| Author | Message | ||
     ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 749 Registered: 11-2015 |
 How to make your very own RR roof rack | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 750 Registered: 11-2015 |
First layout where things should go.  | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 751 Registered: 11-2015 |
How close the front edge of the rack is to the front edge of the windscreen matters for wind noise. Basically the farther back the better. The height off the roof matters less for toad noise, but the rule of thumb there is there should be just enough room to get your hands under for fitting ropes. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 752 Registered: 11-2015 |
 The roof rack I made from unistrut which has all sorts of standard brackets, locking lugs ,etc. The support blocks were made from mahogany for weather resistance. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 753 Registered: 11-2015 |
Looks like I parked the car on a level surface, pumped the car to ride height and used a level to get the rack's deck correctly fit. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 754 Registered: 11-2015 |
 For secure mounting 4 rivnut / nutsert threaded inserts were mounted in the underside of the door window openings. The underside for strength as well as weather resistance. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 755 Registered: 11-2015 |
 Little stainless brackets were made up | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 756 Registered: 11-2015 |
 Turnbuckles used to make the mountings, strong, adjustable and reversible. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 757 Registered: 11-2015 |
The brackets were countersunk and used with matching graded screws to avoid hitting the doors window frame when opening the doors. Don't use cheap SS fasteners here as these machine screws work for a living. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 758 Registered: 11-2015 |
 A view showing placement of supports. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 759 Registered: 11-2015 |
 I used 9 pieces of mahogany decking bolted down to unistrut 3/8 inch anchors with eye bolts in the corner mounts and dock cleats on the middle outside edge to add a nautical touch. | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 760 Registered: 11-2015 |
 Timber and truck bumpers, a lot easier to transport with a proper roof rack. | ||
| Mark Luft Prolific User Username: bentleyman1993 Post Number: 179 Registered: 10-2016 |
Great job, Ross. AND a wonderful tutorial, too. Now, when I need a roof rack, I will have the know how to assemble a proper rack. Bravo. | ||
| Patrick Ryan Grand Master Username: patrick_r Post Number: 1875 Registered: 4-2016 |
Great stuff Ross. That is one solid piece of kit mate. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul Yet to post message Username: thrasher Post Number: 1 Registered: 5-2018 |
Looking superb...but would any modern rack fit if one isn’t interested in the old school looks? Nor drilling holes in the gutter? I need something to transport my surfboards | ||
| Robert J. Sprauer Experienced User Username: wraithman Post Number: 30 Registered: 11-2017 |
Is there padding between the clip and roof rail to prevent wear to the paint finish? | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 1526 Registered: 4-2009 |
  No holes drilled on either car......... | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 2897 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi Omar, Interesting series of number plates - I presume this is numerical to designate the owner and alphabetical for each car owned. The $64 question - what happens when the owner has more the 26 cars [local tycoons and royalty]? . | ||
| Omar M. Shams Grand Master Username: omar Post Number: 1537 Registered: 4-2009 |
Dear David, All our numbers are available for anyone to buy. I bought several numbers that are the same digits but different letters. When my cars are parked together they all have the same digits just different letters. I don't have all the alphabet because I stopped buying them after I went into double digits. I don't normally have that many cars on the road at the same time so it was pointless buying any more. | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 2902 Registered: 4-2003 |
Omar, There is money on the table for any registration authority prepared to issue alphanumeric number plates similar to yours to an owner of multiple vehicles looking for something different - up to 26 cars could be registered under a common number. Of course there is the opportunity for a price premium to be recovered by reserving the number for the owner's sole use and a matching plate with the next letter in the series is available for each subsequent vehicle purchase. Here in NSW, it is theoretically possible to do this on a small scale by putting unneeded-at-the-time personalised plates on reserve but a whole series of consecutive plates would be a very difficult and expensive exercise assuming individual plates in the series haven't been issued already to other owners. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 2 Registered: 5-2018 |
