Roof Rack

So I bought a Thule roof rack for my snowboards/bike and Im worried about the paint on my roof getting scratched up. Ive heard some bad stories about cars getting all scratched up from roof racks.

I was thinking about buying a small piece of clear bra then cutting out squares and putting them down where the feet and clamps sit on the roof area. I intend to take the rack off when I am not using it, so will only probably have it on durring the weekends.

Anyone know where I can find a small-ish sheet of clearbra around mpls?
Or, if anyone has any other ideas let me know.

 

ide talk to anyone who does the clear bra setup, i think we had a group buy at one point...anyways NICE CAR did you buy it @ the MTK store? i think i recall that car ###, and you wanted to put a spt cat-back on it?

 

Thanks! You must be thinking about someone else. I bought it from Ray at White Bear Lake.

 

Am I missing something, or is the option of a roof rack on an STi new? My 05 won't fit a roof rack (going to have to go hitch mounted), or it will and I haven't physically figured out how.

Just wondering because I'm literally looking at bike and ski racks as we speak.

 

Its not a factory option if that is what you mean... As far as your sti fitting a roof rack I have seen them over on iwsti just do a search for roof rack there are a bunch of threads.

The Thule (thuleracks.com) rack is aftermarket I bought at Penn cycle.. and it better damn fit because the guy said it would! I have not tried to put it on yet as I am waiting to see if the clear bra idea will work. Also I think a yakima rack will fit too.

This guy has an '05 STI with a thule rack: http://www.iwsti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39704

 

So, the nice thing is I have a ton of Yakima roof rack parts...it's the mounting to the vehicle that I'm still weary of. It seems as though the part that mounts to the roof would have to wrap around the roof and compress the rubber window seal...which I can only imagine would affect the seal on the window, especially in the winter. Maybe I just have to take a closer look, and not just take the word of the dealer. If you get yours on, let me know if all works as expected. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you or anything...I've just put racks on so many different cars, and this one, so far, is giving me the biggest headache.

Mike

 

ya I know what you mean about the seal on the window, and yes im pretty sure it does hook on around that area. That is part of the reason I only want to have my rack on when I need it on, not all winter. From the research ive done on other boards people have not had a problem with the window seals, for the most part people have not had any problems at all.. a couple improperly mounted their rack and scratched their roof up.. their own fault i guess.

 

there is a blue STi here in eagan that has a thule rack on it every time i see it, so i know that one fits. The most common form of clear bra material is made by 3M so i have to imagine someone in MN sells it.

 

Each foot is about 6"x 3.5" so something aronud there times 4.