Antenna location

b-d409

Well Known Member
Does anyone know if 62 4 door hardtop had the option of antenna location from the factory? I have seen several of them listed on e-Bay, and they all have the antenna on the pass. rear fender.

The reason I ask: My car has the antenna on the pass. front fender. I purchased the car from the original owner, it had never seen body work and still had the original paint. There is no patch in the rear fender, and when I removed the pass. kick panel, the antenna base extends down and attaches to a braket that all looks quite original.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Dan
 

walkerheaders

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
i share in your wonder of this. my best guess tells me that it depended on what radio option the car was ordered with. some had a fader to the rear speaker and pushbuttons, those cars seem to have the rear antenna. some had no buttons and no rear speaker. those cars seem to have gotten the front antennae. i have three 63 2dr hardtops. the 2 SS 4sp cars have the antennae oposite of each other. the impala has it in the rear.
If you dig deep in the 62 assembly manual, you may find the real answer. some body on this forum probably knows and will post.
 

Obnxs1

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
My 59 is the same way. Everything I've seen shows the antenna on the back of the car, but mine is on the front. Again it all seems to be original.
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
I wonder if dealer installed radio could be the answer. If a dealer installed a radio, most likely they would install a fender antenna over a rear antenna that would require alot more work in running the cable. Just a thought...

I'll have to browse through my assembly manuals and see if I can find anything on this. Unfortunately, I don't have '62 yet but I do have 58, 63 and 64.
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
My dealer invoice says...

I have the original dealer invoice for my 1962 Impala SS, dated 6-28-62. It lists "Manuel Radio" (dealer typo) for $37.23, but I suspect we have no way of knowing whether that was installed at the dealer's or not, correct? Anyway, the mast was installed on the passenger side front fender. When I removed the front clip for paint, I welded up that area. I figure if I were to put one back on, it would look best on the rear quarter.

BTW, the SS option was listed for $121.25

And your 4 door "Sport Sedan" looks really, really nice!

regards,
TomK
 

64ss409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 9
In 64 the antenna came on the right front. Right rear or dual antennas were options. I kinda think previous years were the same, but don't know for sure.
Ron
 

b-d409

Well Known Member
Thanks to everyone for their input. It's nice to know I'm not alone in the front fender location.

Tom Kochtanek said:
And your 4 door "Sport Sedan" looks really, really nice!

regards,
TomK
Thanks Tom.

When I get a chance, I've got to get some clearer pictures of my car posted. I had to shrink the ones I have down too much, and they got a little grainy.

Dan
 

SS425HP

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Dean LaPole bought a 63 SS 409/425 and it had the antenna on the front fender. I bought a 63 SS 409/425, and it had the rear mount antenna. Now, I have no idea why. That is how I can tell which car is running on the old movies I have.

Fred
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
I'll throw this in although it might not do much good. On 1966 Chevelles, if you ordered an AM/FM radio, you had to get the fender mount antenna. I suspect the rear antenna didn't function properly for FM?

Since AM/FM wasn't available until 1963, this doesn't help much for you '62 owners but wanted to toss it into the "2004 Antenna Debate" :D

We may have to add this antenna issue to the list of unknowns. Put it right under the SS409 dipstick debate we had. ;)
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
This is how I remember it. All factory installed radios with or without speaker options came standard with the front mounted antenna. There was a separate factory rear mount fender option. I can't remember if there was a factory installed electric antenna option in '62 or '63. I think so. I know the dealer installed electric rear mount antenna goes back to at least 1957 and there was a maual rear mount kit for the '56 Chevys. The dummy left back fender antenna was only a dealer installed deal. The dummy antenna was one of the items in the accessory booklet. I know when we ordered cars for stock inventory we never ordered 4-doors with the rear mount antenna, only the two-doors. However the rear mount was available on 4-doors I think. I'm so old I can remember when all the radios were dealer installed.

