How to black the antenna base?

[deeceedub]

We replaced the antenna on my '99, but the base is faded and gray. What can I put on it to make it black again? I tried ArmorAll, and it looked good for about 30 minutes, and then turned ashy again. Ick.

[hyakugojyuuichi]

You might want to try Mother's Back to Black. I've never used it but several Org members say that it works really good.

[Otto the egg]

There is a product out there called "Forever Black" The product isn't a surface dressing, it's a dye so you have to be careful to either remove the antenna base, or mask it off. It's a 2 step process, with a surface prep cleaner, and then the dye itself.

[IgottaBug!]

Originally Posted by Otto the egg

There is a product out there called "Forever Black" The product isn't a surface dressing, it's a dye so you have to be careful to either remove the antenna base, or mask it off. It's a 2 step process, with a surface prep cleaner, and then the dye itself.

Which manufacturer makes it? Thanks

[Otto the egg]

Forever Black makes it

Forever Black

[deeceedub]

Thanks guys! I'll try one of those products.

[B5variant]

how'd it go?

get forever black yet? It applies like shoe polish -but it works really well - I used these on my 1985 jetta bumpers - big difference. It's almost a dye that you put on - so make sure you tape off your roof!

=)

[deeceedub]

Thanks for the help! I was surprised to find the Back To Black on the shelf at Wally World, ran across it when I was looking for new wax. I remembered that it had been mentioned so I grabbed it up... I was glad not to have to order online, as my credit card needs to rest up for the holidays. I never did find the Forever Black, and figured I'd have to order it.

I used it last week and I was very disappointed, initially. I put it on and the base was back to gray again in just a few minutes. I decided, what the heck, I have the whole bottle- I might as well use it all... so I put several more coats of the B2B on. FINALLY, it seemed to take and it did make the base look like new! Still looks good today. I'm glad, 'cause I think it's one of the only places that Speedy was showing his age...

Thanks again guys.

[SMG]

Buy a new antenna base, it's maybe 2x the price of a bottle of whatever you'd use to black it.

That's what I'm doing in the spring anyway.

SMG

[FineExampl]

Or you could go the route i will in the coming weeks and mask off the surrounding area and hitting the base with a quick coat of paint. Shoot, it's only plastic, right? Mess up, sand and start over.

[SMG]

I don't understand why just buying a new $30 antenna base on eBay is a bad idea.

SMG

[YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT]

no joke....new base 30 bucks....masking, dye coloring, painting, sanding.....forgedaboutit!!!!

[FineExampl]

Originally Posted by YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT

no joke....new base 30 bucks....masking, dye coloring, painting, sanding.....forgedaboutit!!!!

Blue masking tape: Free...already should have some
Choice of black paint: $5
Newspaper to cover work area: $.50
The cost for a single fellow on a budget? Priceless.


or $5.50 if you like

[IgottaBug!]

I've seen new antenna bases on Ebay for $19. The $30 must be with shipping included.

[SMG]

I really don't get why you would have a (relatively) expensive car, and skimp on the details.

I mean, really...

Spend a few extra dollars and do it right.

[YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT]

agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FineExampl]

Originally Posted by SMG

I really don't get why you would have a (relatively) expensive car, and skimp on the details.

I mean, really...

Spend a few extra dollars and do it right.

Ahh when you are older you shall understand. Us old people (31) feel a sense of pride by doing things by hand. Why i remember back when gasoline was just $.89 a gallon o course being too young to remember the 70s oil shortage. When i was a boy....

Some people just like doing things themselves. It's really that simple. You make a valid point about it being a bit more money than say...a Kia (Blech!). Now there's a car to waste money on. Buying one would be a waste of money.

[YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT]

Just want you to know before you read this reply....it was not meant to be rude or "a--hole like in anyway...just wanted to give you an idea of where the whole "spend the few extra bucks on your car" attitude comes from.

Also...got you by one year. I'm the old fart!

My buddies and I were joking about gas prices and how we used to bitch about $.90 a gallon for premium when we were running our sb/bb chevy's back in high school....remmeber cruising around all night....make a pass and put in $5, make a pass and put in $5, make a pass and put in $5......not it is more like make a pass and go into bankruptcy....damn I miss the "old days"!

