Need Help with 65 Power Antenna Cable

[Dennis H.]

Ok I know this is a long shot but I'm looking for info on repairing my 65 Power Antenna. I have everything except the cable that attaches to the mast. Does anyone know what the outside spring/coil dia. and the inside wire dia? Any idea on where to get one, parts to make one or what old power antenna to rob parts from?

Any tech papers out there on how to rebuild the part?

Thanks.

[Dennis H.]

Re: Need Help with 65 Power Antenna Cable

Also, how do you get the top (part with the tip)mast section out of the antenna mast?

[David H.]

Re: Need Help with 65 Power Antenna Cable

Hi Dennis, If you have an original '65 power antenna, I would recommend sending it to Greg Thompson. He does beautiful work. I had an old reproduction that didn't work. I tore it apart and found the plastic line/cable had hardened and had broken into several pieces. From my research, that typically is responsible for power antenna failure. Everything else (motor, etc) was fine. I bought some edge trimmer line from Home Depot to replace it with (and I'm convinced it would have worked). So far so good. I could not get the tip off the mast, so I used my drimmel to neatly cut it off. My plan was to drill out the tip and epoxy it back on after I spliced the edge-trimmer line on the base of the top mast. Well the tip is chrome plated brass, mast is steel - so I couldn't drill it out with the set-up I had (did a nice job drilling my finger though!). So I said to h_ll with it and decided to buy my car an early Christmas present - restored, date correct original - from Greg.

During this process, I was told some leave the tip alone and very carefully epoxy the cable onto the base of the top mast while inside the lower mast. This is probably the way to go if you have steady hands and don't want to send it off. If they had just threaded the mast and screwed the tip on . . . . Greg has found a supplier, or has commissioned a manufacturer for those tips.

Also the hole in the antenna bottom had plugged and rainwater had accumulated inside and ran into the antenna cable, corroding the thin copper wire. I had to replace my antenna cable also.

Good luck! Dave