I apologize...

[Rineheitzgabot]

...in advance for the apparent showboating, however, I am proud of how this thing turned out. And hey, I live in Indiana, and there are no other LR lovers in my area. Therefore, I gotta share this with you people.

I fabricated my own roof rack that is modeled after the one seen on the "Poppy Red" Series IIa, in the third photo below. I have read that the one that is on the "Poppy Red" one, was an OEM option from the factory. This is how I wanted it to to turn out.

Full view of vehicle:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gLnnnRJeerVbDEiCf8_5Bg?authkey=7f9141umCfc

Close-up of rack:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EoP1H_64Ip99GhGMzNOxzQ?authkey=7f9141umCfc

Poppy Red Rover from West Coast

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/X2s0D5pbZnXYySCzal7gQg?authkey=7f9141umCfc

[SwampRat]

Very nice, good work.

What is on the lower left rear tub?

[thixon]

Showboat all you want, it looks great! Nice work.
Can we get a closeup of the clamps?

[SafeAirOne]

What is on the lower left rear tub?

I wanna guess that it's an antenna base with the whip disconnected. And the correct answer is.....?

[109 Pretender]

Thixon got it right! It's not showboating - it's mutual appreciation time... Very nice work!

cheers!

[Rineheitzgabot]

Thank you for the kind words. It is nice to hear feedback from people who "get it". Showing this to my wife gets a positive response, but she really doesn't GET the whole LR thing.

Antenna base is the correct answer.

Thixon: I would be happy to post a pic of the clamps, close up; when I get home tonite. I am proud of them. I came up with the idea after thinking about them in the middle of the night one night (sometimes, the only opportunity I have to think about anything NOT related to work, children, wife, home, 401k tanking, etc.).

Thanks again.

[JSBriggs]

... hey, I live in Indiana, and there are no other LR lovers in my area.

Dont you live near Paul Schram? He's about as Rover as it gets.



What are the dimensions of the rack?

-Jeff

[singingcamel]

Nice work, I would be as well.

[Rineheitzgabot]

Close-up of the Mounting Point

A pinch-mount set-up.

The only thing I would do different is tighten up the tolerance on the hole so that it would receive the bolt (5/16-18 SHCS Stainless), with less play, not allowing as much side-play (as you can see the bolt is cocked, and may be susceptible to bending, from the torque). However it is tight, and it doesn't look too bad.

The black, bottom piece is a square nut welded to a small piece of HR flat stock.

I used Rustoleum Almond like talked about in other threads, and it matched fairly well. I think the color on my top is not quite the original Limestone, by the PO. The Rustoleum is a bit too glossy for me (they don't offer a color like Almond in an array of finishes), but much better than doin' a color match.

A close-up of the mounting point, per Thixon's request:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/L8N8M8VzPFjbz9RZtUlTpQ?authkey=7f9141umCfc

JS: Yes, I do live near Paul. Just talked to him today (Hey man, two people are not enough (my wife and Paul)! If you are talking about the dimensions of the upper part of the rack, they are about 48" X 40" X 4".

Thanks for your interest and kind words.

[Eric W S]

Here's the option rack available from 61 - 71

EWS

[thixon]

[quote=Rineheitzgabot]

A close-up of the mounting point, per Thixon's request:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/L8N8M8VzPFjbz9RZtUlTpQ?authkey=7f9141umCfc

quote]

Thanks Rine,

I'll put the design in the memory banks. I plan to build a rack for a conoe/camping gear once I finish the truck (so it will be a while). I've been considering how I'd make the mounts. Your design is simple and effective. I like it. Great work!

[SafeAirOne]

Mount

I made mine a little differently, but the effect is the same. If the mount is over a door, it can not stick down too far or the door top will rub/hit the bottom of the mount when you open/close the door. I used a piece of 3/32 steel coated with some plastic coating yet the left rear door on my 109 still occasionally rubs the bottom of the mount.

[SafeAirOne]

The only thing I would do different is tighten up the tolerance on the hole so that it would receive the bolt (5/16-18 SHCS Stainless), with less play, not allowing as much side-play (as you can see the bolt is cocked, and may be susceptible to bending, from the torque).

Nice job on the rack! Looks right on the rover. I think you've done a good job with the round tubing, which (in my opinion) is harder to work with than square tubing.

As for the mount, I think yours will be fine. I think the single hole will always be a pivot point for the bolt, no matter what the tolerance. If I were to fix it, I'd use 2 holes (as pictured) or weld a piece of tube vertically and have the bolt run through the tube if I were really worried about it.

EDIT: Also, I'd probably drill an oversize hole in the flat stock and weld the nut right over the top of the hole. This will aid in keeping everything in line by pulling more vertically instead of acting as a lever with the rain gutter as the fulcrum. Those clips really only hold the mount from bouncing out of the gutter rail anyway--I don't think you need to set them at an angle to get an increased "bite".

Either way, I'd use a jam nut on all of the setups listed above, including your original. If your rover is anything like mine, it vibrates a LOT. Your setup doesn't lend itself well to using lockwashers to keep the bolt from spinning and the bolt will vibrate loose over time (unless you've drilled and safety-wired the head.

[Hormel]

Nice Rack!

Rineheitzgabot,
Great looking rack! At a local meet I had a chance to look closely at the roof rack off the Poppy Red Rover you modeled yours after. One of the interesting things about it was that the weight bearing legs of the rack went down through approx. 1.5" holes in the tropical top. Thus the side brackets did not have to bear any weight so it was a fairly light connection and I think only a tension fitting. The Red Rover is a tight restoration and a very high standard to match.

My recollection of the information sheet on the Red Rover from the meet was that it claimed to be an original rover rack. The restorer of uses nothing but 'proper' parts but it is definitely different than the cut sheet Eric posted. No doubt more than one rack was used, but I always thought that one looked like it came off passenger car.
John

[Rineheitzgabot]

Nice job on the rack! Looks right on the rover. I think you've done a good job with the round tubing, which (in my opinion) is harder to work with than square tubing.

As for the mount, I think yours will be fine. I think the single hole will always be a pivot point for the bolt, no matter what the tolerance. If I were to fix it, I'd use 2 holes (as pictured) or weld a piece of tube vertically and have the bolt run through the tube if I were really worried about it.

EDIT: Also, I'd probably drill an oversize hole in the flat stock and weld the nut right over the top of the hole. This will aid in keeping everything in line by pulling more vertically instead of acting as a lever with the rain gutter as the fulcrum. Those clips really only hold the mount from bouncing out of the gutter rail anyway--I don't think you need to set them at an angle to get an increased "bite".

Either way, I'd use a jam nut on all of the setups listed above, including your original. If your rover is anything like mine, it vibrates a LOT. Your setup doesn't lend itself well to using lockwashers to keep the bolt from spinning and the bolt will vibrate loose over time (unless you've drilled and safety-wired the head.

Safe,

Why the hell didn't you tell me this before I made it?

Your thoughts are intelligent, measured, and well-received, and man, you must be good with "photo-shop".

Thanks for the input.