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Tragically, two of my Festys did not come from the factory with radios, so they didn't have stock antennas. Both cars had radios in them when I got them, but the POs used some random antennas they just put inside the car, laying them on the floor. (One car--Casper--I was able to get rid of, to some unsuspecting guy in FL.)
But the other car (Kittystiva) I decided needed an actual Festiva antenna. I have two, one black and one chrome. I installed the chrome one. After some trial and error, I found that this method worked well and fairly quickly.
PARTS
one Festiva antenna
one typical wire coat hanger
#2 Phillips screwdriver
needle-nose pliers
one 12 oz beer
duct or masking tape
zip ties + something to cut them
(optional) another beer
PROCEDURE
1. If you too have a radio with a jerryrigged antenna, remove the antenna. Then remove the piece of duct tape or the antenna delete plate covering the antenna hole on the A pillar, where it meets the roof.
2. Unwind the coat hanger so it is a straight piece. Do not cut it, since you will need all of its length.
3. Drink 1/3 to 1/2 of the beer.
4. To the left of the hood release handle is a small hole, about 2/3" diameter. Feed the coat hanger up that hole to the hole up on the A pillar. Extract a couple of inches of the hanger with the needle-nose pliers. There should still be a couple of inches of hanger sticking out of the bottom hole as well.
5. Tape the end of the antenna wire (the piece that fits into the radio) to the coat hanger end which is sticking out of the top of the A pillar. Then draw the wire, and eventually the antenna piece itself, down into the A pillar, by pulling on the coat hanger where it is still sticking out of the little hole at the bottom. This will take a bit of twisting around to get it in, especially when the white plastic antenna sheath hits the bend in the body at the bottom of the A pillar.
6. Pull the coat hanger completely out of the little hole at the bottom, with the antenna wire still attached. The needle nose or some other pliers will come in handy here.
7. The hard part is now done. Once I realized that this is the way to do it, Steps 5 and 6 took about 5-10 minutes.
8. Secure the antenna at the top of the A pillar with two screws; stick the antenna wire into the radio, and test the radio. Reinstall the radio and zip-tie the antenna wire under the dash.
9. Congratulate yourself on being an genius, which is not appreciated at all by your wife, and drink the rest of the beer. Drink the optional beer as well, if you are so inclined.
But the other car (Kittystiva) I decided needed an actual Festiva antenna. I have two, one black and one chrome. I installed the chrome one. After some trial and error, I found that this method worked well and fairly quickly.
PARTS
one Festiva antenna
one typical wire coat hanger
#2 Phillips screwdriver
needle-nose pliers
one 12 oz beer
duct or masking tape
zip ties + something to cut them
(optional) another beer
PROCEDURE
1. If you too have a radio with a jerryrigged antenna, remove the antenna. Then remove the piece of duct tape or the antenna delete plate covering the antenna hole on the A pillar, where it meets the roof.
2. Unwind the coat hanger so it is a straight piece. Do not cut it, since you will need all of its length.
3. Drink 1/3 to 1/2 of the beer.
4. To the left of the hood release handle is a small hole, about 2/3" diameter. Feed the coat hanger up that hole to the hole up on the A pillar. Extract a couple of inches of the hanger with the needle-nose pliers. There should still be a couple of inches of hanger sticking out of the bottom hole as well.
5. Tape the end of the antenna wire (the piece that fits into the radio) to the coat hanger end which is sticking out of the top of the A pillar. Then draw the wire, and eventually the antenna piece itself, down into the A pillar, by pulling on the coat hanger where it is still sticking out of the little hole at the bottom. This will take a bit of twisting around to get it in, especially when the white plastic antenna sheath hits the bend in the body at the bottom of the A pillar.
6. Pull the coat hanger completely out of the little hole at the bottom, with the antenna wire still attached. The needle nose or some other pliers will come in handy here.
7. The hard part is now done. Once I realized that this is the way to do it, Steps 5 and 6 took about 5-10 minutes.
8. Secure the antenna at the top of the A pillar with two screws; stick the antenna wire into the radio, and test the radio. Reinstall the radio and zip-tie the antenna wire under the dash.
9. Congratulate yourself on being an genius, which is not appreciated at all by your wife, and drink the rest of the beer. Drink the optional beer as well, if you are so inclined.
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