Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

If the area below the fender is anything like the 68-74 Nova's you will probably run into some barriers. The first is the side of the cowl goes pretty far outward towards the inside curvature of the fender and this will limit how close towards the windshield you can get. You will then be left with the area forward from the face of the firewall. The next obstruction may be the blower motor and housing. Forward of this under fender limitation would be the front inner fender housing. You may not be left with many possible locations.

Another option is to possibly have the hole on the fender be above the cowl side and then fabricate some type of notch or cavity to where the power antenna's motor and shaft are inside of the cowl side. You just have to see what kind of problems you may run into.

If I were to attempt this I would locate my hole in the topside of the fender and then put the fender on to then mark the topside of the cowl directly below this hole and then build a metal enclosure slightly bigger than the power antenna assembly and then after cutting a hole in the topside of the cowl, fully weld this enclosure to the cowl. To keep it frompossibly filling up with water I would weld in a drain tube nippleto where later I could add a small section of rubber tubing to it to direct and drain the water down and outside of the cowl.

I replied to a similiar question as yours back in 2006 but this guy didn't want to mess with his numbers matching car. I could see the reasoning but there never was a power antenna on his to start with so, who knows.

Years ago they used to make different styles of power antenna's like fully automatic, semi-automatic, motors fixed to the mast assembly and then also offered ones with remote motors but all required at least 8-14" of under fender clearance. Harada and Hirschmann brands are the ones to look at.

Jim

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

The factory and dealer installs went in the rear for a reason. No room under the front fender to stow the mast or the motor assembly and access is a big issue as well.

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

Access makes sense to me but I am adding a vintage air AC to my car and it requires me removing the passenger fender, so I figured if I could I would.
Because the blower motor is part of the new AC unit I don't have to worry about original blower motor area and was possibly thinking of somehow bending in that area to give me a little more space to turn the motor away from the door movement area.

They did use to make a stubby power antenna but I don't know if it is available anymore?

Btw, not a numbers matching car but it is a show quality resto-mod so I do have to be careful welding and cutting and so on like the first person mention.

But please keep the suggestions coming.

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

After further review of SOA-NOVA's suggestion, I realized he was saying sort of what I was thinking after all. I just didn't read it correctly before.

Has anyone ever done this? Modifying the cowl area?

I just wish if i knew it was gonna be this much of a hassle I would have sealed up that hole before I painted the car and would have just added it to the back quarter instead.

So like I said before, please keep the suggestions coming and I really hope to hear from someone who actually has a power antenna up front.

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

After further review of SOA-NOVA's suggestion, I realized he was saying sort of what I was thinking after all. I just didn't read it correctly before.

I just wish if i knew it was gonna be this much of a hassle I would have sealed up that hole before I painted the car and would have just added it to the back quarter instead.

So like I said before, please keep the suggestions coming and I really hope to hear from someone who actually has a power antenna up front.

I made up a quick drawing of what I was trying to convey in my other post. Looking at a picture of a cowl side it looks like I would maybe make 4 cuts into the side of the cowl and then use some flat steel to make up a box with an open side towards the fender. With this design I would think any water that may get into the recess will easily drain out.

Jim

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

There isn't room for one in the front fender.

 

Re: 67 or 68 camaro Power antenna, front fender?

I have only seen rear quarters used for power ants.
Mainly Lexus style units were being used for the low profiles.

 

thinking pwr antenna for my 68 ragtop right outa the factory rear hole. Maybe a open trunk/drop antenna switch so it does not smack the spoiler I plan

 

yeah if I had to do it over again I would definitely do it that way. unfortunately my car is complete and painted so it looks like I am stuck with the hole in the front fender.

I have a new idea though, I think I am going to just make a fake antenna that looks like its flush on the fender and then get an electronic antenna that will be hidden under the dash. that way I can get rid of that ugly looking 12 inch mast on my fender. that was the real reason for doing this whole project to begin with. it just looks ugly.