Holidays time here in Europe - should be going on a surftrip in a couple weeks time...but really struggling to find a roof rack - can anyone help? will be our first trip with Benny (T2), would be a shame not to do so if i cannot find a rack (and stick to our daily G55) | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 3 Registered: 5-2018 |
this guy obviously found a roof rack - any idea who makes those?  | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 850 Registered: 11-2015 |
Pierre, The RR silver shadow roof looks a lot like a 2009 on vw jetta roof. I have a set of roof racks for my 2017 Vw jetta and a silver shadow, maybe tomorrow I can try and fit the Jetta racks to the RR. It's supposed to be raining so I might have time to spare. I'll post pics if I do. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 4 Registered: 5-2018 |
hey Ross that would be amazing! Crazy summer here in the UK, no rain for 6-7 weeks already, pure blue skies only | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 5 Registered: 5-2018 |
After a lot of roof rack picture viewing they look like Montblans Supra....but which ones exactly? Let me know how you go with the Jetta | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 852 Registered: 11-2015 |
Sorry, looks like that is a no go. The pad is too wide to fit nicely into the RR rain gutter groove.  | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 6 Registered: 5-2018 |
You don’t think if tightened it would do over 2,000km ? The rubber should adjust, no? | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 7 Registered: 5-2018 |
Trying to think which other more common car in the 80s had a similar roof/rain gutter | ||
| ross kowalski Grand Master Username: cdfpw Post Number: 853 Registered: 11-2015 |
I suspect there are adjustable ones. But this one was the cheapest thing avilable on e-bay.. $20 USD or something cheap like that. I bought those for a one time use kind of a deal. I think some kind of universal should work, it just needs adjustable angle feet or feet that are very narrow at the bottom. That has to be something online. | ||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1384 Registered: 11-2015 |
New tie downs for roof rack They are big for ease of use with ropes but far higher capacity than they would ever need to be.   | ||
| Patrick Ryan Grand Master Username: patrick_r Post Number: 2250 Registered: 04-2016 |
Mate, With that hardware, you could carry a Shadow on your Shadow  | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2018 |
if anyone has any ideas of a standard roof rack I could fit without drilling like our friend did...am a taker! it's for my surfboards Thanks | ||
| Jeff Martin Experienced User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 96 Registered: 07-2018 |
You're not going to like what I have to say, but a Rolls Royce, or a Bentley for that matter, is not for hauling around surf boards, that's what SUV's and trucks are for. | ||
| Geoff Wootton Grand Master Username: dounraey Post Number: 2217 Registered: 05-2012 |
In addition to Jeff's comment, I don't think it's a good idea to park up a 50(ish) year old car in all that salty sea air. | ||
| Stephen Bardwell New User Username: cobard71 Post Number: 31 Registered: 03-2020 |
My advice would be. That you should sell it and by a VW camper, more the scene. They are great. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 22 Registered: 05-2018 |
Touchy touchy... You guys are funny. If you must know I’m racking miles in the T2 and in all conditions and all speeds. It’s only a matter of maintaining it right and having the right specialists looking after it. Its only a car, it was meant to be driven. But thanks for the constructive responses! | ||
| Jeff Martin Experienced User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 97 Registered: 07-2018 |
Yes, for sure it should be driven. Send me a PM and I'll meet you with my Bugatti Veron for some time off, it'll be towing a small trailer with a kayak on top !  I figure about half a dozen bungie chords aught to hold it in place. If you must, something with straps, so you can add padding as not to damage the paint, but they are not meant to be left in place, as they can distort the door seal. https://www.storeyourboard.com/surfboard-car-racks/ . | ||
| Stephen Bardwell New User Username: cobard71 Post Number: 32 Registered: 03-2020 |
I guess it's just what the Rolls Royce was built for, maybe stands for. Purest would say they were built for grace and style. Royalty and famous people owned them from Lady Diana, Micheal Caine even John lennon and I seem to remember it was a 60s way out man paint job. So much that the factory wouldn't service it. But don't quote me on that. I have seen cars with big trak wheels, they are popular in the UK for stock cars for banger racing. Guess they are known as refined elegance, which seems opposite to stock cars and beach vehicles. But whatever floats your boat.. Or board lol | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 23 Registered: 05-2018 |
Thanks Jeff - these are exactly the ones I am trying to avoid: “soft” racks...they scratch the paint and squeeze the door seals. I spotted a picture a year or two ago of a Shadow in Italy with a proper roof rack (and a cow on top of it)...see my post way earlier but haven’t been able to track it down. Thanks anyways | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3742 Registered: 04-2003 |
