Sheetmetal question

[surreal_awakening]

So I want to drill a 9/16" hole through the roof of my car to run an antenna for my satellite radio. I'm tired of the water running along the antenna wire and leaking into the car the way it is set up now. What is the best way to drill cleanly through the sheetmetal. I haven't had the best of luck with that "cleanly" part in the past. Suggestions/tips/etc?

[CactusWill]

Just buy a regular antenna mount. It has a seal and doesn't leak.

[surreal_awakening]

What exactly are you referring to by "regular antenna mount"? The sat radio antenna has a wire run through my door jamb to the cabin of the vehicle. Water is slipping past the weatherstrip that way.

[CactusWill]

I'll get a pic of one later this week.

[Caboose73]

stick it to the inside of your rear window thats how i have mine cause i got sick of the water leaking in

[surreal_awakening]

Do you notice any difference in reception that way?

[Cliff8928]

So I want to drill a 9/16" hole through the roof of my car to run an antenna for my satellite radio. I'm tired of the water running along the antenna wire and leaking into the car the way it is set up now. What is the best way to drill cleanly through the sheetmetal. I haven't had the best of luck with that "cleanly" part in the past. Suggestions/tips/etc?

Just go slow with the drill and use a smaller size then go larger.

Do you have a factory XM antenna that you're using?

[surreal_awakening]

No, I was going to get a marine style Sirius antenna, unless a factory XM antenna will connect to and work with my Sirius receiver.

[Cliff8928]

Yeah, it works fine with the XM antenna on sirius.

[surreal_awakening]

Maybe I'll look for a factory antenna on fleabay then.

[Noseminer]

With mine i just ran it down the weather strip. Mine had a small lip that pulled back on the weather strip, and i just tucked the wire in there and ran it down the door then around to the dash.

[NONE]

step bit, if you have one.

[Caboose73]

Do you notice any difference in reception that way?

Nope works just fine and i also have an xm antenna plugged into my sirius

[surreal_awakening]

Go slow with a step bit and an XM antenna will work...good info guys. Will have to evaluate inside of the window vs. drilling now. Thanks all.

[A57]

Dont drill anything, just run the anti. out the back and up to the rear trunk.

[surreal_awakening]

I'm long past this now. The car will be in the scrap yard by the end of the month. But thanks anyway.

[cherrington17]

Dont drill anything, just run the anti. out the back and up to the rear trunk.

was wondering why no-one else mentioned this... but obviously... this can be closed now.

[Ian 2000GL LA1]

pull up the seal and tuck it into it and run it thats what i did with my nav antenna, no problems... ill get pictures tommorow.


NVM i skimmed before i read it all.

[zzyzzx]

if you want to see what would happen if you tried drilling through the car, you can get all the practice you want now.

[surreal_awakening]

if you want to see what would happen if you tried drilling through the car, you can get all the practice you want now.

True enough :haha:

[zzyzzx]

It might be useful information for future reference. Seriously. I often take stuff apart right before I through it away, just to see what's on the inside.

[surreal_awakening]

Very true. I do the same thing quite often.

[C_EICK]

I ran mine through the trunk. Mine's sitting on the deck lid, I ran the wire around the front of the decklid and through my interier panels.