Fitting a boot rack
Discussion
Has anyone fitted a boot rack to a Griff? I have seen a couple of Chimp's with the type that clamps on the edges of the boot lid.
Are Chimp's boot lids stronger than ours? I wouldn't have thought it would take the weight without cracking the glassfibre.
Then there's the problems of opening the boot to refuel.
I doubt the hinges would stand the boot being opened without unloading the rack.
So, what’s been tried and anyone got any good ideas?
Are Chimp's boot lids stronger than ours? I wouldn't have thought it would take the weight without cracking the glassfibre.
Then there's the problems of opening the boot to refuel.
I doubt the hinges would stand the boot being opened without unloading the rack.
So, what’s been tried and anyone got any good ideas?
Don`t do it.
At least you guys haven’t been really rude and suggest I Chimp it up.
Here are the problems. A holiday home near Le Mans that’s rented out so no stashing stuff there, the guests will wander off with it. My wife doesn’t understand the concept of travelling light.
I don’t want something permanent spoiling the lines. I want something that I can put on, get there and unpack then take off until it’s time to come home. Ideally when it’s off I don’t want there to be any sign of it.
I have seen a BMW Z3 with a permanent rack frame screwed through the boot lid. The trick bit is the top. It’s a suitcase. It looks just like a big Samsonite case, except it had a big ‘Z3’ embossed in it. This clips off and on like a motorbike top box and is waterproof. This has the advantage that I can remove it to open the boot for refuelling.
Perfection would be to make a provision on the underside of the rack to accommodate the panels of a two piece roof.
So, we could bolt through the boot lid with some bars. This would mean permanently fixing the bars. I don’t like this idea. It would mean me having a spare boot lid and having to change lids when I go on holiday. Also I would be stuck with it for the duration of the holiday.
The boot lid could be strengthened for this by glassing a sheet of ply into the inside of boot lid. However, I don’t see how to strengthen the edges, hinges etc.
I could go for a clamp-on arrangement around the edges of the boot lid. I worry that this wouldn’t be up to it and the edges would break or crack. I saw a few Chimps with this at Rockingham. I don’t know if Chimps have stronger boot lids, or how long they have lasted. The owners weren’t around.
Lastly, there is the concealed bracket option. There are brackets that could be fitted to allow removable bars to be fitted. There are little sliding covers used by Vauxhall and Mercedes. These slide back to reveal a bracket. The other option is something like the hardtop brackets for a Mazda MX5. Either could be fitted into the boot lid and concealed when not in use. The rear set could even double as a rear wing mount for anyone wanting a rear wing (I don’t). This would still let me change boot lids to make the car look normal most of the time.
Alternatively, the brackets could be mounted into the body near the boot lid. No way to remove them, but they could be concealed well. This would allow fitting load bearing reinforcement to be fitted behind them.
If the front set were mounted well forward to miss the boot lid and the rear set were well back, plus high enough then the boot lid should miss them when it’s opened. So to refuel all I would need to do is take the suitcase off.
There has to be a way to sort this without being ugly.
Got those pic's BB?
Here are the problems. A holiday home near Le Mans that’s rented out so no stashing stuff there, the guests will wander off with it. My wife doesn’t understand the concept of travelling light.
I don’t want something permanent spoiling the lines. I want something that I can put on, get there and unpack then take off until it’s time to come home. Ideally when it’s off I don’t want there to be any sign of it.
I have seen a BMW Z3 with a permanent rack frame screwed through the boot lid. The trick bit is the top. It’s a suitcase. It looks just like a big Samsonite case, except it had a big ‘Z3’ embossed in it. This clips off and on like a motorbike top box and is waterproof. This has the advantage that I can remove it to open the boot for refuelling.
Perfection would be to make a provision on the underside of the rack to accommodate the panels of a two piece roof.
So, we could bolt through the boot lid with some bars. This would mean permanently fixing the bars. I don’t like this idea. It would mean me having a spare boot lid and having to change lids when I go on holiday. Also I would be stuck with it for the duration of the holiday.
The boot lid could be strengthened for this by glassing a sheet of ply into the inside of boot lid. However, I don’t see how to strengthen the edges, hinges etc.
I could go for a clamp-on arrangement around the edges of the boot lid. I worry that this wouldn’t be up to it and the edges would break or crack. I saw a few Chimps with this at Rockingham. I don’t know if Chimps have stronger boot lids, or how long they have lasted. The owners weren’t around.
