Antenna for an 89 Accord

[bspmedic]

I need an antenna for an 89 accord. I have been rebuilding an Accord DX with my son for his first car, and I drove it through a car wash, breaking the antenna shaft. Any help locating one would be appreciated. Thanks.

Brian

[ShyBoyCA6]

i would suggest a hand car wash next time...check the junk yard if not go to autozone

[Dr_Snooz]

Oh dude. You've stepped in it right proper you have. Finding a non-mangled antenna is going to be extremely hard...and it's the easiest part...

Unless you're really hard-headed, uber-obsessive or some other kind of personality type that won't let you sleep at night if one dirty dish sits in the sink, then I'd say just retract the antenna, cut power to the stereo and learn to sing in the car. If that's not an option for you, then prepare yourself for the ultimate gauntlet.

You'll be spending lots of spare Saturdays at the wrecking yard looking for a relatively intact antenna. It will be a long time before you find one, so on all those Saturdays when you don't find a good antenna, get handy at removing the mangled ones. After you've completely destroyed a few removing them, you'll get better...they'll only be mostly destroyed. Keep this up for as many tries as it takes. You will likely get tired of contorting yourself into freakish and unnatural positions to get to the motor under the dash. You'll get tired of ibuprofen and tired of all the swearing. If you end up taking a hammer to a few dashes, it's all part of the fun. If you give up entirely, you will be in good company and no one will think less of you.

After littering the yard will bashed and broken antennas, you will become more confident that you can remove a good one without destroying it. At this point, you will be ready to find a good one. Remove it carefully and guard it with care.

Removing the one in your car will be every bit as exasperating as removing the one from the yard, only more so. Your dash will have more stuff in the way and you'll feel a lot worse if you break it. My only advice is to have lots of extensions and wiggle sockets. When you feel like you're going to start smashing things, walk away, drink a beer and come back when your head clears.

Oh, and attach not one, but two separate (relatively strong) strings to the mast you are removing. You will need them to get the new one installed. If you forget the string, then you'd better be handy with the Bondo because you'll need it to plug the hole where an antenna used to be.

The worst part will be feeding the new antenna down the A-pillar. You will need to get both the antenna wire and the plastic string that pushes the antenna shaft up and down fed properly and at the same time. They are long, wiggly and relatively fragile parts. The tube in the A-pillar is only 3 microns wider than the parts you are trying to feed down it. The pillar is lined with barbs that will snag the new mast at every opportunity and cause it to jam. You will swear a lot and in new and wonderful ways. Tie one of the strings to the wire. Tie the other to the plastic string. Have an assistant (ie: your son who is going to choose a very nice retirement home for you after this) maneuver the new mast down the hole as you tug gently (gently!) on the strings. Oh yes, there's a sharp bend at the very bottom of the A-pillar that you'll need to get the wire and string past. It's well beyond finger reach too. You'll be able to see the strings snagging, but you'll have to figure out a way to get them out without using your fingers.

Now you get to figure out a way to get the plastic string fed back into the motor. I can't remember how I did that (it was so awful, I've repressed the memories), so you're on your own there. Suffice it to say that the motor is bolted up very high and behind lots of stuff. Whether you remove the motor or not, you'll be doing this without fingers again. Anyway, you'll be very handy at key-hole surgery once it's all done.

In fact, you'll be so happy, that you'll take a cheesy video of it and post it here all excited:

Happy Video! (http://www.3geez.com/forum/showpost.php?p=925469&postcount=67)

Have fun!!!

[ShyBoyCA6]

damn lol mine is broken too but shit i dont listen to the radio step up to the generation buy a new stereo with ipod connection way better than radio and at least you dont hear the same songs over and over again

if not buy one of them stick one lol but i wont say it will work since it will need a adapter

[charliekuney]

Or, if you want to save half of the trouble: take the old antenna setup out (or not), bondo the hole and paint, and replace with a window-mounted HD antenna. I don't even have an antenna: I broke mine completely off.

[ShyBoyCA6]

Or, if you want to save half of the trouble: take the old antenna setup out (or not), bondo the hole and paint, and replace with a window-mounted HD antenna. I don't even have an antenna: I broke mine completely off.

you could of sold it charlie...there are people that will buy like this guy


i wonder if this guy has even tried a cloths hanger lol i seen a couple of beaners do it

[Bluntman]

The ones at the auto parts stores will not fit the roof mounted antenna. Here read this and you will have choices. http://www.3geez.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71863

[w261w261]

bspmedic: Bluntman speaketh the truth, albeit in a hilarious way. I assume you read the p.m.'s I sent you after your original post. Be afraid, be very afraid.

You know, the Honda dealer goes by the book when it comes time to charge you for the install, and if I recall the book is an hour or maybe less. True, you have to pay Honda prices for the antenna, but get the manual one, and let the Honda shop cuss and fume, because probably no one there has put one of these guys in before. Not your problem, and maybe the best couple of hundred you could spend.

[mykwikcoupe]

The wifes was 108 for the power mast and another 100 for labor. 14 hours later, 3 paint jobs and alot of free dinners they were done. The tech scratched the roof paint and they had to paint the whole car 3 times before i let it go. The 1st 2 paint jobs were bad fades until i forced them to paint the whole car. I doubt that tech is still a tech based on the install. They arent kiding, pull the dash and youll be in a better way but itll still suck.

[lostforawhile]

this is what it looks like with the hole welded up. there are two threaded pieces in there that need to come out before the steel is fitted in. http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/S4021043.jpg

[w261w261]

.....and, I've gotten *very* religious about putting the antenna down anytime I park the car. One yoohoo decides to bend it and it's Shitsville. Some poor car wash guy went to put it down because I forgot, and practically jumped out of his skin because I yelled at him: "DON'T TOUCH THE ANTENNA!"

