I plan on doing this but will also add a antenna amplifier that you can get at radio shack for cheep. that's sort of the same idea....only different. And what's the point in a hidden antenna and then adding that plug..yuck.
What do you fill in the hole with if you choose to not use the antenna delete?
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02:03 PM
rogergarrison Member
Posts: 49601 From: A Western Caribbean Island/ Columbus, Ohio Registered: Apr 99
Search under body work/ painting and you will find lots of threads on filling the hole. You can also search for antenna as there are also lots of threads on replacing one. On mine, I used the rear window defogger grid for an antenna and it worked just fine. Those threads cover the how tos including how I did mine.
I just ran wire from antenna mount... New windshield is easy, has new trim, but I stuff it in gutter too.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
I am running an internal window mount antenna mounted to my back window. It hooks up to a 12V accessory connection, and is about 10" long and 1" wide. It seems to do a fairly decent job.
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08:29 PM
jaybeezi Member
Posts: 428 From: Santa Rosa, Ca Registered: Mar 2009
I have used a "hidden" antenna on the front windshield and had mixed results. FM was good but AM was less than desirable (if you actually wanted to listen to AM). Mounting the stock antenna under the inner fender and closing the antenna hole worked the best. I have three cars done this way and am quite happy with all of them.
Nelson
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10:16 AM
FirstDrCar Member
Posts: 718 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Feb 2010
I have used a "hidden" antenna on the front windshield and had mixed results. FM was good but AM was less than desirable (if you actually wanted to listen to AM). Mounting the stock antenna under the inner fender and closing the antenna hole worked the best. I have three cars done this way and am quite happy with all of them.
Nelson
That seems to be the consensus and I will probably do that.
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11:42 AM
PFF
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cone shark Member
Posts: 160 From: Northern, NY Registered: Jun 2001
My hidden antenna happened by accident. The old whip kept loosening, so one day I added a drop of medium thread lock. Later I decided to remove the antenna to paint it and the mounting stud twisted off. I unscrewed the mounting bracket and simply soldered a wire to the coax center conductor and positioned the wire around the fender arc where the fender and liner meet. This kept the wire away from the space frame. I think signal strength is down slightly but I'm satisfied with the reception. The car looks much cleaner without the whip. But what to do with the hole?
I found some black nylon plugs at the hardware store. The plugs have little stepped ears that insure a tight fit over a range material thickness. The plug has a textured surface and the edges feather down nicely. It matched the black & silver colors of the '87 coupe.
[This message has been edited by cone shark (edited 11-18-2010).]
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10:25 PM
Nov 19th, 2010
gtxbullet Member
Posts: 4162 From: Pewaukee, Wisconsin, USA Registered: Apr 2008
My hidden antenna happened by accident. The old whip kept loosening, so one day I added a drop of medium thread lock. Later I decided to remove the antenna to paint it and the mounting stud twisted off. I unscrewed the mounting bracket and simply soldered a wire to the coax center conductor and positioned the wire around the fender arc where the fender and liner meet. This kept the wire away from the space frame. I think signal strength is down slightly but I'm satisfied with the reception. The car looks much cleaner without the whip. But what to do with the hole?
I found some black nylon plugs at the hardware store. The plugs have little stepped ears that insure a tight fit over a range material thickness. The plug has a textured surface and the edges feather down nicely. It matched the black & silver colors of the '87 coupe.
where exactly did you get that plug? how much was it?
say...is that a Toranado I see? the second I saw the long fender with the flare on it, it popped into my head
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12:08 AM
cone shark Member
Posts: 160 From: Northern, NY Registered: Jun 2001
You can find the part at any hardware store that carries a good selection of the Hillman Hardware assortment trays. I stopped at an Ace Hardware tonight and they did have them. About $0.40 Here's a couple of links:
The second link has a much better picture than my blurry close-up.
Yes that is a 1966 Toro. That spot has been its home for 44 years. My father bought it new. I'm pretty sure that it was my first ride at the ripe old age of 3 days. I'm absolutely sure my sister and I spent many many hours baking in the sun under that nearly horizontal rear window during summer trips (no A/C).
[This message has been edited by cone shark (edited 11-19-2010).]
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08:22 PM
phonedawgz Member
Posts: 17091 From: Green Bay, WI USA Registered: Dec 2009
I have a similar "hidden antenna". mine works just fine. Oh and thats a nice toronado in the background of that pic. My brother has a nice 67 with the 425 rocket in it and it will haul. Funny fact about these two cars is that the Toronado has 385hp and the Fiero 135hp yet both have a zero to sixty in 7.5 seconds claimed. That is referring to the 2.8 Fiero. Both get heads turned all the same though. :P