And adapter plugs are cheap. Get the right one for a '78 Corvette, solder the plug leads to the stereo leads, plug into factory harness and go.
power antenna
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
power antenna
I was reading in one of my restoration books that the power antenna on the 78 will only function with the original Delco radio. Anybody else heard or experienced this? I would assume that it has a power hookup in the Delco radio, but that seems like it would be easy to bypass....
Mine hasnt worked but neither has the radio (aftermarket) since I owned it. Getting ready to install all new wiring, just wanting to check before I ripped the antenna out and installed a new aftermarket power one.
Since I am awaiting parts to finish out my rear end I am hunting up all the little things under there that need to be done......
Mine hasnt worked but neither has the radio (aftermarket) since I owned it. Getting ready to install all new wiring, just wanting to check before I ripped the antenna out and installed a new aftermarket power one.
Since I am awaiting parts to finish out my rear end I am hunting up all the little things under there that need to be done......
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: Manitowoc Wisconsin
My '80 power antenea works fine with new after market CD player. When I bought the new radio I got new harnesses which mated up with existing wiring. All I had to do over and above this was get main power to the new yellow wire on the new stereo.
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
From: Henryville Indiana
My 79 was cut up when I got it.The aftermarket stereo sends a signal through the blue/white wire out of the head unit which is hooked to the yellow power antenna wire.The whole circuit is powered by the dome/ctsy fuse in the fuse box.The radio is on a separate circuit.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
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Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
appreciate the info, have located the yellow wire in the center console. another one under the dash, previous owner was a slash and burn kinda guy, All the wires I have been finding have been slashed and those that arent, burned. Thanks for the info, trying to keep it as close to original as I can.....
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
appreciate the info, have located the yellow wire in the center console. another one under the dash, previous owner was a slash and burn kinda guy, All the wires I have been finding have been slashed and those that arent, burned. Thanks for the info, trying to keep it as close to original as I can.....
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
you would have to apply power to it to get it to raise, once its up, disconnect the power. I got mine back in the car and hooked all the connections up yesterday, it works good as new!
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,622
Likes: 29
From: The Netherlands
I only have green, white and grey. Green seems to be ground, white should be power, so I can hook up grey to the blue-white line coming from my new(ish) headunit and the power antenne should work, correct?
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 4,358
Likes: 214
From: Beecher Illinois
Nope. there are different combinations with the three wires to raise and lower the factory antenna. Don't you have a relay? That's what the relay does. Under the parking brake cover at the very rear. Orange powers it, yellow triggers it.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,458
Likes: 1
From: Collinsville MS
St. Jude Donor '08
If you trace it, you will see the green, white and grey run into the console beneath the parking brake assembly. They come in from the drivers side just behind the seat belt anchor. Pull the passenger side console panel off and you will see the wires going into a relay with the yellow and orange going out of the relay to the stereo/power.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 22,114
Likes: 4,138
From: Kannapolis NC
If you're hooking up to the stock relay, and you have the correct stock antenna, you need to connect the blue antenna switching wire from the head unit to the yellow wire going to the relay under the console.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 5,234
Likes: 898
From: Myrtle Beach SC
I just got Don Olsen's 78 colored wiring diagram and its wonderful compared to the OEM schematic. Shows exactly what you'll are describing above. In fact, my saturday project is to trace the wiring on my 78 to figure out why the antenna is not going up...so between my schematic and the lessons detailed here...I'm good to go. Of course it could be that relay.
Anyway to bench test the relay?
Had to edit to add that with Don's schematic...you can follow precisely what you describe in regards to L82Shark's comment:
Anyway to bench test the relay?
Had to edit to add that with Don's schematic...you can follow precisely what you describe in regards to L82Shark's comment:
If you trace it, you will see the green, white and grey wires run into the console beneath the parking brake assembly. They come in from the driver’s side just behind the seat belt anchor. Pull the passenger side console panel off and you will see the wires going into a relay with the yellow and orange going out of the relay to the stereo/power.
Last edited by hunt4cleanair; Mar 22, 2008 at 05:59 AM. Reason: add comment
