My local pick-a-part had a 91 Firebird drop last month. I've been needing a passenger rear floor pan, so I headed out with tools. One of the options the car came with was a power antenna. My car came with a solid mast, so I figured I would grab that while it was there, knowing it would need work (the mast was broken off). I had a local expert rebuild the unit and finally got around to installing it a couple of weeks ago. I wanted the install to be as it would have been at the factory, here are some pictures and information in case others are wanting to do the same.

To get to the antenna, the passenger inner fender liner needs to be removed. Once pulled, everything is tucked into the area between the door jam and fender. I had been worried that I was going to have to remove the entire fender to mount the lower bracket that supports the mast. Fortunately, the same bracket is used for both the power antenna and solid mast. Whew!

Only special tool required is this antenna wrench, ordered from Amazon. Around $12, made spinning the retaining nuts on and off very easy.

Here is the unit installed into the fender area. The yellow bracket that the gray brace bolts to is what I thought I would need to pull the fender to attach. Fortunately, same bracket is used on the solid mast antenna.

Installing the power antenna takes some careful wiggling to get it into place. The space consumed by the Trans Am external fender vents doesn't help, either. After a few trial runs, was able to slide it into position and tighten it down.

Once the power antenna was mounted, I pulled the three wires (gray, green and white) into the cabin and pushed in the rubber grommet. Passenger kick panel and the lower hush panels will need to be removed in order to proceed. The factory relay is mounted (at least on the Firebird/Trans Am) on the front of the right side dash assembly, between the cruise control module and the rear defrost relay. The mounting spot was already molded into my dash assembly, so all I needed to do was tighten in a screw to hold the relay in place.

Silver box is the rear defrost relay, the antenna relay is on the left.

The relay requires three inputs: battery voltage, ground, and an "on" signal from the radio. The factory service manual (8A-150) schematic shows the battery voltage coming off the courtesy fuse, so I tapped into the passenger footwell light. For ground, I put a ring terminal on the ground wire and screwed it directly into the metal support of the dash assembly. The radio signal will be something that you'll have to search for. I had earlier swapped to a later model (88) harness and had planned ahead for eventually running a power antenna, so I had the signal wire running along the harness into the C207 connector. I removed the wire from the connector and spliced it directly into the relay.

Orange = battery voltage, spliced into lower footwell light. Black = ground, screwed to dash assembly. Pink = head unit signal wire.

That's pretty much it. Cleaned up the wires and bundled them into the harness, then reassembled the interior. This was part of a bigger project, including upgraded headlight wires and installing an amp and sub - another post to follow on that detail.

Now, it is nice to see the antenna extend and retract when not in use.

Also, here is contact information for the local expert on these units. Barney receives product from around the country - rebuilds power antennas and headlight motors. He is active in the Buick Reatta group, which shares some similar components. Great guy, has a very cool, old-school shop in a back room of his detached garage. The cost to rebuild my unit was $75, plus $25 for a replacement mast.

 

Good info..thanks, starting a replace on my 87 soon…

 

Funny. All the later thirdgens I've checked have the wiring for the power antenna relay taped to the main harness bundle. No splicing required.

 

Nice work thainglo!

Power antenna are just one of those '60/'70s/80s accessories that I enjoy.

I had Barney rebuild mine too back in 2015. Still going strong.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...ml#post5898351

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...ml#post5906658

 

Probably so. My car did not come with the power antenna, so I had to add the wiring into the harness.

 

You misunderstand me. All later thirdgens are wired for the power antenna whether they have it or not. The harness is just taped to the bundle. I'd have assumed earlier cars are wired the same, since usually most of the wiring to connect sub-harnesses is present. If you dig around between the heater core cover and the map pocket, you'll probably find the antenna relay connector, possibly wrapped in adhesive backed foam rubber, or taped to another harness.

 

HAH - that would be funny! A few months ago, in had swapped out my 85 under dash harness for the 88 parts car as it was fuel injected and I am planning a TPI install. I figured I would have to use an aftermarket antenna that would have the relay built in, so I wires the power on signal thru the C207 connector. I do not recall seeing anything there, but not certainly is possible that socket it hiding in there somewhere! Next time I'm playing behind the dash, I'll go hunting for it!

 

Found a brand new "Crown" Power antenna (PN = 56003151) at the shop about 2 weeks ago; NOS in original box with about an 1/4" of dust on it. I know it needs a few modifications before it will work, but was real glad to find it,... then real glad to get a real good deal on it. I ALMOST put it in my GTA that day when I got home, but then decided it was better to hold onto it as a back-up for my Berlinetta. 2 days later I drive my Berlinetta to work and the factory original Power Antenna internal "cable" snapped. Now I've got to pull the ACC fuse every time I shut the car off until I can finally get a chance to install the back-up unit I just got !

P.S. Power Antenna Relay in a Firebird - Sooooo easy to access; Power Antenna Relay in a 82-89 Camaro,...... Such a PITA !!!

 

You can say that again. Took me 45min to take mine out. They actually have TWO damn screws holding down the little relay bracket...TWO. I left mine tucked just next to the Hvac box after i fixed the cable, but i still gotta pop off the hush panel to get to it, still 10 times easier though.

 

Where is the relay in the Camaro's? Got this job incoming

 

Passenger side dash sandwiched between the heater core box and backside of dash. PITA to reach/unplug, let alone remove from.

 

For anyone trying to reach Barney Eaton for the power antenna repair, his email has changed to barneyeaton1@gmail.com. Phone number is still valid as of yesterday.

 

thanks for posting the update! I was just reaching out to him!

 

Great info...
Related question because I know some of y'all have multiple generations of cars.
My 91 TA vert has the factory power antenna. My 94 TA vert has the fixed mast, and I have to R&R the antenna mast every time I R&R the car cover.
I want to switch to the power antenna.
Anybody know if the wiring harness is there and stowed somewhere on the 4th Gen?

Thanks!

PFA.

 

I converted from stationary-to-power antenna on my 95 Z28 and don't recall a harness waiting for me; IIRC I had to custom wire it. Mine was a Chevy and your is a Pontiac so it *might* be different. There is no separate relay,.. the relay is built into the 4th gen power antenna motor so you'll have to run Power ( hot all times ) and switched power (from radio) from the mounted radio to the mounted power antenna.

In some cars there is no PINK wire at the radio harness if the car didn't get a factory installed power antenna,... so you might need to add that wire to your radio plug in order to get the 'switched' power that the antenna needs.

P.S. I have a 4th gen P/Antenna available,...... If your interested than send me a PM with your ZIP code for more info.

 

Thanks John.
I still haven't had the chance to pull out the spare and have a look....but looking over the top of the spare the other morning, all I could see was the sntrnna cable itself protected in split plastic wire loom. About 50% of the guys I've communicated with say the harness is there, about 50% say it isn't. We'll see.
If it isnt, were really only talking about running 2 wires.....the most difficult part, though is that im kind of a perfectionist, (and getting old,) and everything takes me longer. LOL!

BTW......My zip is 76701.

Jeff