jocww

how do i fill this hole to make it look like it was never there. i want to put my atenna like inside of my windshield. do they sell these types of antennas, how much do they cost, how much time will this take

vortechLT1

yes you can buy an antenna that goes on the windshield, you can get them at walmart for like $7.00 took me about an hour to put mine in but that was because I also put a new CD player in. to fill the antenna hole use metal and weld it, or have a shop do it if you dont know how to weld or dont have a welder, other wise remove all the paint from the area to be filled, weld in the metal and grind the weld down then fill it and sand accordingly when the filler is smooth and even prime and paint.

or you could do it the cheep dumb way and just fill it with bondo and than do it all over again in a few months!

82firebird

Yep, welding its the way to go. I did mine last weekend and I think it looks so much better already. heres a pic of after we welded it, grinded the weld and leveled it with body filler..

Jim 86 Bird

Word of warning:

I can't speak for anyone else who's used those type of antennas (the wire ones that you can get at radio shack and wal-mart) but I've had nothing but trouble with mine. I expected a slight loss in reception when I took my broken power antenna off and replaced it with the wire antenna, but its reception is absolutely horrible now. I can get about 3 stations in FM in, where a normal car setup in this area can at least get 20.

Some other people might've had better luck, but I just wanted to warn you

82firebird

Just to back up what Jim is saying, your reception wont be very good at all. Right now I just rigged up my own hidden antenna by running the antenna wire through the A pillar; reception sucks, but I mostly listen to cds and I think it looks 10x better shaved.

vortechLT1

really? I get very good reception with mine, it looks like crap now because the windshield is broke but the antenna works good

ramair350

Metra the install kit company makes an amplified hideaway antenna for like $40.00. I have installed a few on from golf carts to street rods and they work great. Maybe even better than the original. Just go to your local car audio dealer most of them use Metra kits.

Jim 86 Bird

Ramair:
You mean someone actually makes a signal booster that DOESN'T amplify static that much along w/ the signal? Any of the ones I've seen in use just make the entire signal (including noise) louder. I'll have to look into this for mine, then maybe I'll fill in the whole instead of running around w/ a nice quarter-sized opening in the fender.

PS-Thanks for the lead

jocww

thanks for the tips u guys i think ill go look for one at ebay

89firechicken

jim actually to get technical all amps. will boost noise along with your signal they just end up filtering out the noise. well i take that back most amps. there are some that are called low noise amplifiers (they still amplify nois but very little) but to get a good one would be expensive and most likely to big to mount in a car. plus the antenna would have to know what your carrier freq. is in order to boost your signal with the least possible noise. (not trying to start anything just felt like posting)

ramair350

By me saying that it was amplified that wasn't exactly correct. What I should have said was that it was powered. That allows it to do electronically what you car does naturally. A car is a really good FM antenna in it's own right because of all of the grounded metal. But the hideaway antenna mounts on the glass so it has to be powered to receive a signal.

ramair350

I don't have one on my car because I have a power antenna but the one on my golf cart works great! Even in NW Iowa where our radio stations suck!

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

I know this is WAY off topic, but RamAir350 I sent you a PM regarding the AutoPage Alarm, if you are still willing to help me....

Ok, back on topic......

jocww

im totaly lost now

DeathDealer

Alright guys:

Instead of getting another crappy antenna, go to best buy and get satellite radio. The antenna is extremely small and I hear its awesome. Just my $0.02

sheltonw3

Antennas are always having some kinda reception problem I guess thats why I used a cellular antenna instead and I get 10 times better reception too plus it's only 4x4" inches small too and I ran that to my trunk down the middle of the center console and it only took 5 minutes to install and it never gets in the way plus if I play a CD and someone elses radio is tuned to the same station my music can reach up to a range of 12 feet away ,it really freaks out some people on the road and I get big laugh out of it!.

jocww

hey shel can u email me with the brand how u set it up adn price please
jocww@aol.com

confucius101

please cc me on that too
thanks
c_cecilio@hotmail.com

TomP

Wait a minute... your cd player -transmits- through your radio because you're using a cell phone antenna? Sounds like your radio is messed up big-time... I'd think that's otherwise impossible!

I was thinking "XM" also, as a solution. I've got a friend that put his XM antenna on his rear deck, against a rear tinted window, and he still gets good reception. That's why I don't have XM yet; that stupid antenna that advertises "Hey! Look at Me! I have XM!" Seems like a theif magnet.

Aviator857

I think he has a FM modulator to transmit the signal from the CD changer to the radio, for radios w/o line inputs. This normally plugs inline and the cell is transmitting it effecentlly.

sheltonw3

Now first of all when I did this some of the items I used in question were a little far out to use and second I checked at some of the local shops and they no longer carry the antenna I used but I found the alternatives especially since I am using a RF modulator for the cd player , heres a list of items to give you an idea

radioshack 17-372 windsheild antenna from $15 to $30 it depends what they have in stock
because some are being discontinued!...so if you choose to use this antenna it offers 1 to 2
db's more signaling power so it can also work like a signal amp too!...and if you are using the delco standard stock stereo it will be much more easier to splice the connection togethere but if you're gonna hook up to your sony,pioneer or jbl brand it would be better to get a replacement motorola plug #274-709 $2.00
and and if you find that to be too much well the shack also offers
a stand alone fm transmitter#15-1843 $15 to $30.00 because they also sell am/fm version too and you will need #278-252 $2.59
and where I live reception is no
problem at all my second car has no antenna but some how I
still get reception ,don't why and I won't ask either!..hopefully this info might come in handy .

sheltonw3

This same bold concept also gives my cell phone full signaling power even in concrete parking structures too or in lowerlevel parking lots as well!

jocww

i lost you after the first paragraph

FLYNLOW92rs

iTrader: (53)

How much did you guys pay on average to get the antenna hole shaved?

sheltonw3

what kinda specified info did you need ?...I'm lost too?...was it on the antenna part or installation?...brand ,type ?...

sheltonw3

I believed I paid $50.00 with primer&matching paint and it was just the fender only!

'91 RS vert

If you get XM(or Sirius) satellite radio you'll probably never listen to FM again anyway. I've had mine since December and I don't think I've put an FM station on more then 6 times since then. When I paint my car next summer that ugly FM antenna is going for sure. Just my .02.

84z ricecooker

i would like the brand name so i could look it up. the installation ill have somebody do for me like one of my friends or something hopefully

sheltonw3

It was RADIOSHACK OR A.K.A. REALISTIC/OPTIMUS and the really interesting part about it I never groundged the antenna at all and I still good reception maybe thats it you could try not grounding it!....I just velcro it to the side

ramair350

The brand name of the antenna that I was talking about was Metra. Hope that helps! Off of the topic but Flyinlow92 I have tried to e-mail you a couple of times and I don't know if you are getting them or not. Let me know and I will e-mail you directly! Sorry! Back to the topic!