The windshield antenna actually works quite well if it's plugged in properly.
I lived in some very rural areas of upstate NY and Northern NH. I used the windshield antenna and got decent reception.
It's actually two cables and the wires embedded in the windshield.
There's a pigtail that snaps onto a connector button at the base of the windshield dead center like shirts from the 70's. This is the piece that most often gets fouled up by improper installation.
The coaxial cable bolts to the steel dash just under the button and pigtail on the windshield. This portion of the antenna system is the only section that's shielded. If you remove the dash pad and speaker you'll find it's very easy to access and replace both parts or just plug in the pigtail.
Keith Seymore posted the following pictures. Click on the pictures and they'll take you to the original thread.
Windshield Antenna Adapter
Looking forward at the windshield:
Looking down through the speaker hole (disappears in the ductwork making it's way to the back of the radio:
