I haven't really fully explored the idea yet and I wanted to see if anyone else had come up with a nifty solution for this issue:
As a Sirius subscriber, I literally never listen to broadcast radio in my truck any more. I am thinking about removing the antenna because
a) it is an ugly protrusion on a truck that has such nice, clean, sharp lines
b) it is superflous
and c) I sometimes take the truck through a carwash in the winter just to rinse off the salt and the cloth flails really beat the crap out of the antenna.

So, my options apparrently are to unscrew the thin portion of the antenna and cap the threaded hole or remove the entire antenna base and plug that hole with something reversible yet attractive or remove the entire base and permanently close the hole (which I don't really want to do).

Besides, the reduced drag should improve my fuel economy by a minimum of .0001 mpg!

Any ideas or experiences out there?

 

There are some chrome caps available from plumbing supply houses for filling unused holes in sinks and other fixtures. I believe a similar piece is available in electrical supplies. They have spring like fingers projecting from the backside to hold them in place in the hole. I don't know if there is a compatible size or not.

If you don't like it in chrome, you could paint it to match the body color with touch up paint.

Gene

 

now I did the exact opposit and put on two anntenna's just like the old 50's cars had, for a differnt more symetrical look.

I like the chrome plug idea, I can't think of anything else to fill in the hole.

Diesel Rod

 

Think about this before you remove the antenna. Your cruisin' around and a nasty storm pops up, You think you may have spotted a possible funnel cloud. Now i have XM and they do an average job of reporting severe weather on channel 247 emergency alert. But it is not updated but every hour. To get accurate local alerts you will need the local broadcast system to stay up to the minute.
I do agree that brodcast radio sucks, but it does have a place in some instances.

 

Thanks for the ideas, boys.

Looks like the most sensible option is to leave the base in in case of an ememrgency need for broadcast. I'll just put the antenna under the rear seat and find something easily removable to cap the threaded hole.

 

Bought a stainless 10X24 panhead machine screw and put it into the base. It looks stupid.
I don't know what I was thinking. As long as the base is there, the antenna has to be in or else it looks fairly ridiculous.
So, the antenna is back in and I'll just uncsrew it whenever the need arises to take it through th car wash.
Hope nobody spent too much brainpower contemplating my dilemma! I apologize if that was the case.

 

I have always wanted a retractable antenna but have never been able to find one. Anyone know of one? That might be at least a partial solution to the need described here.

 

some Thunderbirds and Cougars ran retractable antenna's. they had a switch on the dash for it, iether up or down, but you could prolly just run it keyed on power, adn it would go up with the key on.

Diesel Rod

 

most parts stores and several people on ebay carry hidden antennas for multiple uses. i just put one on my bike to hide the radio antenna. i think i paid 15 for it at the local auto parts store. you could mount this anywhere, under the hood or somewhere and then still have a working antenna but get rid of the hole that you dont like. just an option.

 

You can also get a rubber duck style replacement antenna mast that just screws into the existing hole and looks like a police walkie talkie antenna.

Gene

 

eeewww that would be kinda ug. I think you should just put it behind your seat if any thing