Now.....in reference to doing things ourselves........I have rebuilt (WITH MY BROTHER........see Jim, I did not forget to mention it this time) a 1980 Camaro sport from a brown rust hole nightmare to a kelly green (don't ask) with beige leather interior near show car (if it was not for the fact that my brother Jim and I loved beatin on it!!!) with a killer 383/th-350/12 bolt combo, resto-modded a 67 Mustang from a 200 ci 6cyl to a bad ass 351 9 inch rear'ed, fire breathing bad ass piece of art work covered in 5 coats of candy apple t-code mixed with 98 Mercedes Benz red (not to mention every nut and bolt being replaced + nos interior and trim pieces), which was later payment for an engagement ring, then I completely restored a 66 K code Mustang GT 4spd car that had been sitting sine the original owner was killed while fighting in Vietnam (took years but his mother finally sold to see the car restored, which was later part of the "Wedding Fund", then restored and modified (slightly) the 1986 Detroit Auto Show's Dodge CS (Shelby) 2.2L Turbo Daytona (much larger t-3/t-4 hybrid, some computer work, head work, tranny work and about a year of searching for trim pieces), (restored and later watched my cousin kill) a stock 1964 Bed Seat AMC Rambler 220 America, joint restored a 1974 Beetle with my brother Jim (PLUG: MY BIG BROTHER TAUGHT ME ALL ABOUT CARS!!!!! THERE JIMBO I ADMIT IT!!!!! I JUST WISH YOU WARNED ME ABOUT THE COST WHEN YOU PASSED ON THIS ILLNESS WE CALL A HOBBY!!!!!!) with a full roll back rag top sunroof, painted Ford Grabber Orange with a black interior, drop spindles, chrome porsche rims and tons o' other goodies like t-bumpers, empi shifter, killer system, completely chromed engine compartment and dual solex carbs (no...not the webers---wanted the electric choke without a headache of modification), two W-S6 package Trans Am's (one original and one heavily "tuned"), "played" with a 1965 Mustang A code 4spd car (in primer but fast as all hell), retsored a Fox Bodied Ford Mustang that was a documented test car for Team SVO before disbanding (a car that had come with actual footage from the Team SVO crew pulling 135+ into turn 4 at a test track) tripple white car with lot's of "headaches" due to fabbed crap from trucks and other Mustangs (God I loved that car!!!), one heavily modified 2.0L Hyundai (yes, I said Hyundai....and yes...one drive and you too would have bought this half-kia)Tiburon with reinforced punched lower end, reworked head, extended intake manifold runners (tons of porting polishing, port matching and extrude honing to fix what the factory f-'d up), tons of suspension work (eibach's Koni, shark and others----2" drop was achieved (and alignment was never an issue....even with the 17" Mille Miglia's!!!), front and rear upper and lower struct braces, thicker front and rear sway bars, rear floor brace, apexI reverse glow guages, about 3600 in stereo up grades + a lot more (only to ultimately give the car to my baby sister in law to watch her have her guy "friends" slowly pick parts off the car, have the stereo stolen the interior thrashed, and her absolutely hammer what was left of it), and began modifying a 2003 Tiburon GT (before buying a house and selling it)and others long forgotten over the long journey ( I think I have had 26 cars (lost count along the way) but point is......I work on my cars. The 2nd point is: sometimes you are just better off spending the few extra dollars (the money that would pay for a dinner out, a few packs of butts, a couple of beers, a new shirt, mp-3 player or whatever....in order to get that correct look.

guess I gave away the fact that I'm more of a car-guy then a brand specific type of guy. I love cars.....4's, 6's, 8's, auto, stick and anything in between. My wife thinks i'm ill because I have parts stashed in every closet in every room for that project that I no longer have or don't have yet! I have millions of toy cars and regard to my collections of Muscle Mustang's and Fast Ford's, Chevy High Performance, Pontiac, Sport Compact Car, VW Trends, European Car, Hot Rod and Car Craft as the library!

Anyhow...to each their own.....and I agree with you...you put it out there kind of "short", but......the only way to experience the hobby and be a true part of the hobby it is to actually turn a wrench at some point in time by yourself....once you have proved yourself to the car-community you can start paying others without being made fun of.

Anyhow....you keep painting and dying your antenna bases. I will continue to buy new ones from here on in cause i will most likely be spending my time rebuilding that 348ci Chevy or 1600cc air cooled or maybe helping my buddy with his 727 Torque Flight or my other buddy with his B-16 honda....well we all get the point....

ps ......as for the Kia.....my father in law is a soon to be retired airline mechanic for Nortwest (whether by choice or not----God bless the airline workers and hope they all have jobs in the near future this holiday season)..... anyway....he drives only foreign cars (he claims America has not built a decent car since he purchased his 1964 GTO in High School!!), but, in order to "save" his Pathfinder from parking lot abuses, purchased a 2001 Kia Rio new at the end of 2000...the car now has 100K+ on the clock and aside from plugs, wires, oil, brakes and battery....nothing else has been an issue. I'm sure like all other brands Kia has their quirks to deal with but don't knock a brand.....eventually some kid in 20 years.......maybe your own, may regard this Kia Rio as we would a vintage VW or a Nova II.....who knows!!!!!

Happy motoring!!

[FineExampl]

Originally Posted by YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT

I'm sure like all other brands Kia has their quirks to deal with but don't knock a brand.....eventually some kid in 20 years.......maybe your own, may regard this Kia Rio as we would a vintage VW or a Nova II.....who knows!!!!!

Happy motoring!!

Before i realized i could afford the car i dreamed about, i was pricing Kias. Then i read all the reports i could about them. I'm sure for someone a Kia is a perfect vehicle as they are practical and affordable. I myself considered getting a fully loaded Optima at back in 01/02 and leasing it for if i remember $100 a month. Not a bad deal, i have to say. For a lower income person who needs a car pronto it's a fab deal. I just like VW and will only every own a VW.

(WOW did this thread get highjacked )

But seriously, i would certainly fall over with shock if Kia was the next VW. Now, Hyundai? I could see Hyundai being the next VW. Every year their models seem to improve.

[YEAHIDRIVEABUGSOWUT]

Hyundai owns 100% of Kia. VW-Audi-Porsche?! Definately not the same quality but the same theory.

Honestly though....the newest gen of Tiburon GT-V6's are quite quick fun and have excellent handling for the $, not to mention that the after market has had a decent response to this one. My 99 was much harder. Try searching for parts over Korean web sites. Luckily i found a guy over there that could translate, was thrilled with the fact that an American was as nutz as I was with the car and he was honest too....helped alot in the purchasing of parts dept.

and yes....your thread was JACKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!