Learn me: DIY roof racks

I have 2 cars that need roof racks. No official kits exist for one, but I can get an old kit that runs about 2 bills. Not quite in my budget. What I am thinking is taking something off of a car in the junkyard. I don't care about drilling into the roof, and I plan on adding a couple of additional supports under the roof skin on the one I'd like to carry more weight with.

The cars receiving these racks are 88 and 89 Honda Accords. One a sedan, the other a coupe. What would you guys do? I'd like kayak and bike carrying ability, and maybe a cargo rack on the heavier duty setup.

Just bolt a couple of 2x4s to the roof. Done.

Thule does list a fitment for a 1988/89 Accord, BTW. Heck, I'll bet the setup I have in the garage for a 1995 Civic would probably fit, they had pretty similar door openings.

As does Yakima (love my Thule stuff but Yak is usually cheaper.) You might be able to find the towers cheap somewhere and find used crossbars.

The one I want to outfit now is a coupe, which doesn't give me enough length to make a kayak stable. They only made kits for the sedan, and I wish to carry more weight than they are rated for.

The one I want to outfit now is a coupe, which doesn't give me enough length to make a kayak stable. They only made kits for the sedan, and I wish to carry more weight than they are rated for.

The one I want to outfit now is a coupe, which doesn't give me enough length to make a kayak stable. They only made kits for the sedan, and I wish to carry more weight than they are rated for.

The one I want to outfit now is a coupe, which doesn't give me enough length to make a kayak stable. They only made kits for the sedan, and I wish to carry more weight than they are rated for.

Think a roof tent, so the weight will fall into the 300 pound range.

Not sure what your thinking for looks, but on those cars with a long load I would think about putting one cross bar on the rear of each roof then adding hitches and support the rear of your load with a tall brace from them. Depending on the load you could also add a truck rack and angle up to the roof.

On a cheaper budget my dad liked the roof racks from Aerostar vans to cut down for small cars (like festivas). They mount a low flat channel along each side, which are flexible enough to follow some roof contour and spread the load and they have removable plastic end caps that will mount anywhere you cut them for length. The cross braces are fairly small and can be narrowed up by removing one screw, cutting to length, drilling one hole, and putting the screw back in.

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Oldopelguy, I think you're onto something. It seems to be the cheapest GRM solution. I'll check eBay for some for my car, but they aren't terribly common from what I understand.

The cheapest GRM solution would be thule or yakima rack off CL, then the fit kit for your car. Add a little support plate under the one you want to load heavily. The ratings aren't because the roof rack will break, its because your roof will.

You're going to put 300lbs on your roof?

Most Honda cars have a big tie down hook in the center of the back. Building a support that would go up from a hitch and one with enough of a hook on the end to swing under and pin into the tie down isn't a lot of difference. That would hold the weight up, but keeping it from moving side to side or forward and backward would be an adventure in strapping.

That much weight is me plus gear plus a lot of wiggle room. At no time will the car be moving with that much weight strapped down.

Like I said, with one of them, I can cut out some extra roof supports and weld them in. Only one of the cars needs to support me up there sleeping. The other will only carry light loads, as a roof rack is intended.

throw an old tire or two on the roof... throw the kayak and/or bike on the tire(s)... use ratchet straps across the middle of the roof and at the front and rear bumpers to hold it all in place...

why does everyone always over think this stuff?

Some of us like things that aren't that redneck and can damage the car roof like that.

I have foams for the kayak, but by the time I get it ratcheted down well, it's pushing too much on the roof. If I move them over supports, the kayak touches the roof itself. hence the need to get it off the roof some.

Like I said, one of these cars will also be used for camping. The one to be used for roof camping does need a reinforced roof, but that's not a big deal. I'm using a 25 year old FWD Honda off road, at least give me a bit of leeway for being a bit less redneck and a bit more grassroots for thinking about stuff like this.

The easy, potentially roof killing, way of doing it doesn't let me stretch my creativity much, either.

Derick Freese wrote: Oldopelguy, I think you're onto something. It seems to be the cheapest GRM solution. I'll check eBay for some for my car, but they aren't terribly common from what I understand.

Get a thule - ANY THULE - with feet that fit into your rain gutters. Then modify the gutter clamps to fit the current car. My thule rack was designed for my last DD, and the clamps would not fit the new DD. The two cars were the same make and model, but a few years apart. I asked thule if they would sell me new clamps, and they said I had to buy a whole new rack.

That sounded expensive, so I just modified the old clamps to fit the new car

(stock clamp on the left, modified one on the right)

Thule has no listing for my car, and honestly at the price of their systems, I'd rather get something like the old Caravan or Cherokee type setup that screws in, reinforce the rook on the one for camping, and get some cross bars and uprights from something. Adding a trunk rack is easy, because they made them for our cars as a factory option.

You need a Thule Short Roofline Adapter. Clamps on the doors and has a second pair of load-bearing feet further back.

Let me dig out my old Civic rack, I think it'll actually work. If it looks like it will, I'll drop you a line.

Keith Tanner wrote: You need a Thule Short Roofline Adapter. Clamps on the doors and has a second pair of load-bearing feet further back. Let me dig out my old Civic rack, I think it'll actually work. If it looks like it will, I'll drop you a line.

Yup, that's what I have, and it works great. Position the feet so they go into your car's rain gutter. (The door clamp reach between the door and the roof. the two are held together by a bolt and a threaded knob that turns onto it.) If the civic clamps on keith's rack are too short to reach the bolt when the feet are on your non-civic car, lengthen the clamps.

That's pretty much exactly what I need.

I have a short roofline adaptor in my garage I think. Let me take a picture of it when it gets light. If you think it will work you can have it.

This is on my garage floor. I found it on a shelf when I was cleaning. The box says Thule 477 which the internet says is the Thule short roof adaptor. I'm almost certain that all the pieces are there. I have no idea why I have it or whether I purchased it or if someone gave it to me or what. If you want it, PM me your address and I'll throw it in the mail for you.

PM sent.