have any of you attempted to make your own antenna for your custom or hot rod? Whether for FM stations, AM stations, or your own collection of music. I am asking this as the rear antenna for my '57 Fairlane is broken off, and while waiting for this terrible thing called winter cold to let me back to the engine, I want to get the stereo working, or at least making some noise.
Simple stock type replacement antennas are readily available. Wrecking yards are a good source. If you have any type of 2 way radio in your car, dual purpose antennas are available that look stock.
You just need one of those that mounts on rear bumper that's about 8' long, bent over and tied down on the front of car. Got to admit it would be different...
Dad told me he had a Black 39 Chevy with a long wip antenna mounted as you discribed with the tip tied down to the front bumper When his other brothers came home from Milwaukee for the weekend they would unleash the anntenna and back the car up untill the anntenna touched the clothes line wire to bring in Milwaukee radio stations from about 90 miles away.
Almost any piece of metal will work... This is the antenna on my old work truck. Very custom....and a real conversation starter.
Hello, Recently, I was surprised in the early morning sojourn to the local parts supply store. When I was finished, I went back to my car and sitting in the next row was this very cool custom Chevy Sedan. The one thing I noticed when walking around was the cool custom treatment that I had not seen before, or ever. Sunken in antennas were one of the special things that were done to mild to wild customs back in our early years. Usually, they were holes drilled into the fender or body. A tubular insert that would allow the moving antenna or single manual antenna to move up and down was used. The final prep body work made it look definitely custom on any old hot rod or sedan. The usual treatment was to have smooth, even body lines with the disappearing antenna in place. Then with the touch of a button or sometimes manually, the antenna was raised to the appropriate height. As long as the up-raised antenna was above the top of the car, the reception was acceptable in those old days. Steel structures near the unit played tricks on any reception from those early AM radios. When the FM radios came out, the “any” style of antenna worked for better reception, but still needed raising above the steel top of the car/hot rod. Jnaki This old Chevy sedan had some additional body work done to make a very cool highlight. The offsetting highlight molding and fawn beige paint gave the body panel some differing shadows that would make anyone take a second look.
Retractable antenna kits are still widely available, all you need to do is French in the right diameter / depth tube needed. You can set the bottom of the tube at any angle you want so the antenna looks best with the shape of your car. Don't forget to add a small diameter drain pipe at the bottom of your mounting tube (on the low side) for a rubber hose that empties outside the trunk. The only problem? Its hard to hang a fox or raccoon tail, or mount a ball or other type antenna topper, on a fully retractable antenna! If your antenna is wired to retract automatically when the power is off, then you loose your topper.
The Jalopy Journal
