Can I remove my antenna?

[Alacritan]

I want to get rid of my antenna since I don't use the radio, but I'm not sure how to plug the hole I'll inevitably make when I take it out. Has anyone done this?

[Visionz]

Yeah..it's called shaving the antenna. Basically, you remove the antenna and then fiberglass the hole and smooth it all over. Paint and you're good to go. If by chance you ever do decide to listen to the radio after you've shaved it, you can buy a low profile antenna that installs on the inside of your window.

If you really want to get unique and different, then you can French the antenna too. No...don't go out side and start making out with it. :lol:

You basically remove the antenna, then dremel out a large oval shaped hole, smooth the inside out, paint, and finish it up. You then counter sink the antenna down into the hole by a few inches, which in term then gives the illusion that the antenna is sinking into the body.

Shaving doesn't take as much detail as frenching, but either one is definitly a cool modification to do. Good luck.... :

[elantra101]

Yeah I want to shave my antenna and door handles too. But I heard that it is good to weld metal over the holes, is this true?

[Visionz]

Elantra....yeah..it's best to weld the opening shut, but that depends on a couple of things.

1) If you weld the opening shut, you'll almost never be able to go back to having handles or the antenna again, in the stock positions. Most people never would put their stock handles back in or whatever, but ya never know.... :hmmm:

2) Welding gives you better brace. Basically by only fiberglassing the area WITHOUT welding, it's easy for the area to crack and/or spiderweb. Welding in a steel template over the area re-inforces the area and makes it solid.

It's alot more work to weld the areas, and shops would charge more, but it just depends on how involved you want the project to be. To be perfectly honest, I would (and I always do with my customers' cars) weld the handles shut, but as far as the antenna goes, it's not neccesary to weld that small of a hole closed. You could just fiberglass over it. Good luck... :