56 antenna wire how to run

[Cathy S.]

Tricks to install the antenna wire in the driver sill? The original is long gone. I've tried the trick of string and air pressure to run a guide wire to no avail. As always thank you

[Terry D.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Cathy
Have you tried a thin piece of wire, coat hanger is too thick. Local hardware store is where I get mine. Something in the 18 gauge range. Feed it thru and use as a guide wire.
Terry

[Dan D.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Cathy, when I did mine I used an electricians fish wire. Start at the gas tank area hole, feed the fish line forward with a strong string attached. You will be able to see the line in the kick pad grommet hole. Drag the string up through the grommet hole using a coat hanger with a hook on the end. Then unfasten the string from the fish wire and remove the tape. Tie the antenna wire to the string and drag it forward. It should come forward very easily and right up through the grommet hole. This same procedure can be used to install a new rear wire harness.

If you purchased a new antenna wire from aftermarket, have you tested this with the radio yet? Much in the archives about matching the antenna wire to the radio (electrical match). Most of the aftermarket antenna wires will not work.

Not to steal your thread, but I have a question concerning this. Is there a separate grommet hole back of the kick pad for the antenna lead, or does it go up through the same hole as the rear wire harness? My car was a radio delete and a previous owner installed a radio. I have left the radio in, but I would like to make the installation factory correct. My antenna lead was run under the floor mat.

-Dan-

[Peter R.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

My '57 was a no radio car, too. As I recall when looking behind the left kick panel, there is a separate hole for the antenna wire, but if the car never had a radio, the hole has no grommet installed. The toughest part of running the antenna cable, in my opinion, is at the rear where it comes up out of the rocker panel passage into the trunk area on the front side of the left rear wheel well. I got a video inspection camera at Harbor Freight to help me see the hard-to-get-at areas. In the end I decided to take the car back to no radio even if it meant that someday I would have to patch the antenna hole in the rear fender. Installing a new cable where one never existed seemed pretty hopeless to me. Chevrolet installed the original cable before the glued the car together--much easier that way!

Pete

[Cathy S.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Electricians fish tape was too stiff. Coat hanger worked. Thanks for the input!

[Dan D.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Fish tape is too stiff to drag up through the grommet hole. That is why I said to drag a string along with the tape. The string can be dragged up with a coat hanger.

As long as you made it work, that is all that matters. Hope your antenna coax is good, as I said before.

p.s. I wish someone would tell me if the coax has a separate hole for the grommet back of the kick panel. I'm still not sure.

-Dan-

[Gary C.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Cathy, try a mig welding wire. They're small and work well for fishing. Otherwise you'll have to cut the end off of a fishing tape.

Dan, my 57 only had one hole.

Gary
....

[Cathy S.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

My 56 has 2 holes. 2 in the footwell and 2 in the tank recess. Thanks again.

[Gary C.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Cathy,

My current 57 VIN 3XXX has a single hole in both the tank and footwell areas.

AIM Section 102 sheet 1 shows a single hole and grommet.

Gary
....

[Dan D.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

So they must have decided in 57 to run the rear harness and antenna wires in the same hole. My VIN is 4122, so I will use the 1 hole method.

Thanks Gary,

Good luck with your project Cathy,

-Dan-

[Gary C.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

Dan,

FYI - a correct size grommet is available from Corvette Central for the single hold.

Gary
....

[Dan D.]

Re: 56 antenna wire how to run

I have the correct grommets Gary. I bought the whole kit from Corvette Central. All the grommets were shot, so I am putting in all new while I am rebuilding it.

-Dan-