Lastly, there is the concealed bracket option. There are brackets that could be fitted to allow removable bars to be fitted. There are little sliding covers used by Vauxhall and Mercedes. These slide back to reveal a bracket. The other option is something like the hardtop brackets for a Mazda MX5. Either could be fitted into the boot lid and concealed when not in use. The rear set could even double as a rear wing mount for anyone wanting a rear wing (I don’t). This would still let me change boot lids to make the car look normal most of the time.
Alternatively, the brackets could be mounted into the body near the boot lid. No way to remove them, but they could be concealed well. This would allow fitting load bearing reinforcement to be fitted behind them.
If the front set were mounted well forward to miss the boot lid and the rear set were well back, plus high enough then the boot lid should miss them when it’s opened. So to refuel all I would need to do is take the suitcase off.
There has to be a way to sort this without being ugly.
Got those pic's BB?
You Big PUFF 
Behind you!
here, note Craig, you must have a huge amount of stuff to take with you if you cant fit it into the car, we had a suitcase and a holdall in the boot going to scotland last year, and the rear shelf was practically empty, it does mean leaving the roof on for the journey, but on motorways its best left on anyway IMHO.
I think it will be difficult to come up with a solution to this, the edges of the boot as you say are quite weak, and the boot itself may need some reinforcing on the underside for the wieght, plus youv`e then got the refueling issue.
I think it will be difficult to come up with a solution to this, the edges of the boot as you say are quite weak, and the boot itself may need some reinforcing on the underside for the wieght, plus youv`e then got the refueling issue.
Perhaps give someone like this company a ring, see what they think? The load will be shared between 4 points of contact. HTH.
http://www.roofrackshop.co.uk/boot/rover-mgf-boot-...
http://www.roofrackshop.co.uk/boot/rover-mgf-boot-...
Dave, you Chimp boy's worry me sometimes (and sheep too, I hear). It comes as no surprise to hear the owners were behind me. A Chimp's rightful place is behind the Griff's, but I fear you're admiring our rears too much for comfort. 
After all, it was your choice to buy a golf cart for year round use. I went for the real sports car experience, but need occasionally to carry a bit more. But instead of Chimping out of the problem, I am looking to solve it.
Trailer. Good idea, but not original. There's a rather famous purple wedge that would see off most Griff's even while towing. But it makes ferry crossings cost double. Besides, if I topped my wine cellar up that much, I would have to drink more than is good for me.
The wife's ideas of travelling light isn't helpful. The first time I told her to pack for a motorcycle holiday, she turned up with 3 large cases. When we went to Rockingham the boot was full with just her idea of a weekend's worth. I did hint the second hair dryer was overkill, but it fell on deaf ears. Now imagine a fortnight's worth by her reckoning.
The need is for capacity on one journey only. Home (Kent) to a Normandy holiday home and back. Drop all the kit on arrival and remove the rack. It's Calvados country and the neighbours are inclined to be generous. I need to get a few bottles home after the wife's packed.
Then there's if the property needs anything taking out.
The wife's driving isn't up to coping with France (England's risky enough) and she refuses to try. Her taking another car isn't going to happen. It would probably cause an international incident.
Other people have wanted one too. At least Clive has had one go at a prototype. So I am not alone in wanting it, it's just nobody has got it right, yet.
The suitcase idea off the Z3 solves the refuelling problems. Just unclip the case, refuel and clip it back. Not perfect, but a damn sight better than stuff bungee strapped to a rack. Plus it keeps it all dry and it's in a smart case when you arrive. A TVR sticker over the embossed 'Z3' and job's done.
The frame, it's appearance, how to attach it and the strength of what it attaches to are the problems.
It has been previously noticed that a poor boot seal pulls fumes into the car. Mine's fully decatted, so I don't fancy breathing the CO much. Putting the stresses onto the boot lid is likely to cause the seal to let exhaust gasses in.
Another option would be to do something similar to a roof rack I used to have on a Granada Cossie.
When you opened the car doors and looked at the top of the door frame opening there was a threaded hole about 1cm diameter just below the roof.
Into this screwed something similar to a dome head screw. When tight, the dome stood proud of the bodywork by a few millimetres.
A metal plate, bent to go around the top of the doors had a hole which went over the dome screw. This plate was attached to the roofrack. Turning the adjuster pulled the plate and clamped the feet onto the roof. This also pulled the plate behind the dome section, preventing it moving.
