Batboard

I'm going to install a UHF Mostar with a 1/4 wave NMO ant. in my truck. The radio will go in great, but I don't know where the antenna should go. I don't want to have to drill a hole in the roof, that's for dam sure. So I figured the headache rack will be the best spot so I got a piece of angle iron and drilled a 3/4" hole in it for the antenna and two 3/8" holes on the other side for mounting it to the rack with bolts. The antenna is already mounted on the angle iron and it worked out OK. I haven't put it on the rack yet but is this a good way to go?

Robert

You don't want to drill?!!?! It's not like the dealer will nick ya when it comes back in off lease . I say drill for it, nothing will beat a solid roof mount antenna. Not like the headliner (if it's still there) will be hard to drop...

I can understand not drilling a classic vehicle- especially if it's in nice condition. What is tha wattage on that radio? What about a glass mount? What about a CB-style bracket that clamps on the mirror?

Jim hit the nail on the head. The truck looks great, it's going to get a new paint job and some other parts later on. It's got some rust on the bottom of the doors and on the floorboard, but it's not bad. The radio puts out 30 watts. A glass mount or mirror mount would work, I just never thought about it. I'll try the mount I fabricated and see how it goes. If it doesn't work that good I'll go with a glass or mirror mount.

Robert

If you are going to go with a headache rack mount, be sure to get a no ground plane antenna. I have done this alot and the ngp antennas work flawlessly...

Tim

Sounds like this piece of angle iron will look funkier than a drilled 1/4wave UHF... I'd just drill it. I have a '73 Ford pickup that looks awesome (8mo old paint) and I put an 1/4 uhf on it, you barely even notice it's there. The only other option I looked at was putting a NGP antenna in one of the bed tie down holes. I've seen a few mounted in there and they come out looking pretty sharp, just get that shadow of the cab.

A strategically mounted piece of angle iron also isn't going to detract from the value of a classic 70 Chevy pickup if you go to resell it someday to a collector. A roof hole will.

70 Chevy pickups are pulling quite a buck- especially if you have one with a clean, rust-free firewall.

I agree that a roof mount works better, but for some things, I won't drill a hole. Even though he probably won't be selling this to a collector, if the day comes, a hole can decrease the value significantly. Now if the truck has a big 'ol 102" CB antenna mounted on a ball mount, maybe it's okay to drill since there's already a good hole in the body. True, the hole can be welded shut, but some most purchasers of vintage vehicles prefer original paint- whether it's faded, scratched or damaged. If they see new paint (as in repairing a roof hole), they will immediately think that eh truck was a total rust-bucket and was repainted to hide the fact.


You'll never see a 1/4 wave on the roof of my original 1987 Porsche 928S4 5-speed with the super-rare red exterion and interior color scheme (one of three in the US currently)!
Then again, you'll never see a radio in it other than my VX10 or HT1250.

LOL The whole time I've been replying to this thread I was thinking we were talking about this truck! http://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=26396

I was getting the two mixed up... I couldn't figure why you wouldn't want to drill a hole in that thing....

jim wrote: You'll never see a 1/4 wave on the roof of my original 1987 Porsche 928S4 5-speed with the super-rare red exterion and interior color scheme (one of three in the US currently)!
Then again, you'll never see a radio in it other than my VX10 or HT1250.

Well, with a 7W handy, who needs a mobile?

Once again, Jim got it. I don't think it'll look that bad, it's made of stainless steel so it matches the chrome ring on the antenna, the headache rack was painted with silver paint so it all kinda ties in together. The truck is still it's origional colors, green and white. Not a lot of rust, but the worst parts are the bed(inside) and the underbody. The interior is OK, it's gonna need a seat cover on the bench seat, and a cover on the dash to make it look better. The rack has utility lights on both sides facing the back and facing the driver and passenger sides that I installed so I can use it to go hunting. I'm going to be installing some emergency lighting in it also, got a Federal Signal alt. flasher for the headlights, and some red/red Able2 alternating lights for the pushbumper, and a 100 watt Federal spkr w/ a PA300. Also have a blue teardrop for the dash.

Robert

And no, there isn't a CB antenna on it, but there will be. I've got a CB that I tweaked that I'm going to install in the truck, also. I do have one of those 9 footer mobile antennas, the guy I got it from said it's from the late 60's, early 70's. The top 9 inches or so of it is bent, most likely from hitting overpasses with it.

The radio and antenna is being swapped out with a VHF one. I got a VHF Regency 10 channel mobile that's user programmable so that's going in and the uhf antenna is being replaced with a vhf 1/4 wave. Probably going to sell the uhf stuff.

Robert