[Phantom]

You said that you could get a signal when you would touch metal to the nub, so try running a ground strap from the antenna to the body of the car and see if it works. It might give you feed back but you could try.

Other wise just replace the antenna if you have an old pair of rabbit ears for a tv wire it to the antenna input and try placing it in the car by the windows till you can get a good signal and mount it there. I would recommend just trying the front upper and lower windshield then the back. That way you can remove it from view and keep drag down.