Suppose we opened the boot lid and inserted similar screws either side of the opening into a metal plate that had been mounted behind. If the plate were L shape, then the long side of the plate would be directly below the feet of the rack, acting as load bearing and spreading the stresses over a wide area of glassfibre. The feet wouldn't be on the boot lid, but on the body immediately to each side of the boot opening.
If the front bar were far enough forward and high enough and the rear well back then enough clearance to open the boot lid fully should be possible.
When the rack is removed, all mountings are concealed when the boot lid is shut.
The rack consists of just two separate bars like a ladder rack. When the suitcase is off they're not that obtrusive if colour matches the car.
In practice, it will look just like a suitcase hovering above the boot lid.
After all, it was your choice to buy a golf cart for year round use. I went for the real sports car experience, but need occasionally to carry a bit more. But instead of Chimping out of the problem, I am looking to solve it.
Trailer. Good idea, but not original. There's a rather famous purple wedge that would see off most Griff's even while towing. But it makes ferry crossings cost double. Besides, if I topped my wine cellar up that much, I would have to drink more than is good for me.
The wife's ideas of travelling light isn't helpful. The first time I told her to pack for a motorcycle holiday, she turned up with 3 large cases. When we went to Rockingham the boot was full with just her idea of a weekend's worth. I did hint the second hair dryer was overkill, but it fell on deaf ears. Now imagine a fortnight's worth by her reckoning.
The need is for capacity on one journey only. Home (Kent) to a Normandy holiday home and back. Drop all the kit on arrival and remove the rack. It's Calvados country and the neighbours are inclined to be generous. I need to get a few bottles home after the wife's packed.
Then there's if the property needs anything taking out.
The wife's driving isn't up to coping with France (England's risky enough) and she refuses to try. Her taking another car isn't going to happen. It would probably cause an international incident.
Other people have wanted one too. At least Clive has had one go at a prototype. So I am not alone in wanting it, it's just nobody has got it right, yet.
The suitcase idea off the Z3 solves the refuelling problems. Just unclip the case, refuel and clip it back. Not perfect, but a damn sight better than stuff bungee strapped to a rack. Plus it keeps it all dry and it's in a smart case when you arrive. A TVR sticker over the embossed 'Z3' and job's done.
The frame, it's appearance, how to attach it and the strength of what it attaches to are the problems.
It has been previously noticed that a poor boot seal pulls fumes into the car. Mine's fully decatted, so I don't fancy breathing the CO much. Putting the stresses onto the boot lid is likely to cause the seal to let exhaust gasses in.
Another option would be to do something similar to a roof rack I used to have on a Granada Cossie.
When you opened the car doors and looked at the top of the door frame opening there was a threaded hole about 1cm diameter just below the roof.
Into this screwed something similar to a dome head screw. When tight, the dome stood proud of the bodywork by a few millimetres.
A metal plate, bent to go around the top of the doors had a hole which went over the dome screw. This plate was attached to the roofrack. Turning the adjuster pulled the plate and clamped the feet onto the roof. This also pulled the plate behind the dome section, preventing it moving.
Suppose we opened the boot lid and inserted similar screws either side of the opening into a metal plate that had been mounted behind. If the plate were L shape, then the long side of the plate would be directly below the feet of the rack, acting as load bearing and spreading the stresses over a wide area of glassfibre. The feet wouldn't be on the boot lid, but on the body immediately to each side of the boot opening.
If the front bar were far enough forward and high enough and the rear well back then enough clearance to open the boot lid fully should be possible.
When the rack is removed, all mountings are concealed when the boot lid is shut.
The rack consists of just two separate bars like a ladder rack. When the suitcase is off they're not that obtrusive if colour matches the car.
In practice, it will look just like a suitcase hovering above the boot lid.
I've always found the boot surprisingly capacious! We took the Griff camping last year and took chairs, tables, tent, airbed, etc etc without even using the rear shelf. Our friends in their VX220 didn't do quite as well though 
Anyhow, as an alternative to a rack of some description I saw these advertised around Le Mans time last year www.boot-bag.com . Never seen one fitted but looks a reasonable option?
Anyhow, as an alternative to a rack of some description I saw these advertised around Le Mans time last year www.boot-bag.com . Never seen one fitted but looks a reasonable option?
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