- :
- '04 RX8
How To: Modify Stock P5 Antenna 1/2''
Tools: Exacto Knife, Hack Saw (skinny metal cutting saw), sand paper/emery cloth/metal file, paint/primer
DISCLAIMER: This is an appearance modificational only. I have not tested the reception quality. I do not believe the stock antennas work very well to begin with, and the low quality of FM/AM radio. This mod is for appearance only and is helpful to people who do not care about their FM/AM reception.
All of the protege 5 antennas are falling to pieces. Go and take a look at yours if you haven't noticed it. If your stock antenna is still in good condition than your lucky, but almost every protege5 antenna I have seen looks like this. This particular one is bad, almost all of the rubber is gone. Your may just have discoloration, a break down of the rubber, or likely cracks in the rubber.
Now what you want to do is remove all the rubber around the base of the antenna. Basically it depends on how broken down yours is. Alot of it you can peel off with your fingers and for the rest of it you might need to use your Exacto knife. Becareful. This is crappy rubber your cutting with a knife, do not slice yourself.
Now you should be left with something that resembles this.
Ok. Unfortunatly I have a crappy camera so try and understand. In this picture are two antennas. The one on the bottom is more rusted than the upper one. If your coiled spring is rusted you simply need to sand it, you only need to get a good enough surface like the one above it so that you can make the cut with the hack saw in the next part.
Ok. This demonstrates the two situations you can have. The upper is the easier and the lower is the tougher. The upper has space between the spring and the metal ring, this is where you want to cut. The lower does not have space between the spring and where you want to cut. For the upper you simply cut as demonstrated in the picture. For the lower what you want to do is try to manipulate the spring out of the way, get your hacksaw in there between the spring and the metal ring and cut. Also you can make up your own technique and cut or sand away the rusted coil spring. Eitherway you need to cut between the coiled spring and the 3rd metal ring.
Ok. If you understand this correctly, sorry for the bad pictures, you are cutting just above the 3rd ring (furthest left in the pictures). When your done sawing through that small piece of metal you will be left with this.
Now. You may need to either shave off some metal where you cut or use a file to smooth out the metal where you cut. Eventually you will want to finish by sanding the top with a good sand paper.
Now your done. That screws right into the stock antenna mount since as it was before except now with much less rubber, rust, and plastic. You can polish it up and you now have a VERY short silver antenna. 1/2'' !!
Now this is the optional recommended part. I recommend you paint your new antenna black to match the antenna base that is on your car. It will depend on how much time you put into sanding, priming, and painting with many light coats. Remember this piece is SMALL so it will be best to use alot of delicate sprays to get the best look when it's all done. This is what it looks like when its all done in black installed on the car.
OR my favorite, the custom "Bee Striped" shorty antenna as I have named it. This is ultimatly the look I have chosen. You paint the centers between the rings black and leave the rings themselves silver. VERY SHARP LOOKING.
(pic) - comming soon
(pic) - comming soon installed on car
And thats it. PM or post questions to me. Hope this mod helps alot of people.
Tools: Exacto Knife, Hack Saw (skinny metal cutting saw), sand paper/emery cloth/metal file, paint/primer
DISCLAIMER: This is an appearance modificational only. I have not tested the reception quality. I do not believe the stock antennas work very well to begin with, and the low quality of FM/AM radio. This mod is for appearance only and is helpful to people who do not care about their FM/AM reception.
All of the protege 5 antennas are falling to pieces. Go and take a look at yours if you haven't noticed it. If your stock antenna is still in good condition than your lucky, but almost every protege5 antenna I have seen looks like this. This particular one is bad, almost all of the rubber is gone. Your may just have discoloration, a break down of the rubber, or likely cracks in the rubber.
Now what you want to do is remove all the rubber around the base of the antenna. Basically it depends on how broken down yours is. Alot of it you can peel off with your fingers and for the rest of it you might need to use your Exacto knife. Becareful. This is crappy rubber your cutting with a knife, do not slice yourself.
Now you should be left with something that resembles this.
Ok. Unfortunatly I have a crappy camera so try and understand. In this picture are two antennas. The one on the bottom is more rusted than the upper one. If your coiled spring is rusted you simply need to sand it, you only need to get a good enough surface like the one above it so that you can make the cut with the hack saw in the next part.
Ok. This demonstrates the two situations you can have. The upper is the easier and the lower is the tougher. The upper has space between the spring and the metal ring, this is where you want to cut. The lower does not have space between the spring and where you want to cut. For the upper you simply cut as demonstrated in the picture. For the lower what you want to do is try to manipulate the spring out of the way, get your hacksaw in there between the spring and the metal ring and cut. Also you can make up your own technique and cut or sand away the rusted coil spring. Eitherway you need to cut between the coiled spring and the 3rd metal ring.
Ok. If you understand this correctly, sorry for the bad pictures, you are cutting just above the 3rd ring (furthest left in the pictures). When your done sawing through that small piece of metal you will be left with this.
Now. You may need to either shave off some metal where you cut or use a file to smooth out the metal where you cut. Eventually you will want to finish by sanding the top with a good sand paper.
Now your done. That screws right into the stock antenna mount since as it was before except now with much less rubber, rust, and plastic. You can polish it up and you now have a VERY short silver antenna. 1/2'' !!
Now this is the optional recommended part. I recommend you paint your new antenna black to match the antenna base that is on your car. It will depend on how much time you put into sanding, priming, and painting with many light coats. Remember this piece is SMALL so it will be best to use alot of delicate sprays to get the best look when it's all done. This is what it looks like when its all done in black installed on the car.
OR my favorite, the custom "Bee Striped" shorty antenna as I have named it. This is ultimatly the look I have chosen. You paint the centers between the rings black and leave the rings themselves silver. VERY SHARP LOOKING.
(pic) - comming soon
(pic) - comming soon installed on car
And thats it. PM or post questions to me. Hope this mod helps alot of people.
Last edited:
