Shadow7874

I know i saw a thread about this but the search feature isnt helping to much. I considered buying one but im not sure how short i wanna go. The 8 inch almost looks too small. What kind of reception loss would i get by cutting my antenna to 14" or so? also anyone got a link to a how to. i know its a prety basic thing but i just want to make sure i dont screw something up

Shadow7874

Also anyone here know much about painting? I dont want to make another thread but i would like to know if it would be a bad idea to paint my own louvers/scoop or what ever. I have a very cheap paint sprayer but if i keep it on the finest spray and take my time would it look ok?

Nuke

I have the 14" shorty from AM but could have easily cut my stock one. The reception is barely worse than the buggy whip. People have cut theres and I recall they even were able to remove the ball from the tip and reinstall it. Just a little black paint for any touch-up.

Personally, I'd leave painting to the pros. My pre-painted quarter window louvers were a perfect match and my Ford dealership's body shop painted my rear window louvers... another perfect match. I believe you'd need to spray paint a few coats of your color and additional coat(s) of clearcoat. No way I'd have been able to do the job they did on mine.

SaddleUp

I cut my stock antenna....just cut it off at the length I wanted and reattached the ball to the end. Looks much better.

drfister

Measure different lengths (8", 12", 14") of the antenna and mark them off with tape. Decide for yourself which looks better. Remember: you can always go shorter but not taller.

48prerunner

any pics or how short you went? I bought a 13 " one for my sisters escape so I could get her stock one to cut down for my mustang but the 13" just looked wrong on my car I'm thinking maybe roof height so its doesnt really catch your eye I have a black car.

Nuke

The typical aftermarket sizes are 8" and 14". I have the 14" and it looks good on the Stang and is a pretty close match with the roofline. I think the 8" looks to small and I believe it affects reception to a point that I'd find unacceptable.

zporta

i have the 14'' and love it...no reception loss 4 me

SaddleUp

I made mine much smaller and went with 8 inches. I am not sure you can tell by this picture or not...but it is pretty short. I like it.

Shadow7874

Is the 14 about even with the overall height of the car? i guess ill do this tommorrow since i somehow managed to get off everyday till thursday. Im thinking ill cut it to the height of the car and see how it looks first. i just dont like it towering over everything.