Stephen0523

Hello again.
I inherited a 1984 Delta 88 with the 307 engine.
Quick question the antenna is stuck in the up position and I'm not sure if it is meant to stay there or if it is one of the ones that go up when the radios turned on. How can I check this and how can I fix it so it will go back down?

Thanks in advance!

oldcutlass

2 ways, 1 is to look at the antenna base to see if it has a motor on it or 2 see how easy it is to push it down. An electric antenna will not go down easily, so don't force it..

jcdynamic88

if it looks like it comes out of a recess in the fender with a mast it is power.the non-power antennas were in the windshield.

joe_padavano

The GM power antennas of that vintage use a flexible plastic rod inside the mast as the push-pull mechanism to make the mast go up and down. The plastic rod winds on a spool on the motor. Due to age, it breaks, which makes the antenna stop working. You can disassemble the antenna and replace the mast, which comes with a new plastic rod.

Stephen0523

Hello.
Yesterday I tried to get into the area of the antenna motor but for the life of me after removing several screws I could not remove the steel fender cover. It is metal and it seems to be held on somewhere that I cannot see. Any diagrams or information would be greatly appreciated.

Local Hero

There used to be a guy here on the near west side of Cleveland who specialized in replacing these power antennas. You would show up with the car. He'd pull it into the bay. You went to the waiting room. There were no windows for you to watch what he was doing.

Within about 30 minutes you were set to go with a freshly rebuilt antenna installed and only $125 lighter.

He'd keep yours and rebuild it for the next guy.

He was so good that no one was allowed to watch to see what his secret was.

Stephen0523

Thanks local hero! Looking at the metal cover I am almost tempted to just cut it and make like a door that can be open when needed to be.

joe_padavano

The fender needs to come off to R&R the antenna. Get a factory Chassis Service Manual for instructions. There are a large number of bolts that need to be removed. The CSM shows where they are.

Stephen0523

Thanks Joe for the quick reply!
Again it seems very odd to have to remove an entire fender to gain access. I was in there the other day and I could pull the metal back enough to see the motor which leads me to think cutting and access hole might be a good idea even to silicone and pop rivet a metal cover back on would be easier then removing the entire fender!

Stephen0523

Just a quick thought; it may also be unplugged from the back of the radio as I was wondering if it might be hardwired to the antenna motor behind the fender?

joe_padavano

The antenna motor runs to a relay that is under the hood. The radio harness plugs into the relay. The most common failure mode is breakage of the plastic rod inside the antenna that drives the mast up and down.

Stephen0523

Thanks Joe. I will keep digging and see if I can find some more photos or videos to assist me in my quest!

Human

I had several break on mid/late '90s GM cars and I'd get replacements for less than $15 from the junk yard. The trick is to grab one that's fully retracted into the fender. If it's fully retracted, chances are it got there under its own power; also, they were much easier to get out than the ones I was replacing, which were invariably harder to remove because they were fully or partially extended. The ones I replaced on a '94 Olds LSS, '95 Bonneville and a '97 DeVille were all mounted in the rear fender with easy access through the trunk.

Stephen0523

Thanks human. I am really at a loss. I am going to try and get into it on the weekend, and worst case take out the cutting wheel and make an access hole.

dolarob

Mark, I have a 83' Olds Delta 88 and my antenna is power and the mast does not go up and down and I can manually push it up and down and the unit draws power thus draining the battery so for now, I have unplugged the power connectors near the hood bracket. Do you have any additional information at all on the guy in West Cleveland here at all any name etc? Did I see Buckeye Boys? I am not too far from Cleveland and actually looked at this today and even getting at mine is quite detailed to even get to it. I actually have relatives I will be visiting over the holidays, so I could drive my 83' Olds Delta 88 Royale Brougham up to see folks and try and get this power antenna replaced.
Please advise and thank you very much!
Rob