I'm trying to find out when ( year ) Chrysler went from a blank fender top ( no hole ) to a fender with the hole and chrome plug ..

That is a good question as I have had a 67 Dart radio delete that had no hole in the fender and a 69 Dart with radio delete with a plastic plug that looked like a power antenna that was in the fender?!?

I have an early 68 GTS with radio delete with a chrome plug in the passenger fender. An old Chrysler mechanic told me that if a car needed a radio the front fender had to be drilled out at his dealership. I am confused about this for you would believe that the great majority of new cars would come with an am radio and it would be easier on the assembly line to have all the right front fenders pre-drilled for an antennae.

My 68 Barracuda notch does not have the hole.

Radio Deleted

I THINK I remember it being '73. That is when they went to the raised mounting area with a flat base, IIRC.

The antennae came in a box (in the trunk usually), an installation kit with a template for where to drill the hole.

Some of our customers in rural Vermont would have us put the antenna on the left, so that low branches on our dirt roads wouldn't bend/break them off.

The short one piece masts pretty much ended that problem anyhoo.


If a fender doesn't have the raised mounting position and has a plug of some sort in the hole it is because it at one time DID have an antenna or at least the prep guys messed up and drilled without looking inside.

Deleted

I just bought a 1970 Superbee that is radio and heater delete. It has 40699 miles on it, but along the way it did get a radio installed.

Need to check if the fender has a factory stamped hole or not.

I have 70 Challenger R/T that is radio delete and that fender has no hole.

Deleted

I had a '68 Dart no radio car and there was no hole in the fender.


Parted out a couple Aussie cars too that were both radio and heater delete and no fender hole in them either..

My 71 Duster 340 was ordered without a radio. I am convinced one was added by the dealer who used an aftermarket (TRW) brand antenna. The hole cut in the fender was a crude circular cut and not like the factory where it is a stamped out hole. So no hole in the original fender. My opinion on the TRW brand antenna used by dealerships is because I have seen so many radio delete cars with that same antenna!

No hole on my 69 polara 500

Speaking of cars that were radio delete, does anyone have the factory chrome plug that some are stating filled the fender hole? I would like to pick one up from someone is they have one.

Thanks,
Buddy 605 390 1950

I didn't want to highjack this thread so I created this post

https://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/ubbt...tml#Post1925318