'65-66 P.Antenna -- Help identify motor internals

[Wayne M.]

Was presented with a box of misc. parts from 2 original (but incomplete) power antennas, with the task of identifying and assessing. Trouble is I've never taken one apart and am not familiar with the details/differences.

Question is about the motor driven wheel on the left; why is it gray plastic ? And why does the groove in the cable wheel attached not have the rusty teeth/gears that show on the example to the right ? The groove on the left set is 1/2 inch deep. Is this a modification for the nylon/plastic drive cable as oppposed to the steel cable ?

Hey Mike McC.#14 (aka. Maryland Missle); any way you can scan, post or email a high-definition copy of the exploded view of the 1966-67 [???] Power Antenna from the parts manual (P&A-5B) that was part of your RESTORER article Vol 29 #1 (summer 2002) ? This document seems to imply that the Corvette style P.A. was also used on the1966 Corvair, Chevelle, Chevy II, Passenger and '67 Passenger.

[Greg T.]

c2powerantenna.com

Most of the plastic worm wheels were white but some were gray. The metal drive gear on the left has been modified for some reason. Someone probably tried to spool a nylon cable on it. The Chevelle used a power antenna very similar to the Vette except for the motor electrical lead and the mast body. Check out my web site c2powerantenna.com for more antenna information for the 65 66 Vette power antenna. Good plastic gears can be hard to come by. My repro ones I have made cost $125. Any other questions? I know these things inside and out. If you want to sell any of the items let me know.

Greg

[Wayne M.]

Nice site -- Great to have an alternative

Right now I'm just trying to do an inventory on what's in the box; seems to have been a badly corroded unit (worse than on your site photos) and a partial second unit (motor case and armature seem OK) Missing the part of mast body that goes into the tube (crimped) and into which the chevy bowtie piece screws into. No antenna masts; 2 (original ?) tips, bad shape. Two brush holders. Lots of ball bearings and clutch springs.

So in the short term, a learning process. If I decide to make an offer to buy these parts next step would be to get motor running; repair pot-metal housing (bottom screw bore half broken. [I'm an engineer -- it's in the blood]

My first problem is how to get the lower bronze bushing back under the spring steel retainer of tehe pot-metal case. Then maybe transfer another telescoping mast with plastic cable from a late 60's replacement P.A. and see if I can get it to look half-way decent and to raise/lower. (Car's just a driver)

Thanks for the info -- I may be in contact later.