[charliekuney]

^ You're lucky: my first coupe's antenna didn't go down past halfway, and this one's didn't go up past halfway.

[Dr_Snooz]

Seriously though, unless you are a nitpicky, never-anything-but-stock freak like me, just rip that old mast out and bondo the hole shut. Buy a cheap universal antenna job from Kragen, drill a hole in the top of the rear quarter panel and put it there. You'll swear less.


Edit:
OH MY GAAAAAWWD!!! I just checked Kragen and looky here:

Metra Antenna (http://kragen.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=MRA&MfrPartNumber=44HD92&CategoryCode=3531)

Eight freaking dollars! OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!


More edit:
I think this is even the OEM antenna:

Harada antenna (http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQHondaQQAccordQQHaradaQQAntennaQQ19821989QQW0133-1631438.html?apwcid=E1209090014W48113fdeed4c3&apwkwd=Harada+Antenna&id=14269vwr&source=pjn&subid=3578)

Far out.

[ShyBoyCA6]

woah dr snooz take it easy lol and 8 dollars aint bad thats a great buy

[lostforawhile]

Seriously though, unless you are a nitpicky, never-anything-but-stock freak like me, just rip that old mast out and bondo the hole shut. Buy a cheap universal antenna job from Kragen, drill a hole in the top of the rear quarter panel and put it there. You'll swear less.


Edit:
OH MY GAAAAAWWD!!! I just checked Kragen and looky here:

Metra Antenna (http://kragen.com/ProductDetail.aspx?MfrCode=MRA&MfrPartNumber=44HD92&CategoryCode=3531)

Eight freaking dollars! OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!


More edit:
I think this is even the OEM antenna:

Harada antenna (http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQHondaQQAccordQQHaradaQQAntennaQQ19821989QQW0133-1631438.html?apwcid=E1209090014W48113fdeed4c3&apwkwd=Harada+Antenna&id=14269vwr&source=pjn&subid=3578)

Far out.
bondo won't work there, it's open to the A pillar, there is nothing to support it, it will keep sinking and breaking. there are two threaded holes, they have to be drilled out, then a piece of steel has to be fit to the odd shaped antenna hole, this is the only way to properly shave it off. bondo just won't work.

[lostforawhile]

to make a pattern to fill the antenna hole, after you remove the threaded inserts for the screws, those holes need to be welded up too, lay a piece of masking tape over the hole, and trace it out with a pencil, lay this piece of tape on a piece of steel, and cut out the pattern. I welded a piece of welding rod in the center of the piece, and used it to hold the piece while tacking it up. i tacked it at the back, then used a body hammer, to tap it until it was flush. then finished tacking it, and welded it up. be very careful doing this!! sparks will travel down the A pillar and come out the holes at the bottom and inside the car. have a fire extinguisher there and some water to put out sparks.

[Bluntman]

More edit:
I think this is even the OEM antenna:

Harada antenna (http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQHondaQQAccordQQHaradaQQAntennaQQ19821989QQW0133-1631438.html?apwcid=E1209090014W48113fdeed4c3&apwkwd=Harada+Antenna&id=14269vwr&source=pjn&subid=3578)

Far out.
Harada is a great choice. They make alot of the OEM antennas for the car makers.

[DBMaster]

Harada is a great choice. They make alot of the OEM antennas for the car makers.

That's the one I just bought to replace my broken power antenna. I haven't gotten around to installing it yet, but the power antenna broke in the up position and is still functional. I'm scared now. I think I'll wait until I am not tired from a day at work. There was an awful lot of cursing going on in my garage last week when I replaced the struts and I need a break!

[DBMaster]

Well, I can't follow my own advice. I just replaced the antenna. I took the day off to get things done and I decided this needed to be one of those "things." It wasn't really all that bad, but if I were replacing the power mast I can see why it would be tough. Definitely tie a strong cord around the end of the original antenna cable so you will have something to pull the new one through. Also, tape the wire to the plastic antenna tube (part that ends up inside the A-pillar) in a couple of places. I don't know where inside the dash the original antenna cable was, but it was hard to pull out. I strung my new one through in a location that's out of the way, but easier to manage.

Since I had to yank the motor to get the original antenna out I pulled it out completely. I'll bet that reduction of one pound will get me some horsepower, right? LOL!

[w261w261]

How does the antenna compare with the main relay?

[charliekuney]

^ I've removed and replaced three, all under a minute.

[Dr_Snooz]

How does the antenna compare with the main relay?

Lot's worse. The hard part about the main relay is getting it out. The antenna is as difficult to get out but a lot more difficult to get back in.

[DBMaster]

I would say a little harder than the relay. The cable doesn't come out of the A-pillar that easily. Getting it back in requires some pulling the string tied to it, pulling it back out, trying again, etc. until it makes it through to the under dash area without hanging on something. I cut my hands in a few places because everything under the dash seems to have a sharp edge on it!

[A18A]

cool story bro

[Ayeobe]

Yeah, i know where the main relay is. I had to replace it a couple weeks after i got the 87, and i had an accord expert in my mech class, he pointed it right out to me, and we grabbed the longest extention we could find and dropped it down. Putting it BACK would have been fun...

I think im gona make sure my antennae is down EVERY time i hop out of the car, and not just most of the time now. The 87's was busted, but the 89's is in perfect shape, but it does jam once in a while when putting it down with the motor. Is there any way of makin the travel smoother for an installed but old-ass antenae that gets stuck and you have to help?

[charliekuney]

This is my first third-gen where the power antenna isn't deformed in any way and can do all the way down and up with the switch (with a little..."help"). I leave it down and still get great reception, so I never put it up anymore.