Richard
 

droptop62

 
Supporting Member 1
bobs409 said:
I'll throw this in although it might not do much good. On 1966 Chevelles, if you ordered an AM/FM radio, you had to get the fender mount antenna. I suspect the rear antenna didn't function properly for FM?

Since AM/FM wasn't available until 1963, this doesn't help much for you '62 owners but wanted to toss it into the "2004 Antenna Debate" :D

We may have to add this antenna issue to the list of unknowns. Put it right under the SS409 dipstick debate we had. ;)

Bob,
also on the 66 Chevelle, if you had an AM/FM the antenna Mast was solid.
The standard antenna mast that came with AM radios was telescoping.
So there you go more info for the "great antenna debate" of 2004
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
I think Richard probably nailed the answer. At least it sounds good to me. :D My '63 has no antenna but I know why. It has no radio! :p

droptop, my Chevelle has the rear antenna but it's a one piece, not telecopic. I'm not sure if this type was available on Chevelles or not. It may have been replaced. ??? Ever hear of this one?
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
Bob:

I found two '66 Chevelle rear antenna options.
RPO U73 Manual Rear Antenna
RPO U75 Power Rear Antenna

The words "manual" and "power" would indicate they were both telescopic.
 
M

MK IISS

Guest
factory installed

I wonder what year the factory started installing optional radios. My '57 order guide book shows all the '57 radios as dealer installed. Maybe '58 was the first year.
 

SteveD409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
In 63 this is the way it was:
manual control, front antenna...RPO U60...order code 43-1
manual control, rear antenna...RPO U60...but order code 43-2
pushbutton control, front antenna...U63...order code 43-3
pushbutton control, rear antenna...U63...but order code 43-4
pushbutton,rear speaker and front antenna...Z02...order code 43-5
pushbutton, rear speaker and rear antenna...Z02...but order code 43-6
AM-FMpushbutton, front antenna...U69...order code 43-A
Am-FM " , rear antenna...U69...but order code 43-B
" , rear seat speaker, front antenna...Z10...OC 43-C
" , " , rear antenna...Z10...but OC 43-D
Prices were the same for each corresponding set, i.e., both U60 radios were $47.90; both U63 radio apllications were $56.50, the Z02 cost 69.95, the U69 cost $134.50 and the Z10 cost $147.95. So the antenna came however it was ordered but niether cost anymore than the other.
One odd thing, says "price does not include antenna installation".

For 62 it lists: Option Number 103 for manual, order code 44-1,2...$47.90
" 104 for pushbutton, order code 44-3,4...$56.50
"Specify front or rear antenna".

Looks like it was just--you got what was ordered!!!!

This manual shows 58 as the first year that a radio was listed in factory options.

Can't find any mention of the dummy second rear antenna in any of my sources.

Hope this helps!

SteveD
 

b-d409

Well Known Member
SteveD409,

Since I'm the one who started this up, let me be the first to say that clears things up completely. (At least for me.)

Thanks for setting the record straight. :clap

Dan
 

Junky

Well Known Member
The antenna was installed by the dealership no matter where it was placed. If a radio was ordered from the factory, Fisher body would drill the holes in the location specified on the order, and the antenna was shipped separately in the trunk along with the wheel covers. This was done to avoid damage to these items during shipping.
Should the dealer order the car without a radio, then there were no holed drilled for the antenna, and there was no option for an antenna without a factory installed radio. Many dealerships would buy aftermarket radios, such as a Motorola radio and install it as soon as the car arrived, and list it on the dealer installed options list. The Motorola radio was a less expensive unit for the dealership, than buying a factory radio. The real problems arose, when the dealerships didn't install all the static removing items that came in the parts box, because this took additional time and effort. Factory radios had all this installed with the radio.

PS... I am not digging up old threads, but came upon this thread from a redirect in a current discussion about an eBay car. http://www.348-409.com/forum/threads/another-ebay-gem.45910/page-2#post-530507
 
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