My 72 Sportwagon has a factory rack that I want to pull. I see that the mounting screws go all the way through the roof, so when I remove, I will have holes in my roof Has anybody removed a roof rack, and are there some sort of low profile plugs available, so I can avoid welding the holes shut? I want to keep the rack and retain the option of re-mounting it in the future, if possible. Thanx!!
You can find plastic or metal, even chrome plug hole covers at any hardware store. When I removed mind I tried some quick body work to make em flush but it would just pop out of the hole after time.
When I took the rack off a Pontiac Wagon I had, I just filled the holes with a dab of silicone. But, it was just a winter beater, you may want a more finished look. :bglasses:
Yeah silicone would work, but I'm gonna repaint, so I know I don't want silicone on there when I paint. I'll check the hardware store. Thanx!
The factory used these, although not in the exterior sheetmetal. http://www.caplugs.com/catalog/series.asp?searchID=IND&appID=2&criteria=na
Kurt, I have used ........??? Aw shucks, I cant think of the name, so I'll describe em. After you remove your door panels you have a peice of brown waxed paper (vapor barrier). The little black circles that hold that on are what is plugging up the holes in my roof, along with a dab of silicone. I didn't paint mine, they are black and almost flat. :Smarty: If you PM me tomorrow, I'll go out to the garage and look at the box and get you the name & brand. .....I'm not sure what to use to plug the holes in my HEAD !!! o No: LOL
Did you have the headliner out? I have been afraid to weld on the roof for fear of setting a fire. (BTW, My brother was born at Highsmith Hospital. Uh, the old building, he's 57. :laugh: )
I did not have the headliner out, pretty sure I looked and the roof was double skinned in that area, I don't remember for sure but just look into one of the holes to check. Highsmith you say....small world, I ended up here in 97 via the US Air Force and then just stayed, I'm from Charlotte NC so I have family in the state, bottom line was I had just bought a house and got out in 99 on an unexpected medical discharge and just got too lazy to move all my crap so I stayed!
Jeff, I know the dust cover buttons you are talking about, I'll check that out. Also - the kid I bought my wagon from ripped the headliner out - THERE IS NO SECOND METAL SKIN! The inside of the roof skin is coated with some sort of insulation though, looks like the stuff they used to make the cardboard looking chicken egg containers out of, before they started making them out of styrofoam. I'm not sure if it is fireproof or not. I am not replacing the headliner, I just cleaned up the inside of my roof and am going rat-rod style with my interior, to keep it cheap and simple:laugh:
Thanks for the ideas as I plan on pulling off my roof rack while I do the sanding and what not on my roof. Tim
The car world is amusing to me..........everyone always wants to take off their roof racks and I got a wagon without one and really wanted one!:laugh:
My wagon does not have a rack. I found a gentleman who had one and sold it to me. At first he pulled out a Vista rack and I asked him: "Where is the woodgrain?" He said it didn't come with any and then he said that he had another rack. I asked to see that rack and it was a Sportwagon rack. I told him I needed to mount it from scratch and needed measurements. He ended up giving me the roof section that the rack was still mounted on.:TU: Wayne
You kept the wind jammer wing on the back though D??? Never understood them things. I know what they intended them to do, but anyone who stuck their hand out the window of a moving car knows that thing is just gonna slow ya down, use up gas to just to blow dust off the rear window. If ya notice newer n newer stuff doesn't have them anymore. Main reason mine came off as that part was part of the whole rack.
Ever try to flip it upside down? I tried with mine as then it would be a real wing But it wouldn't work being part of the rack. I now run a BMW M3 spoiler on the back of the wagon.
