adding an old school antenna

[lostforawhile]

I got rid of the roof antenna years ago, I had made a plate to fit in the hole, and it was welded in, whoever heard of making a radio antenna horizontal anyway? I finally found one I like at the yard,three bucks, the issue was the screw holding the base to the antenna top was frozen beyond removal, The Z car itself was rusted beyond saving, so I just knocked a hole in the rusted quarter panel and cut the antenna out,complete with sheet metal. I was able to remove the top of the antenna, but the bottom part of the bolt simply wasn't going to come out. I found a rubber fender Antenna at non advanced auto farts, and decided to modify the base to fit.


http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/399129_10150977924837018_631682017_11957024_200712 7740_n.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/551000_10150977923687018_631682017_11957015_358102 175_n.jpg

this is whats left of the original base after a serious effort to remove the remains of the bolt,after more then 30 years it's simply never coming out again

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna001.jpg

the antenna base I found had a stud instead of a threaded hole, the first thing to do was grind off the stud

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna002.jpg

both bases next to each other

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna003.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna004.jpg

[lostforawhile]

In order to center the drill bit perfectly in the center of the base, I had to make a drill jig first

the first thing to do was to drill the hole that fit over the base in a piece of 1/2 inch rod

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna005.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna006.jpg

center drilling for the #21 bit for drilling the center of the base

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna007.jpg

drilling the #21 pilot hole for the drill bit

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna008.jpg

sawing off the excess rod on the 'rollin saw

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna009.jpg

drilling the end of the antenna base with the new drill guide

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna010.jpg

tapping the new base

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna012.jpg

base now has internal threads instead of an external stud

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna013.jpg

[lostforawhile]

The next step is to make the spacer to allow the antenna to be tightened up in place, the new base had much longer threads then the original

facing a piece of aluminum for the spacer
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna016.jpg
sawing off the excess material
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna017.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna018.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna019.jpg

drilling the holes in the spacer
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna021.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna022.jpg

[lostforawhile]

I only spent 30 minutes looking for my big chuck, I hate when that happens
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna023.jpg

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna025.jpg
facing the other end
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna027.jpg
http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna028.jpg
and the entire piece, the spacer goes on the inner body side, the gasket off of the cheap chinese antenna even fit the antenna base, so I got a brand new gasket to go with it.

http://i220.photobucket.com/albums/dd158/lostforawhile/antenna029-1.jpg

next step to find my sheet metal die punch and figure out exactly where to mount this

[Dr_Snooz]

That's awesome!

[lostforawhile]

A lot of work but worth the effort, this is what it's all about, finding some part in a yard ,than spending a ton of time fixing something that's not worth anything,just to make it the way you want it. It would have been melted down as scrap metal with the rusted out Z, but I spent a ridiculous amount of time, and a little bit of blood cutting it out of the car, then a bunch of time making another base to fix what couldn't be fixed. Now I have the look of the antenna that I wanted.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/576262_10150990125047018_631682017_11990404_876126 616_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/389263_10150990127897018_631682017_11990419_611205 520_n.jpg
http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/389577_10150990128802018_631682017_11990426_838975 915_n.jpg

[mykwikcoupe]

nice. Amazing what can be built from scratch.

[DBMaster]

Lost would be one of my picks if I ever assembled my own "A-Team." LOL!

[obdriver6]

That's pretty cool!

[lostforawhile]

when I get the audio system wired I'll see what kind of reception I get, I'll bet it's better then a lot of newer style antennas, I do listen to broadcast radio a lot, and in the area where I live a good antenna is a necessity

[import racer]

Hey lost have you ever tried the hidden antennas or those shark fin ones.I need one for mine and want to know if they work as good as they say.

[lostforawhile]

Hey lost have you ever tried the hidden antennas or those shark fin ones.I need one for mine and want to know if they work as good as they say.
Never tried one I really don't have an. Opinion on one

[DBMaster]

I had a 72 Pontiac that had one of those antennas made of fine wire sandwiched between the layers of windshield glass. I ended up adding a totally old-school fender mounted antenna for good FM reception. I'll bet that the current generation of windshield antennas are much better. I would try to go to something more modern, rather than less. Though, when my power antenna's plastic strip finally broke a couple of years ago I replaced it with a manual version. Horizontal or not, the reception is fine. Worrying over something like this might be considered too much attention to detail, which I know a lot about, guys. Shark fin, stub, antique Z-car, whatever. An antenna that works is what you want.

[lostforawhile]

I had a 72 Pontiac that had one of those antennas made of fine wire sandwiched between the layers of windshield glass. I ended up adding a totally old-school fender mounted antenna for good FM reception. I'll bet that the current generation of windshield antennas are much better. I would try to go to something more modern, rather than less. Though, when my power antenna's plastic strip finally broke a couple of years ago I replaced it with a manual version. Horizontal or not, the reception is fine. Worrying over something like this might be considered too much attention to detail, which I know a lot about, guys. Shark fin, stub, antique Z-car, whatever. An antenna that works is what you want.

It wasn't just reception, I like the way these antenna look, I wanted a particular look and I looked at a lot of different ideas over the years. If you have an idea in your head of what you want,when you run across a part that matches your idea, you just do whatever it takes to make it work, It's a vintage look popular in the 70's,80's and suits the car.

[import racer]

Guess I could go with one of the short rubber ones on the trunk lid.

[lostforawhile]

Guess I could go with one of the short rubber ones on the trunk lid.

I remember these antenna on a lot of cars in the 70's and 80's, it might have been a local thing, but it's something I grew up with, you used to be able to buy the nice ones like this at K-fart,of course they sold CB radios ad eight track players too, I've been keeping my eye out for a stainless one like it for a while, and they all seem to have vanished. I found a cheap chinese knockoff like it, but the quality was terrible

[Vanilla Sky]

I think this is my favorite project of yours to be honest. It really fits well with the theme of the car. Using a lathe is always a bonus, too.

[pickupman6]

Lost would be one of my picks if I ever assembled my own "A-Team." LOL!

Roflol, where is the "like" button.
Lookin good mr tim