Hardtop roof rack???

[Steffen]

I recently noticed that the two lines that run laterally along each side of the OEM Hardtop for a roadster are actually indented...

does this mean its possible to install a roof rack?? it looks like it was intended for a roof rack clamp to fit into those indents.

does anyone know anything about this?

Steffen

 

[Duncodin]

The two grooves along the roof should have rubber inserts. From the factory the rubber inserts just glue in with double sided tape. If you somehow anchored a roof rack to the rubber inserts your luggage would, basically, be just held to the car with double sided tape.

Without the rubber inserts the groove in the roof is too smooth to be used to anchor a roof rack.

Now. actually. I was thinking of this exact same thing yesterday. How to (temporarily) fit roof bars to take my BeachCaster.

The inside of the roof there's a fibreglass panel - same shape as the roof - to which the headlining is attached. That panel is held to the underside of roof with little plastic studs. I've had that panel out a few times. It's awkward but doable. I was wondering if I could remove that panel. Drill holes in the roof in the grooves you mentioned and mount a threaded insert so the thread insert is underneath the rubber strips and little holes in the rubber strip with plugs. Remove the plugs. Screw in a fabricated anchor to hold fabricated roof bars.

It would spoil the look of the car with the bars mounted but with my beach fishing paraphernalia on the roof it would be pretty obvious where I'm going. Or I could just tae a different car better suited to the task at hand.

Then I remember that I haven't actually been fishing for maybe 20 years. I started keeping fish in the house and in the garden pond so I don't think I'd have the heart to actually knock one on the head. Getting soft in my old age.

 

[Steffen]

that sounds to me like a really good idea.

There are just two questions that come to mind regarding the feasibility of this idea :
1. will threaded inserts mounted in the roof be strong enough to hold a roof rack with a small roof cargo carrier?
2. is the mounting hardware of the hardtop strong enough to withstand the extra load of the rack + cargo?

I don't think that a small roof cargo carrier with a bunch of clothes in it would cause too much of a problem for the hardtop to handle, but at the moment it's all just if buts and maybes because this seems to be uncharted area in the z3 world...

I think a roof cargo carrier would look really cool mounted on a hardtop, and it would also allow me to go on longer road trips.

Duncodin, if you decide to go any further with your idea please post about it on the forum, I think its a really good idea and I would do it myself if I had a hardtop. I'm still looking for one...

 

[Duncodin]

In my case I was just thinking of a fishing rod. If you're looking for more then consider a bootlid mounted rack. That's the traditional place

The z3 hardtop is fibreglass. That's pretty strong but flexible. Too much weight and/or downforce or lift and the gel coat may crack.

 

[Nodzed]