Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

[Roger D.]

I need to replace the entire antenna/cable assembly on a '72 small block coupe. I have the AIM but would like to know a little more of what I am getting into before I start. I'm sure that many have already done this a time or two. Can anyone enlighten me on the "challenges" that lie ahead for me on this little project?

Thanks all in advance.

Regards,
Roger

[Jack H.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

You need to remove the LH sill plate, kick panel and peel back the carpet to gain access to the antenna cable's routing path from front to rear. After that, it's pretty straight forward as to what to do when you can see the existing lead-in cable.

The potential 'stumbling blocks' are getting the cable through the rear body grommet and routing it WITHOUT pulling excessively or 'kinking' the cable when it makes its various bends along the way.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

I believe that the currently available cable is the GM replacement, which is used in later C3 cars. As such, it is shorter than the one used originally on your car. The later C3s ran the cable down under the center console, across the bulkhead behind the drivers seat, and then followed the same route as your original cable back to the rear. Your original cable runs under the dash and then along the left side of the driver's footwell before going to the back of the car.

I've never done it or tried it, but if there is a way to have the cable repaired, I'd consider that before replacing it. Just a thought that I've always had should the need arise.

[Terry M.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

I believe that the currently available cable is the GM replacement, which is used in later C3 cars. As such, it is shorter than the one used originally on your car. The later C3s ran the cable down under the center console, across the bulkhead behind the drivers seat, and then followed the same route as your original cable back to the rear. Your original cable runs under the dash and then along the left side of the driver's footwell before going to the back of the car.

I've never done it or tried it, but if there is a way to have the cable repaired, I'd consider that before replacing it. Just a thought that I've always had should the need arise.

Patrick has the right idea. Listen to and heed what he says.

[Roger D.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

A previous owner jammed the antenna mast down into the base somehow and it will not budge. May have been glued into place. Can the cable be spliced in a location that is in a concealed location? I have the new antenna/cable assembly. Perhap I could just splice the new cable into the old and just replace the back section of cable and antenna.

Roger

[Terry M.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

A previous owner jammed the antenna mast down into the base somehow and it will not budge. May have been glued into place. Can the cable be spliced in a location that is in a concealed location? I have the new antenna/cable assembly. Perhap I could just splice the new cable into the old and just replace the back section of cable and antenna.

Roger

Provided you don't tell anyone, I will tell you that is exactly what I did. My original antenna wouldn't come out of the base. No way, no how. After finding that the replacement cable was short a foot or so -- don't ask what I went through to find that out -- I spliced the antenna in the rear by the wheel well under the carpet. No one has found the splice yet, and I don't expect anyone to come looking any more. Oh, and that was 30 or so years ago.

[Roger D.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Also I'm wondering if the connector that goes to the radio will pass thru the grommet at the rear of the interior compartment shown on the AIM diagram. I bet that grommet is old, hard, and brittle.

Roger

[Roger D.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Terry, could you use a coupling like one used on RG-6 cable (for cable TV) to splice the cable together? I'd rather be able to replace the whole cable from end to end, however if the GM replacement is too short and it must be re-routed then that wouldn't be correct for a 1972 car either .

[Jack H.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

No. RG-6/RG-59 cable has a completely different internal geometry than the radio lead-in cable. The cable TV connectors won't fit/work in a radio antenna environment.

You CAN achieve a radio cable splice by terminating one end of the cut cable with a female banana plug and the opposite side with a male banana plug + soldering the plugs carefully to the internal lead-in conductor + shielding braid of the antenna cable...

If you're unfamiliar with the construction of an antenna cable, gain familiarity by cutting and inspecting the old/damaged cable before you attempt 'surgery' on the fresh replacement cable!

[Reba W.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Terry, guess I missed that splice when I judged your car. But then we don't lift the carpet, do we?

[Gary R.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

I ran one a few years ago on my 72 coupe. As mentioned, I used a new GM cable that was called for my year and it was too short. I took for granted since it was a GM part is was correct. It was about 4' short, should be about 177" long. I bought one from Paragon that still wasn't as long as the original but it worked.

Side note, had the original radio sent to a guy in FL to install updated internals, lasted about a year and died! The one thing I subbed out too.

[Roger D.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Thanks Jack, I'll take a look at the cable construction first to get a better idea of what you're saying.

Gary, if the cable was still too short, I guess you had to do some minor re-routing? How much too short was it? Did you have trouble passing the new cable thru the grommet?

[Gary R.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

I had the dash out so it was easier for me to route it and it just made it to the radio. I went down the LH side,up the kick panel, over the steering column to the radio.

[Roger D.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Gary, and passing it thru the grommet at the rear of the interior compartment? Run into any issue getting the connector thru the grommet on the way to the radio?

[Harmon C.]

Re: Anyone ever replaced the antenna and cable on a '72 coupe?

Buy a new long cable some vendors sell them and eliminate the splice.