Long time no update! I don't have a whole lot to report, but it's been an adventure as usual nonetheless.
This antenna deal just about defeated me. If I'm being honest, I'm not not sure I can call the results a success yet. Not only is the fender a problem, but the antenna just refuses to cooperate. The GN ended up going to storage for a couple months while I rebuilt the antenna and tore the turbo Camaro apart. Here's a some pictures of taking her back home.
Here's my stainless antenna cable from The Parts Place. Spoiler: Don't bother buying this.
There's the old nylon in two pieces!
The stainless cable is in no way, shape, or form correct for this application. It doesn't fit the lock, and doesn't wind up nicely, but I had the part, and wanted to try it anyway.
It didn't work. I rebuilt it a second time and it bench tested good! I started the horrible task of putting it back in the car and made it this far...
Before plugging it back in and finding that the antenna no longer worked!
I was OVER it. I wanted so badly to have the antenna back in and working before the work car show, but it was the following day, and simply not meant to be. I put the fender back on as straight as I could, and left the hole.
I wish I knew why it wouldn't fit the same way it did before pulling it apart.
but hey! I won my class anyway.
Both cars then sat for months because my son was born on Sept 28th! Knowing that I wouldn't have a lot of time to work on cars this winter I decided to keep the GN in my heated garage for the winter. I'm not sure if that was a solid decision because there's no room for me to walk in there, and I'm not convinced that the car is in any better shape than if it were to stay in the cold barn. I have a bad mouse a problem this year. I haven't seen anything chewed up yet, but they've turned both cars into toilets, and I'm finding myself using spray detailer every couple days. Hopefully my combination of moth balls by the doors, drier sheets in the cars, and series of traps keep my paint and wires safe!
Anyway, I think I took the car for its final cruise of the season last week.
and since I had some free time yesterday I decided to put the newly rebuilt antenna back in once again. I reached out to facebook, and ended choosing Mike Massino since he offers a lifetime warranty. He made me feel a lot better. He said I had rebuilt my antenna perfectly fine. The issue was the stainless steel cable. That cable type is only meant to be pulled on and not pushed. It just binds up and uncoils when it's pushed on with any force. Makes sense to me! Mike makes his own cables that are designed to work in both directions. I would highly recommend going through him for your power antenna rebuilds and not buying the steel cables. His turnaround time is quick too! Given that the cables are $75, and Mike's service with warranty is $125, this is just a no brainer.