1963 antenna questions

**Joe L.** · May 16, 2014, 10:15 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Originally posted by Craig Olson (6815)

my 63 antenna is bent beyond repair, are the 63 64 antennas the same? also has anyone purchased the repo antenna with the bowtie on the base sold by a major vendor? how are they compared to originals? will they do well as far as judging?

Craig-------

The 1963 and 1964 antenna assemblies were the same part number. Whether there may have been some sort of nuance difference, I do not know.

**Edward J.** · May 17, 2014, 08:01 AM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Craig, I can tell you the NOS replacements are not 100% correct, I have one and the masts do not re-track all the way down, the repro ones do. I have not judged a repro one, maybe someone that has can comment.

**John D.** · May 17, 2014, 12:48 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

What is important is the overall height of the antenna when it's collasped/down as far as it will go. Measurement when down is about 13-1/2 to 13-9/16"
Typical NOS part number floating around is 985922. This is a passenger car part number and antenna assembly. Assembly is the key word as the antenna itself is the same as the 63 Corvette. The nut or bezel holding it on is diffierent. Hence a different part number for the Corvette part.
Overall height is approx 53-3/4". Originals I have seen don't collaspe a 100% The last section sticks up about 1/4"
Personally I would prefer an original than a repro as too many of the cars are ending up as repromobiles. But that's not fair to make that statement with so many wonderful repro parts being made to keep our cars on the road.
Nothing wrong with using the '922 antenna on your 63-64. It will fly thru qualified judging. JD

**John D.** · May 17, 2014, 02:05 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Michael Hanson reminded me that 64 antenna height not the same as 63. Sticks up higher. He said early 64 might be the same as 63. Many passenger car antennas with various part numbers had the sane mast as the 63 Corvette

**Stuart F.** · May 17, 2014, 02:38 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

I bought a NOS (so called from my local Chevy dealer) back in about 1976 and it sticks up about 17-1/2" when full down. I always liked it that way because the lower section is strong and I liked to put pull over flags on it for shows and parades (not any more). It would work real good even at fast speeds, such that the flag would come apart long before there was any stress on the antenna staff.

Stu Fox

**David L.** · May 17, 2014, 09:51 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Back in the late 1980's and early 1990 I owned an early 1963 SWC (VIN # 1450). During that time I collected several NOS and used 63-64 antenna from various sources and did some research. I still have a few of the used 63-64 antenna somewhere in my garage.

Dave

**John D.** · May 18, 2014, 09:10 AM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Originally posted by Stuart Fox (28060)

I bought a NOS (so called from my local Chevy dealer) back in about 1976 and it sticks up about 17-1/2" when full down. I always liked it that way because the lower section is strong and I liked to put pull over flags on it for shows and parades (not any more). It would work real good even at fast speeds, such that the flag would come apart long before there was any stress on the antenna staff.

Stu Fox

Stu. I bought the same antenna from Chevy in 1979
Had it in my hand yesterday

**John D.** · May 18, 2014, 03:20 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Nice drawing and research Dave. I have the original antenna from my 63. It was taken off in 1970 when the car had about 30K miles on it.
Compared it to the '922 passenger car antenna and it's 100% identical in every way.
Measure my original Antenna and compared it to your measurements. Everything matches perfectly except my fully extended height is 57-7/8
Measure one of two '922's I have. Measures are 100% identical to your original. Full Extended is '58. I am going to assume the used one from my 63 needs further lubrication. I quickly sprayed it with Sili-Kroil as the sections were stuck.

Question for you Dave. My two matching NOS antennas do NOT collapse all the way.(one is on the car)
From the top of the ball to the last section they stick up 1/2". Where does the idea come from that the antennas should collapse all the way.
None of the originals I have collapse all the way whether they be NOS or used.
Your thoughts on this please. Thanks, John

**David L.** · May 18, 2014, 08:46 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Originally posted by John DeGregory (2855)

Nice drawing and research Dave. I have the original antenna from my 63. It was taken off in 1970 when the car had about 30K miles on it.
Compared it to the '922 passenger car antenna and it's 100% identical in every way.
Measure my original Antenna and compared it to your measurements. Everything matches perfectly except my fully extended height is 57-7/8
Measure one of two '922's I have. Measures are 100% identical to your original. Full Extended is '58. I am going to assume the used one from my 63 needs further lubrication. I quickly sprayed it with Sili-Kroil as the sections were stuck.

