Antenna replacement help needed please!

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griffbl

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2012
Messages
185
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9
Location
dallas
My Car
1972 Mustang Mach 1
2014 Ford F150
2018 Porsche Panamera


[url=https://ibb.co/i2uhXQ][img]https://preview.ibb.co/h0A0K5/815f.jpg[/img][/url]
I bought a correct Reproduction retractable antenna, as my car had a fixed mast that was incorrect.  Original antenna was snapped off (remember when people did that?? kind of went with getting your hubcaps stolen!) and someone put a base with a new mast over the stub and secured it with set screws. I HATE the look of a full length antenna on the front fender of a car, as I think it kills the lines of a car, but that is just my opinion. No offense to you guys with the 73's and your whips! (At least you can unscrew them at the car wash though!) The segments seem to rattle against one another a bit when collapsed. I know it is two tight to get a strip of tape or some such between the sections, and have been trying to think of some thinking I could wedge between them to isolate them a bit...i.e. match splinters etc. Then I thought maybe some heavy grease. Come to think of it, when I was much younger and these things were common, the antennas ALWAYS seemed to have grease on them, and you invariably got some on you if you did not raise or lower the mast sections by holding on exclusively to the antenna tip. Maybe that is why grease was present, in addition to providing lubrication. Those antennas were fragile!

Anyway, I fished a wire through the fender hole and pulled the new wire to the radio. Here is my Question: 1) HOW on earth do you get to the inner fender area to secure the antenna clip to the chassis? Thanks for the help, I am sure the answer is pretty obvious: can it be accessed with the door open at 90 degrees? Can anyone provide the location for the hole the plastic antenna retaining clip snaps into?

Many Thanks!

Brad

 
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Remove the rear splash shield in the wheel well behind the front tire. I think 3 coarse thread bolts hold it in. Turn the front wheels to the right and it will give you more room. Good luck

 
Remove the rear splash shield in the wheel well behind the front tire. I think 3 coarse thread bolts hold it in. Turn the front wheels to the right and it will give you more room. Good luck
Thanks BKdunha!!

I will give it a try and post my findings!

Best,

Brad

 
Remove the rear splash shield in the wheel well behind the front tire. I think 3 coarse thread bolts hold it in. Turn the front wheels to the right and it will give you more room. Good luck
Thanks BKdunha!!

I will give it a try and post my findings!

Best,

Brad
Here is a pic of where the antenna goes through and you can also see the clip right below.



 
Remove the rear splash shield in the wheel well behind the front tire. I think 3 coarse thread bolts hold it in. Turn the front wheels to the right and it will give you more room. Good luck
Thanks BKdunha!!

I will give it a try and post my findings!

Best,

Brad
Here is a pic of where the antenna goes through and you can also see the clip right below.

So the little white plastic clip in this photo is broken off, right?....that helps a lot! I might be able to snap it in with the door open.  I will try, anyway! thanks again.

 
Thanks BKdunha!!

I will give it a try and post my findings!

Best,

Brad
Here is a pic of where the antenna goes through and you can also see the clip right below.

So the little white plastic clip in this photo is broken off, right?....that helps a lot! I might be able to snap it in with the door open.  I will try, anyway! thanks again.
Epilogue: The plastic clip in the photo above is not broken.  It is correct.  There are two metal sleeves on the factory antenna cable that are installed by Ford prior to the cable ends being secured to the antenna and the male end which goes into the radio.  The Male plastic fastener which is shown here in the photo, slips under the metal sleeves on both sides, securing it to the cable.  The reproduction antenna I purchased, which appears to be correct in detail and high in quality, (purchased from Mustangs Unlimited) did not have any way to secure the plastic tab to the cable that I could see or discern. It did include another plastic tab.  I simply reused the old one and used 3 very small zip ties to secure the fastener to the cable itself.  IF you have smaller hands, you can press the tab into the inner fender, thus securing the cable, while opening the door at its' widest point.  It would be easier to put the car on a lift and remove the inner fender as has been pointed out, but if CAN be done relatively easily as did I.  Many Thanks to all!





uploadphotos

 
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Hi Brad I hope you see this.....

Seeing you have a 1971 Mustang (and reading above you had a fixed mask antenna)............can you offer more info??? Is your car and EARLY 71? Are you original owner? I just posted a poll on the Boss 351 facebook group - after seeing your post , as I have an Early car with a fixed antenna and the PO stated that it was correct. (I'm not planning on changing to the telescopic BUT wondered if this is an early/late change.

Mark

 
Hi Brad I hope you see this.....

Seeing you have a 1971 Mustang (and reading above you had a fixed mask antenna)............can you offer more info???   Is your car and EARLY 71?   Are you original owner?    I just posted a poll on the Boss 351 facebook group - after seeing your post , as I have an Early car with a fixed antenna and the PO stated that it was correct.   (I'm not planning on changing to the telescopic BUT wondered if this is an early/late change.

Mark
I am not the original owner Mark, but this car is a LOT more original than most.  Antenna was original to the car, (ford markings on the cable, etc.) I believe, just not the mast. It had a "stub" of the original where it was broken close to the base. A replacement mast was placed over the stub and was then secured by set screws. It was built in December of 1970.  I had a 1972 Mach 1 back in 1975, and it had a whip style antenna, common and correct for 1973's.  Most likely it had been replaced before I bought the car in 1975, but it sure was original, clean and correct car. The previously owner probably broke it, or someone else vandalized it, went to the dealership, and they sold him a 1973 antenna as a replacement. It was in some ways an improvement: less fragile, would flex a lot hence the name "whip" style, and, if I remember correctly, it was threaded at the base. So if you wanted to run it through the car wash, you simply unscrewed it (you guys correct me if I am wrong about that).  I have since learned that the "whip" single mast type was for 1973's only and NOT 1972's.  It is my understanding ALL 1971's and all 1972's, had telescopic style antennas. Hope this helps!

Hope this helps.

 
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Well that hurts more than helps!   Mine car too is an early car -November 70.   I'm going to look at the cable and casting now that you said it is original to car.  I UNDERSTAND "everyone accepts telescopic" for 71 BUT I'm not convinced 100% on the early cars.

 
Well that hurts more than helps!   Mine car too is an early car -November 70.   I'm going to look at the cable and casting now that you said it is original to car.  I UNDERSTAND "everyone accepts telescopic" for 71 BUT I'm not convinced 100% on the early cars.
Earlier, factory antenna equipped cars did not have a fixed one piece antenna mast....they came out LATER i.e. 1973.  So early, or late, for 1971, you need a telescoping unit. Sorry about that!  The good news is that solid, high quality replacements are available, and if you wish, you can leave your existing antenna cover and gasket if you want more of a vintage look.  And the full installation is easy now that you can learn the whole process here!

 
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Pretty sure that...

1971-1972 had telescoping antennas and 1973 had a fixed mast.

This is consistent with both my 1972 and my 1973 as well as research I did before purchasing new ones for each car. If someone has information different than this, I would be interested in knowing.

Thanks

 
Pretty sure that...

1971-1972 had telescoping antennas and 1973 had a fixed mast.

This is consistent with both my 1972 and my 1973 as well as research I did before purchasing new ones for each car. If someone has information different than this, I would be interested in knowing.

Thanks
Jeff-

Agreed! I have never seen a factory 1971 or 1972 with a fixed mast!

Thanks,

Brad

 
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