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Projects Pic request: CARS (not wagons) with roof racks?

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by Flynn's_57, Nov 21, 2020.

  1. Flynn's_57
    Joined: May 10, 2002
    Posts: 948

    Flynn's_57
    Member
    from Nor*Cal

    Does anyone have any pics of any cool cars with roof racks?
    (I'm considering putting one on a "mild" late '50's custom, also considered making my own for quite some time too, but that's another post,).

    I don't know if I've ever actually filled my trunk, but it seems like putting a surfboard on top of a late '50's custom would be pretty solid... Or a Christmas tree, or a snowboard, or ..? Something?

    Anyways, roof-racks on cars that aren't wagons is the pic request, iffin' ya please.
     
  2. Nothing says "custom" like a roof rack ;)
     
    Slopok, hotroddon, DRD57 and 4 others like this.
  3. badshifter
    Joined: Apr 28, 2006
    Posts: 3,535

    badshifter
    Member

    If my car has a surfboard on the roof I’m either going to or coming back from surfing. I don’t get the whole posing thing. But do your thing with your “mild custom” with roof rack......
     
    Special Ed and loudbang like this.
  4. I don't guess I've seen anything with a roof rack that wasn't a "wagon" type car, except for a bug
     
    loudbang likes this.

  5. BuckeyeBuicks
    Joined: Jan 4, 2010
    Posts: 2,705

    BuckeyeBuicks
    Member
    from ohio

    When you get the roof rack mounted on your "custom" don't forget the lighted mud flaps, coon tails and fuzzy dice. Got to complete the "look". :rolleyes:
     
  6. TagMan
    Joined: Dec 12, 2002
    Posts: 6,294

    TagMan
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    A roof rack identified a "dad's car" when I was a kid in the 50's / early '60s
     
    loudbang likes this.
  7. davidvillajr
    Joined: Apr 4, 2005
    Posts: 1,165

    davidvillajr
    Member

    uhh... ok.

    Not sure of your vision, but maybe these will help.

    114614feda48ca7200f2974dbfc714df.jpg 20160629_180322.jpg

    Best I could find on a quick search.
     

    Attached Files:

    Flynn's_57 and loudbang like this.
  8. goldmountain
    Joined: Jun 12, 2016
    Posts: 4,442

    goldmountain

    Seems to be a trendy thing with vintage VW's. Usually with old luggage.
     
  9. Mom's '56 Chevy at Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park 001.jpg
    Ain't that cool?
     
    Flynn's_57 and Cooon like this.
  10. oldolds
    Joined: Oct 18, 2010
    Posts: 3,407

    oldolds
    Member

    Wasn't there a larger DeSoto that had long doors and a roof rack? Mr. C's car on Happy Days?
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  11. j hansen
    Joined: Dec 22, 2012
    Posts: 5,207

    j hansen
    Member

    De Soto Suburban. Skärmavbild 2020-11-22 kl. 18.48.52.png b7c8958bace5e6489f9712579cb7ce89.jpg
     
    Flynn's_57 and alfin32 like this.
  12. adam401
    Joined: Dec 27, 2007
    Posts: 2,856

    adam401
    Member

    I started out as a VW guy. Roofracks are a big part of that scene and I feel like they work there. This is a hot rod forum and I feel like roof racks arent for hot rods. Theyre for grocery getters and family cars.
     
    Chicster likes this.
  13. Squisbait
    Joined: Nov 22, 2020
    Posts: 91

    Squisbait

    I run roof racks on my O/T cars. Wouldnt be caught dead without one. In Colorado, you are "Naked" without a roof rack. I need to find one for my '55. Cars just look weird without them.
     
  14. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,136

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I must be getting old!:eek:
    Because roof racks are kind of growing on me, granted they make a hot rod look like a fish outa water but on the right car............
    Unrelated but I also would like to see more wood bed rails on older trucks.
     
    Flynn's_57 likes this.
  15. My 54 had a rack, but it was more hot rod than custom. And a reason to have a rack[​IMG]
     
  16. Special Ed
    Joined: Nov 1, 2007
    Posts: 7,967

    Special Ed
    Member

    C'mon man ...
    Not even Gidget (the real one) mucked up her car with a rack. Photo from 1957. Don't be a kook.
    [​IMG]
     
  17. And there it is, one of the strangest threads to hit the HAMB! There is Nothing Hot Rod or Custom about a roof rack! Period.
     
