MDM, as long as you keep those "hanks" under about 3" or so, i think you will be fine with that.
i do think that is a very strange place to mount an antenna that large 
.
the looks you must get going down the road!
FSB- my guess is that it was one of those "the closer you get to a dummy load, the more broadbanded and less reactive antenna you have" type of situations where the losses in the system compounded to produce a lowered radiation resistance which led to him being able to futz together a ~50 ohm "load".
now he has raised his radiation resistance to the point where the peaks get sharper and the dips get lower, and he can't attain the same readings.
This is a good thing MDM!!!
i bet you will notice an improvement in your RX and TX.
also, i understand about keeping the reflect low if you are running big power. (most people who use a fighting stick or similar antenna probably are)
use the shunt coil trick FSB showed you, and you should be all good.
if it were me, i would make up a 6 turn, a 7 turn, and an 8 turn coil each with a 1:1 ratio of length to diameter. (this means that each coil should be about .5" in diameter, and about .5" long)
put lugs on each of your coils (soldered AND crimped), then try them each out before you start spreading or compressing the turns for fine tuning.
find the one that gets you as close to 50 ohms as possible, and then tweak it a bit to get things where you like them.
i think it's important to get your antenna tuned to the "1.5:1 SWR dip" i described earlier before you start messing with the shunt coil, but really that's just my opinion.
personally, i LOVE! using shunt coils in mobile installs (almost as much as i love using CM chokes at the feedpoint in mobile installs) because of the DC grounding.
this is a HUGE deal IMO, and can really make a difference in the static you hear in your receive.
best of luck, and please post your results.
LC
