The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay The Radio Bench Antenna mount location - template little help

The template calls for using the side mirror to locate the hole. However I have no side mirror. Could someone measure the distance from the windshield wiper postto the center of the hole. Like they say, "measure twice and cut once". I intend to measure 15 times before I drill.

What year and size truck?

51 3600

Jim, what really happened was:
An invisible being magically created two people from poof, nothing. Then they inter-married and created more people. Then the invisible being got mad and drowned all men, women, and babies except one real good boat builder guy and his family who loaded those dinosaurs up. Then they inter-married with each other and started all over. Then the invisible being was sorry he killed everyone and sent his son to preach forgiveness. Makes perfect sense.

I hope that we can stay on topic with this thread.

Now can anyone help out with the measurements here? I can help when I unwrap my truck in the spring but hopefully we can get an answer now.

I have a show on Saturday and think I'll plan on next week to get this done. I checked in the archives but found nothing there. I was surprised as surely a few guys would have the same problem.

I have a cab that is apart. I'll see if I can make a pattern that shows the wiper hole and antenna hole and the edge along the "cowl crease line" as mentioned on the template that came with my antennae.

wasn't there something here with a pattern that matched up along the "A" pillar for the antenna hole ?

I do not know what the "A" pillar is.

Here is the template that came with my "reproduction" antennae. It mentions the mirror bracket referred-to in the first post.

The only template I've seen has you matching up to the cowl crease line and on the other side the side mirror, no help if you have no mirror nor the hole it went in.

Ok my bad, that is the template I saw, and you are right, no mirror no hole.
The "A" pillar is the windshield post.

"A" pillar: The post at the side of windshield, "B" pillar: post/structure between door window and next window or cab. Generally they separate or boarder the windows all around the vehicle. Not door structure, but body structure.

There are two things that make the location critical. One is to avoid interfrence from the hood hitting the antenna when it is raised. The other is the on the inside of the cab, the antenna has a brace that fastens to the inner sheet metal.

Were these antenna holes typically made by the dealers when they installed the optional radios? I see more and more people reporting that their hole is on the passenger side, as mine is. Who is to say that the odd dealer/mechanic didn't decide to put the hole on the passenger side? Just wondering.

It is my impression that at least for the AD years, they were not installed in the factory. I could be wrong of course.

For all Advance-Design years, the radio was an accessory (meaning, not installed at the factory). It would have most likely been dealer-installed or installed by the owner or someone else.

I'll try to post a pattern tomorrow. I'll try to locate the pattern off the "belt-line" and the hole for the wiper post (and/or, the door opening edge).

Tim is correct. Back in the 60's I worked for the Ford place in East Texas as their "new car get-ready" guy. Part of the job, back then was to install radios and holes for antennas in cars that had come without one that the buyer wanted. That included heaters and turn signals in trucks once in a while. I never deviated from the template (the correct position)probably because it would be harder to install.

Sorry it took so long to make a template. It took me a while to be sure the PDF version was saving as a scale image (my problem was that I did not know how to print with no scaling adjustment).

JPG image of 47-55 GM antenna hole location

PDF image of 47-55 GM antenna hole location - this file has a ruler.
If/When you print this out, make sure the 7" length between holes is 7".
You may have to figure out how to turn off scaling when you print. It prints fine on an 8.5"x11" page with up to 1" margins all around.

Thanks Tim,

I've laid out the template and have a question. Is the point on the arrow at the wiper touching the base of the wiper or did you measure without the base? Also, did the other arrow tip run to the center of the Antenna hole?

I made the drawing on a bare cab. The holes were formed by pressing through the paper into the holes in the cab.

The 7" distance is from the outside of one hole to the outside of the other hole on the flat template. The measurement is to make sure you have printed out the correctly scaled template. You do not measure 7" hole-to-hole on the truck.

Please note that the paper was pressed into place on the non-flat cab surface.

- Draw a cross-hair in the center of the antenna hole on the pattern.
- Make sure the wiper hole is in place against the cab.
- Line up the beltline crease, and mark the center of the antenna hole.

Here is the a ruler marking the distance from the beltline to the center of the antenna hole.
Here is the template that came with the antenna.

Drilling from this template would scare me - does it scare you?

You bet it scares me. The template that you posted and the template that came with the antenna from Classic Parts are a bit different, so even if I had a side mirror I would be hesitant to drill on those marks. What you sent me looks closer to what it should be.

Jim,

The template I received with my antenna (linked-to above) super-imposes very nicely over the template that I made. I tested them together on my stripped cab.

I'd still be scared - heck, I am scared: I have to drill an antenna hole this summer on a 54 cab that is ready to be painted this summer.

Maybe this idea would help you a little. Place a pencil or something vertical right in the middle of where the antenna should be by your template. Then open the hood and see what happens.

One thing I try and warn someone about before they use a printed copy of the original template is to measure the diameter of the hole on the template to see if it is the correct size.

lol I bet you'd be REAL scared if that 54 was already painted.

Good advice!
The difficultly I am having is the curve in the beltline crease.

I'm pretty anal about studying the directions before beginning assembly on most things and this antenna is no different. As I look at the parts on the instructions there are a couple of irregularities. First, what are the parts k & Q? Are they confused with j & Q? Second, the instructions say to bolt brackets N & O using bolt J & nut Q. However there is a threaded hole in the bottom of the mast that a screw will fit into. Next the picture shows the letters H & M pointing to the mast but nothing in the directions mentions this. It appears the directions were written some time ago and the antenna has been upgraded/changed and the directions have not. Once again those that seek to install something must gain experience in fabricating.

Yes

That is why I put on the "template" the 7" distance between holes. If that distance is OK on the printout-out, the dimensions/size of the template are OK.

I am still in the measuring mode Tim. I have a little more than 3,167 more measures and I'll be mentally ready to drill. lol

I'd do at least that many measures;
then, I would hesitate and procrastinate;
then, I would pray (not a common activity for me, but, my mother would be pleased).

Good luck.

Are these holes correct location for an antenna(s) or are these holes for a type of mirror placement???? They sure don't work with the stock mirrors.
http://s1235.photobucket.com/user/kvandatta/media/1952%20Chev%20Truck%20Cowl/MirrorLeftCowl.jpg.html

1952 1/2Ton

There are three holes.

The upper, larger hole might be for the antenna.

The lower, smaller two holes are not the original-mirror's holes.