    TagMan, Slopok, X38 and 3 others like this.
  18. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,291

    jnaki

    upload_2020-11-23_8-10-39.png
    Hello,


    Ever since the need arose during our surfing days, a roof rack was always the answer to most cars or hot rods. Of course, my first 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery could not use surf racks due to the way the sedan delivery roof and side panels were designed. We tried two rack in front, but the 45-50 lbs. longboards even tied to the rear closing door slid back and forth. So, no roof rack for the sedan delivery. Most early roof racks had minimal rubber protection on the rain gutter mounts. We never put on any racks on top of the 1958 Impala.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-10-2.png
    Then over the years, the companies made thick rubber coated rack mounts that fit perfectly in any rain gutter and did not scratch. The top crossbars were left off for the surfer/camper to create his/her own design. The flat pieces of wood did a great job, as long as they were protected with some fabric, like carpeting. But, most surfers put their surfboards wax side down to keep the fins sticking out in the air near the rear of the car. So, those carpet pieces were changed plenty of times to keep the boards or other uses of the racks clean.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-10-59.png
    If the first board were put on the carpet covered cross bar, then the others could fit as needed. A towel would keep the wax from getting on the bottom of the second board. What about the suction cup racks? The suction cup racks gave protection to the paint surfaces, but eventually left a ring around the position of the cups. You could not leave the racks on the roof for long periods of time. The rope and clip securing the suction cup racks were not the most efficient and those tended to fly off at freeway speeds, with the boards still attached. Those definitely were “cheapy” model racks.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-11-30.png
    The ones we took to Kauai for the summer were cast aluminum with a 125 lb weight limit. They were separate items and fit nicely in our small suitcases. When we got to Kauai, we went to the hardware store for a couple of 2x3 oak planks for a custom width rack cross bar to fit the 1962 rambler 4 door sedan. We custom measured and cut the oak lumber bars to fit the width of the roof top. Not, it was good to hold 4 to 8 surfboards. The 1969 surfboards were considerably lighter in weight than the 1960 longboards, so the rack should hold a car load of people and the requisite number of surfboards.

    Jnaki

    The maximum number of boards we had at one time was 6, from 6’8” to 9’10” long. Plus the 6 people inside and a trunk full of supplies for an all day beach surf exploration road trip across the island.

    The one thing we were very careful about was to keep the sand from the boards after the end of the day. That way, nothing was going to scratch the cars paint surface. When we left after 30 days in paradise, we gave our share of the rambler and the custom racks to the owner of the house. He kept the car there for the next several years. The cast aluminum rack supports never rusted and were easily taken off for a normal style cruiser.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-12-58.png

    Be careful of steel racks with rubber, (even painted steel racks) as salt air will attack bare steel poking past the rubber protection and they will rust in the rain gutter when left outside to the elements. As placing surfboards fin back or first, the idea is streamlining as much as possible. With the fins back, the curved nose area helps direct the oncoming air up and over the obstructions. The fin first creates a different air pattern around all of the different fins directing the wind, every which way.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-14-37.png
    The photo above was taken after we just got back from a short drive to the Hanalei Pier/Rivermouth area. It was an all morning surf adventure with overhead waves. But, we were in a hurry to get back home for lunch and a nap. So, to head off the complaints about surfboards neatly stacked on the rack, we were in a hurry. The afternoon glass off waves sometimes gave us another session in the water until dinner time. It was only a few blocks to the river mouth surf spot.
    upload_2020-11-23_8-14-54.png
    Racks help out the space starved coupes and sedans. They are good for extra stuff, but does everyone need to carry that much stuff if you are just going on a vacation?
     
    Flynn's_57 likes this.
  19. Collin Benoit
    Joined: Apr 11, 2020
    Posts: 113

    Collin Benoit

    This is pretty hot rod….
    D4076082-2D4D-4409-AE0A-14BBB5957DEB.jpeg
     
    Flynn's_57 likes this.

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