antenna moved from fender?
 

I am thinking about removing the antenna from fender and welding in a patch over the hole to smooth out the look of the fender. I am thinking about placing the antenna some where around the front grills. Has any body else deleted the antenna from the fender?

Mine was on my 66. Patched the hole... not a good jog tho. I now have the electric antenna in the right rear quarter panel in the correct location.

Just curious, but why would you want to put an antenna up near the grills? I don't think you'll find anyone that's done that. Original fender location or rear rt rear qtr panel are the best places. The only other way would be too install a windshield with the antenna in it like they did in the 70s.

You do mean a hidden antenna don't you? If I was customizing a car that would be a consideration. But, if stock I would leave it or go with a rear mount one. With that being said, it's your car and you can do what you want with it. Before I took the fender mount antenna off I would have to try the hidden one to see how well it works.

I've heard that the hidden one won't be as good with all that metal covering it and blocking the signal. But hey, it's your car to do with as you want. We're only here for advice... shaken and but not stirred. ;)

I patched up mine and just laid it down in the cowl vent. I can't remember if I reattached the antenna or not so I have to check because the signal sux. If it were attached I would think that it it would be fine. Looks much cleaner with it gone imho.

If you're customizing it you may consider "Frenching" the antenna into the fender.

Signal sucks because of it can't receive a signal seeing it's covered and surrounded by the metal of the body. We tried that years ago and found it just doesn't work. The only way to have a hidden antenna is in the windshield. Even that isn't as good as an actual antenna. There's even times a windshield antenna sucks and needs a powered antenna booster. I went thru that with my 79 Formula Firebird. I ended up installing a power antenna in the rear quarter panel of that car. Only then did I have great reception.

I was worried about the signal. That's why I was thinking about putting it up in the grills. I will probably leave where it is.

Didn't Pontiac make a retractable antenna for the front fender mount location? Even an after market retractable would give a cleaner look.

Gary is 100% right.

And as a semi-retired antenna engineer and HAM radio operator, the short answer is this: "more metal in the air".

It is pretty hard to cheat the laws of physics. While I am not trying to bash a specific product, from the measurements I have made on them, hidden, so-called antennas often do not achieve the desired results.

In terms of inline amplifiers, unless they possess very narrow-band filtering, they usually amplify everything that enters them, both (weak) signal and NOISE.

As an aside, specifically what is the vehicle, and what radio (OEM, aftermarket, etc.) is in the car now?

Inline amplifier
 

Is there an inline amplifier that Pontiac installed on the 66 GTO's?

I was looking at a '65 Caddy in the pull-a-part a couple of weeks ago. It had a very nice power antenna in the front fender in the traditional location for the manual antennas on our cars.
It retracted all the way down flush with the fender. It could probably be adapted to the Pontiac fender with some creative thinking and fabrication skills.

http://i746.photobucket.com/albums/x...985/caddie.jpg

Greg, Is that Cadillac being parted out? It looks nicer than a lot of cars on the road!

Oh no Phil...lol...I just found a pic of a car like it to show the antenna... I have to say though, the car in the parts yard would have made a nice builder. Very straight and solid. I was surprised to see it there so complete.

...that's what I was thinking!!!

I welded the antenna hole closed on my 68 and love the cleaner look. To solve the reception issue I went off the reservation and installed a blue-tooth amplifier on top of the original radio chassis, cut the wires into the volume knob on the factory radio, and hid the blue tooth receiver in the center console. Now when I turn the radio knob it powers up the amp hidden in the dash and I play music from my iphone. Volume is controlled by the iphone buttons. If I want to listen to radio broadcasts I tune into them using the iphone apps. It's not Dolby surround quality but the original radio was retained and it lights up as it should plus I can now get music recorded after 1968 (yeah, bad joke there).

Pontiac did have fatory power antennas in the front fender in the GPs and Oldsmobiles of the 80s.

And aftermarket power antenna will pull in the signals just a good as an original. They just look different. I had an aftermarket power antenna installed before I installed the factory 66 power antenna in my 66 GTO. Can't tell the difference except for the looks.