I쳌fm trying to achieve the finished project on a shoestring, so I쳌fm using any materials I already have to hand so I don쳌ft need to buy anything extra.
It쳌fs a 97 Rover 216
I've got 4 x ex-retail shop steel shelf brackets that I'll use for the main frame.
I don't want the contrivance to be too heavy, so I'm attempting to use as many lighter weight materials as poss.
On exploring ways to fix the rack down onto the roof, I couldn't find any hook holes under the doorframe rubbers & the plastics on the rain channel seem well fixed down, like they're not designed for removal.
Instead, I쳌fve removed some plastic screw covers at the top of the inside doorframe, revealing two bolt holes.
Couldn쳌ft find any bolts to fit, so I쳌fve threaded through some webbing straps in loops on each side of the car.
The back part of the passenger area has a handle fixed above each door, so I쳌fve attached web straps to these.
The car쳌fs a hatchback & to make some extra strapping points, I쳌fve threaded some web loops round the two hinges of the hatch.
This gives me 6 rack securing points which will be used in conjunction with ratchet tightenable webbing luggage straps to secure the rack onto the roof.
Also, I don쳌ft want to damage the paintwork, so I쳌fm going to pad any areas which will have the rack/ load touching the roof with strips of old carpet or foam padding.
Conscious of the fact that modern car roofs are often paper thin & the strongest parts are the edges along the tops of the doors, I쳌fm going to make these the main load bearing areas.
Also, the top of the roof isn쳌ft level but slightly curved, so I쳌fll use some thin lengths of wood, which are easily bendable & attach the metal bits of the rack to them.