Power antenna dead: can I make it manual ?

[Deschodt]

My power antenna just died (83 SC), it's stuck in the up position. Can't find a dead fuse and I'm not 100% sure how that mechanism works... Is there something I could do to leave it in place but make it manually retractable ? Right now I cannot push it down... some wire to cut, some mechanism to dismantle ? Or am I better off yanking the whole thing, motor inlcuded, and installing a simple manual one? preferably smaller !

[howiee]

Just happened to mine as well. It started not closing all the way down. I tired oiling the antena to help it and this week it finaly packed it in. Now its stuck in the up position. Sorry I can't be of any help but I'm hoping someone can give us some pointers.

I need to change my windshield and was considering getting one with the antenna in it. But what to do with the hole in the fender after?

[the]

If you want manual, you'd be much, much better off simply yanking the broken electric one, and installing a simple manual one.

They are very inexpensive and easy to install.

[Mattlock18]

My antenna got stuck in the down position last year. I went to circuit city and bought a "power" antenna that simply plugs in the back of your stereo and gets mounted near the pillar. It's a small black box that is hardly noticable (of course my sc is black on black). Now I get good reception and didn't have to mess with the old power antenna. Total cost was about $100 to have it installed (and that's just because I was lazy that day). I think it would have been under $100 just for the antenna.

[nostatic]

if you push hard enough it will go down. At least mine did.

[rusnak]

I THINK but can't confirm that the power mast is separate from the motor. A good parts guy might be able to find the mast separately, so you could replace it. Another option would be used......

I like the factory power antenna much more than the aftermarket ones. I also like the gee whiz factor of watching it go up and down, I guess I'm old fashoined, I also like the old soda vending machines.

[rgrimm]

Replaced my 84's with a manual. When I took out the electric and cracked the case, I found that the internals were completely corroded...no amount of oil would have saved it!

If you go manual (they're cheap...I bought mine right when I got the car in the late summer in part because I didn't want to cut a hole for the mast in a brand new car cover for winter storage) just make sure you tape off the electrical wires. You can always go back to an electric later. Or buy one now--you can find them for around $45 There's a guy selling them at the link below (no connection, no knowledge, just read the thread ).

Windshield would perhaps be nice. Can't imagine the reception would be as good (didn't they include an amplifier when they went to windshield antennas?). And, of course, the cost of the windshield goes up significantly.

F/S Hirschman electric antenna