Question for you Dave. My two matching NOS antennas do NOT collapse all the way.(one is on the car)
From the top of the ball to the last section they stick up 1/2". Where does the idea come from that the antennas should collapse all the way.
None of the originals I have collapse all the way whether they be NOS or used.
Your thoughts on this please. Thanks, John

John,

I sold my 63 SWC (#1450) about 24 years and have not really given much more thought about the 63-64 antenna. I have never seen any GM or vendor shop drawings for the 63-64 antenna but I'm sure the tolerances were very loose. Back when I was collecting and researching the antenna the consensus seemed to be that factory installed 63 antennas pretty much closed up all the way. I'm sure during the manufacture of this antenna the sections of the were not cut with a lot of precision and probably in later years things got a bit sloppier. The length of the antenna is adjustable so why would the manufacturer be concerned about an inch or so. It would be nice to see the original shop drawings.

Dave

**Duke W.** · May 19, 2014, 10:08 AM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

My mid-production SWC's antenna does not completely retract. The top three sections telescope into the bottom section, which is fixed, so when fullly retracted the antenna is about 13" high. This was pretty much SOP for antennas from that era, and unless there was a change later in the year, all '63s antennas should be the same.

When I bought a MG Mitten car cover it included some reinforcing patches that you ironed onto the hole you had to cut for the antenna.

I alwaiys thought that rear mounted antennas looked "sporty", and I recall that a lot of Chrysler products from the "swept wing" era had dual rear-mounted antennas. It later dawned on me that the reason for mounting the antenna on the rear of a Corvette was to get it as far away as possible from the RFI generated by the ignition system.

Again, nice piece of research and documentation, Dave.

Duke

**Stuart F.** · May 19, 2014, 07:17 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Does anyone recall the standard advice back then was to adjust your antenna length to 30" for best FM reception? I don't know but what this was in some instruction or not. Back in 63 FM in cars was kind of new and my Army buddy was a fanatic about it, so when we went for a ride in or around White Sands he insisted on pulling out his tape measure to set the length correctly. Come to think of it, there weren't many station we could get down there anyway. Our favorite AM station though was KSL In Salt Lake City. Cool sounds.

Stu Fox

**David L.** · May 19, 2014, 08:01 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

I remember 31" as the optimum length for FM reception. To verify this I just measured the antennas on my 1998 S10 and 1994 Z28. Both measure 31" from the fender surface to the tip of the antenna.

Dave

**Leif A.** · May 19, 2014, 08:14 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

Originally posted by Stuart Fox (28060)

Does anyone recall the standard advice back then was to adjust your antenna length to 30" for best FM reception? I don't know but what this was in some instruction or not. Back in 63 FM in cars was kind of new and my Army buddy was a fanatic about it, so when we went for a ride in or around White Sands he insisted on pulling out his tape measure to set the length correctly. Come to think of it, there weren't many station we could get down there anyway. Our favorite AM station though was KSL In Salt Lake City. Cool sounds.Stu Fox

Stu,I bet that's why the '67 fixed staff antenna is exactly 30". I, also, remember that advice once you mentioned it...hadn't heard that in years

**Duke W.** · May 19, 2014, 08:31 PM

Re: 1963 antenna questions

The formula for a monopole antenna with a ground plane is:

Length (in.) = 2808/frequency (MHz)

The midpoint of the FM frequency bandwidth is about 98 MHz, so run the numbers through your calculator and tell us what you get.

I think there may be a rule that you should size the antenna for the upper (or is it the lower... I forgot) end of the bandwidth you want to optimize, so in that case use 88 or 108 MHz.

A 30-incher is optimized for 93.6 MHz.

Duke

1963 antenna questions

1963 antenna questions

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment