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I went through a car wash a few weeks ago that made it obvious a drive through car wash wont work. It badly bent the mast. I straightened it so that it was angled like the windshield and it actually looked like it was supposed to have that bend down low near the base like it did.
I saw it wouldnt last too long because of the metal stretch it had. Yesterday before going through that same car wash I have a subscription to, I tried sliding a piece of pvc pipe over the mast to try to protect it before entering the car wash. It didnt help the mast broke right at the weak area....Now there is a one inch "nub" still there to attach something to if there is a slide over replacement mast that can be used.
In the past I seem to remember there was a replacement mast that would fasten to the nub of a broken antenna, as a solution. I think that repair solution even had a spring on it. It was not a collapsible antenna mast it was a solid flexible mast. I recall having one on my Maverick a VERY long time ago. ive Google searched this and have had no success.
I wouldnt mind an electric antenna upgrade if I could use the original look rectangular base.....any suggestions for either the electric or adding a slide over the nub repair mast? There is about an inch remaining if there is a mast repair piece that can slide over what is still there...
No idea about a slide on mast. I remember being with my aunt in her new Cougar XR-7. We filled up with gas and got the free car wash. When the car come out the other end it was beat up pretty bad. Those spinning brushes had torn her antenna off and beat the car with it. I have not been to a car wash since.
My '77 came with a broken collapsible mast that was secured with black electrician's tape.
My solution was to re-purpose the one-peice flexible mast from an '86 F-250 sitting behind the hay barn.
Different mast but exactly the same rectangular base with the snap-on chrome cap.
If you still have the broken mast, perhaps it will slide over the nub?
Tip: Silver duct tape would look way better than black.
Pop the chrome cover off and remove the 4 screws, and remove assembly and replace. That means the base AND the wire all the way to the back of the radio.
I replaced the one on my '77 with the base and mast from a '73 Dodge Charger, whip screws into the base. I have a NOS Fomoco replacement I bought to replace it with when I did the end to end refurbish, but you know how that goes.
X2. The gasket? rubber seal is the key. Antenna to be universal but the rubber seal matches the body lines and keep the antenna vertical. Sorry spell check took over and cannot correct.
If you are married to keeping the original base, you can buy an antenna with the same OD at the base of the mast as you have now. There is a metal inner stub sticking up from the base inside the antenna mast remainder (you can see it if you look down the broken part.) You remove the remains of the original mast by using a flat file to file a flat across it until you wear through the metal (or you can carefully use a cut-off wheel on a Dremel tool. Now is when it gets fun - cut the NEW antenna mast off its base - check the ID of the new antenna mast. If you went to church Sunday it should be very close to the OD of your factory stub. If the old inner stub is larger, you can carefully file it down to where the new mast will be a snuggish friction fit. Smooth off the cut edge of the new mast. Put some adhesive (think you can even use Super-Glue gel) on the stub, tap the new mast down flush to the bottom, and you have a brand new-looking old Ford antenna. Usedtabe you could buy replacement masts to fix car wash damage, don't think they sell them any more. Not to say this is an old-school fix, but Fords had stone wheels then.
All I replaced my broken mast with an entirely new antenna. This aftermarket design has a solid wire type of mast that can be easily removed to just leave the rectangular chrome base. The mast screws into the base. So if you have a car cover or want to go through a brush type of automatic car wash you can remove the mast. The whole antenna and shipping cost $25.00. The fit and finish looks good. Time will tell how well the chrome etc stands up. the base fits and looks good. 31" removable mast the tag from the package the antenna assembly came in
All I replaced my broken mast with an entirely new antenna. This aftermarket design has a solid wire type of mast that can be easily removed to just leave the rectangular chrome base. The mast screws into the base. So if you have a car cover or want to go through a brush type of automatic car wash you can remove the mast. The whole antenna and shipping cost $25.00. The fit and finish looks good. Time will tell how well the chrome etc stands up.
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