Fender mounted antenna base cap ideas?

[Jonathan]

My car has the front right fender mounted antenna. I don't mind it there from a cosmetic point of view. I don't really ever use the antenna though. Not much of a radio listening kinda guy. The fixed mast portion comes off easy enough and I usually keep it in the trunk when the car is stored in the winter.

I was thinking I might leave the fixed mast portion off come Spring, but wanted something cleaner looking for the base. I don't really want to remove the entire base from underneath and put a cap over the hole, and definitely not interested in welding over the hole with a piece of stainless steel.

What came to mind was some little rubber or plastic cap that would snug on and look like it belongs. Almost like a vacuum cap does or a valve stem cap. Anything just snugged on isn't likely to stay where it is so figured I would need a threaded something or other.

Any ideas or things someone's already figured out? I've seen those short little whip antennas on some vehicles, but not really sure what they're all about or where to get one. Valve stem caps aren't the right sized thread and don't fit. The base is a standard size still and the threads are in good condition.

[Michael]

Go native!



Seriously the roof antenna masts might be to your liking. Not as clumsy or random as a whip, but an elegant mast, for a more..civilized age.

[David T]

Way back (back-in-the-day as they say now) cars came with fixed antennaes and from the factory they stuck a small round disc with a threaded post in the center, screwed into the base to keep dirt out. Part of the dealer make-ready was to remove that disc and put the mast on along with the hubcaps and other trim, usually placed in the trunk. It should not be very difficult to make a plastic disc and fit a plastic screw into it that you could screw into the base. Or even mold one up right in place on the base. Fixed masts became very unpopular as more and more people took their car to the car washes. It was the most common thing to get damaged till power antennas. The windscreen antennae was supposed to solve that problem but it had terrible reception unless you were very close to a powerful station. Wrong polarization, horizontal instead of vertical. Between that and the fact that radios were analog and didn't tolerate noise well, windscreen antennas fell out of favor quickly. My suggestion would be to "bite the bullet" and remove the base and stick the cap in the hole till (and if) you decide to get the fender welded up or replaced/exchanged. Nowadays you do a satellite antennae, either a shark fin or inside on the dash.