Hot Rods Got a radio? but what about the ugly antenna?

Mines mounted between the door and the frame on a bracket I made on my 56 Victoria. I just couldn't drill a hole in the fender.

 

When I first started on the wagon I got ahead of myself and purchased a classic audio radio on and never took it out of the box until it was time to install it,it wasn't exactly what I thought I had ordered,bur 7 years later there is no turning back.

During that time technology kept improving and satellite radio became available, I am not going to remove my dash and air conditioning to change the outdated radio,so I'm just looking for ways of improving the signal without drilling holes in the body.

Again,I do have a conventional telescopic antenna mounted on the passenger side of the frame.HRP

 

I've got to the point where it's fun to drill a hole in the body every now and then. Makes me feel like a real outlaw hot rodder!

 

Are there replacements available in this style? Removed it fro the '31 when I got it and would like put one back on to fill the holes.

 

Best thing I have found is a Beets Pill. Or other cheaper Bluetooth speaker, hook up phone with Pandora. Problem solved.

Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

E-Gay has this one. HRP

Link

 

Nowhere is it written that an antenna is "ugly". That's just a psychological mind game some people tell themselves. They could just as easily tell themselves it's a decorative piece of chrome, not so different from a hood ornament, only it's functional. (In some cases it's not functional but there it sits, according to a few posts.) If you are doing a custom and the direction you want to go is to shave the door handles, the emblems, the trim, the headlight rings, etc., sure, the antenna gets the knife along with the rest. But otherwise, I don't understand the anti-antenna cult think. But it's your car to do with as you wish. There are plenty of both with and withouts around so most of us wouldn't notice or care one way or the other. These detail choices have always been at the root of what hot rodding is about.

 

The Mysterion uses a 110V desk top AM/FM stereo w/ a 12V DC power inverter. That was all that was available in '62! I 'glassed in a 4' and a 2' piece of 1/2" copper pipe into the 'glass body. Works like a champ.

 

Oh,I sure it's written somewhere,"Antenna's are as ugly as a mud fence",OK,call it a decoration like a hood ornament,I also deleted it when I built the wagon!

To me,the antenna just interrupts a clean line,the less is more philosophy,I also deleted the bumper irons,the car is not really a custom nor a full blown hot rod,just my interpretation of a simple understated car.

And,yes you are correct it's these little idiosyncrasies that separate us from the great unwashed masses! HRP

 

thanks danny

 

I'm with you on this one HRP.
I tucked one under the running board on a 36 ford 5 window I built once, didn't work all that great but I didn't have to look at it.
On my OT 68 442 rag top I tucked a 70 windshield with the antenna in the glass, works very good to this day but I listen to more 8 tracks than radio.
My big block 69 SS/OT is too loud to hear much but I have an under dash antenna (electronic) that is hidden and works fantastic.
On my 34 I am going bluetooth and Pandora/I tunes. I'm tired of the radio, between Tom Shane and Leif's Auto Body I get like one tune before I get to work in the morning. Of course I have to have my Lars on the way home so I understand the need for some tasty (air) waves.

 

Ya just had ta ruin my day dint ya!

 

I kid you not there are days that I change stations whenever I hear their stupid voices only to tune into another one of their ads. That's when the Supertramp 8 track gets pushed back in. I love commercialism, I just don't like being smacked in the head with it non stop.

 

Oh, and speaking of unwashed, I literally just got done building my own Bluetooth radio for my roadster. Looks cool and it works pretty good. It's no Bose but I'm have deaf anyway.

 

When I saw this thread, I sorta wondered what was the big deal about having a radio, haha. But I suppose in more populated places (only 100,000 here) it may be possible to get something on a radio station that isn't a bunch of the boys (or girls) from the hood, hopping around and lipping off about popping a cap in a cop.

Now I know what the two 3/8 holes several inches apart vertically in the left side cowl of my 31 pickup were for. Thanks for that fellers.

 

They might have been the 2 holes that hold the spare tire. HRP

 

Spare sits in a well in the right fender. Pretty sure now that they were somebody's antenna holes long ago. Like the one in your post #36.

 

Probably so,my brother-in-law has a 29 roadster pickup with two spares. HRP

 

Early VW Beatle has the same kind of antenna, bought one from a VW supplier for a 64 Avion camping trailer I used to own.

 

I've always thought that 2 sunken antennas was so cool on customs! Almost mandatory as frenched headlites.

 

Got an ugly antenna (without the cool red ball though) on the ways thanks.

 

I stick them in The grille , use a 56 vette, long cable

 

If you get a fibreglass body you can mount the aerial anywhere out of sight

 

I'm thinking of making up some kind of clean looking bracket that bolts to the spreader bar bolts on the red 32 Sedan. Thought I might be able to mount an antenna to it and then take it off when the car is parked. Still have not worked out how I would unplug the cable though.

 

If the spreader bar was made of something other then metal, you could put the antenna inside of it.

 

Get an antenna with a magnetic base. Run the cable out the side window and stick it on the roof when you want to use it, or put it under the seat when not in use.

 

Whatcha really need is a little orange foam ball to go in the end of it with a blue 76 on it. I remember the 76 Union antenna balls being everywhere in the early 60's. That should make it period correct and nobody would even notice the antenna, just the ball.

Haha, I just looked, there are a lot of them on ebay.

 

You can buy extension leads (m/f sockets) for car antennas .

 

Wait, what? When did you get a '40 @lurker mick?

 

I've tried the 'amplified' antennas, as well as hiding them under the car. None have worked all that well, but I do live in a fringe area. If I ever pull the front glass out of my avatar, I might try soldering a lead to the stainless windshield trim as it's insulated from the rest of the car by the weatherstrip and use that as an antenna.