I think this might be the one you are referring to:   | ||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1444 Registered: 11-2015 |
Pierre, I remember hearing a story of Brough calling the ss100 the "RR of motorcycles". The story goes that Royce went down to look at their machines and concluded that yes they were in fact the RR of motorcycles. So if RR would have offered a roof rack, it certainly wouldn't be a clip on plastic sort of affair. It would be the stainless steel / mahogany sort. For commercial racks, look into quick-n-easy. They would need the clamp plate lengthened 2cm or so to accept the thick gutter on the Shadow. They are cast aluminum and what I use on everything that has normal gutters. | ||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Experienced User Username: wm20 Post Number: 184 Registered: 11-2006 |
As I often say to motorcycle restorers who get their undies in a knott when some one paints a bike in the "wrong colours". It is their vehicle, to do with it as they please. If you find it offensive then either sell yours or buy theirs but don't whinge to me about it. The reason why I never joined the RROC in Sydney was the response my then business partner got when he approached them for service information. He did mention that about 50 times the car was refferred to as "only a shadow" as if it was an inferiour class of rolls. he was italian so got the feeling that he was not entitled to own any Roller in their eyes & doing your own mechanical work was a no no for any "real" rolls owner. As luck would have it I occasionally made deliveries to John Vawsers workshops in Alexanderia who put me onto this forum which proved that there were some real humans who owned rollers | ||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Experienced User Username: wm20 Post Number: 185 Registered: 11-2006 |
"You're not going to like what I have to say, but a Rolls Royce, or a Bentley for that matter, is not for hauling around surf boards,that's what SUV's and trucks are for." Funny you should say that but usually beach cars were an old cheap car So right now a Shadow will cost around $ 10,000 to $ 15,000 A VW Kombi will go from $ 20,000 to $ 40,000 ( for the split screen ones ) So yes shadows have gone down in value so low that are viable as a throw away rust out beach car. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 24 Registered: 05-2018 |
if you must know my car has been restored, so there is no rust at all, yet am not precious about it: it's been restored with one aim: to be used daily, rather than sit around in a garage all year round; oh and it's parked outside in the streets in Central London 8 months a year like it was intended/engineered to be (and yes it does rain quite a bit here) and the other 4 months its down on the coast of South West of France (not so much rain but Atlantic Ocean). I can hear people cringing and grinding their teeth - makes me laugh. | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 25 Registered: 05-2018 |
quick-n-easy looking good indeed! | ||
| Mark Aldridge Frequent User Username: mark_aldridge Post Number: 688 Registered: 10-2008 |
Plenty of waxoil/engine oil mix in all cavities underside, water traps etc. good coat of wax regularly on the paint (Big White lasts well) and I don't see a problem. I use my Mulsanne all year round in the UK with a lot of time on the east coast. Mark | ||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1445 Registered: 11-2015 |
Pierre, I like the look as well and they are dead solid. I was going to fit them on the RR but you would need to modify them to do it. I figured some day I would make up all new SS bottom rail clamps but never did. I just looked and they have recently gone out of production. They were common so it really shouldn't be a problem. If you can't find a set PM me as I'm sure I have something. | ||
| ross kowalski Prolific User Username: cdfpw Post Number: 1446 Registered: 11-2015 |
Pierre, Looks like you would need to lengthen the bottom clamping foot 25 ~30 mm tp get quick - n - easy clamps to click onto a royce.  Adding a set to my Edsel right now.  | ||
| P. Eng. Pierre Linh Raoul New User Username: thrasher Post Number: 26 Registered: 05-2018 |
looks pretty cool indeed. Am in France right now, and Benny my T2 just came out of service back in the UK...so not with me, so difficult to have a proper look at the rail. But you are doing some good progress! | ||
| Graham Phillips Frequent User Username: playtime Post Number: 298 Registered: 03-2019 |
G'day everyone,.... Came across this item,... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbdNrLDgEB4 It has roof racks! Graham. | ||
| Jeff Martin Experienced User Username: jeff_r_1 Post Number: 115 Registered: 07-2018 |
I wonder if that station wagon conversion (with roof rack) was factory done ? I saw a wagon conversion once where a Volvo gave its all for the bits, they did use the rear door for sure. That roof rack would require the removal of the headliner as it's bolted right to roof. Looks OK, because it's quite clean looking and suits the station wagon look. If one could find something shorter for a car ? But still, a permanent roof rack...? |
