Gauging Interest In My Custom Handcrafted Roof Racks

[CubbyChowder]

Hey everyone, for the past few weeks I have been busy designing and creating these custom handcrafted low profile roof racks and would like to gauge interest and hopefully get some feedback.

These are designed to work with most (if not all) older BMW's and VW's which accept gutter mounts. That means these will work on 2002, E30, E28, E12, Bavaria, etc.

I am still in prototype mode, this rack pictured being my first one. I have already planned on changing a few things and am currently building my second prototype. Please note that in these photos, the rack is not fastened down but I have a solid clamping solution to make these super sturdy.

I would like to offer several different styles and layouts in various powder coated finishes. Going for something that is both functional and nice to look at.

Here are some key points:
- Fully custom handcrafted metal frame.
- Very sleek, low profile look.
- Custom adjustable gutter mounts for varying roof widths.
- Flush sitting wooden inlays (I will likely be using walnut, cherry, or teak for the wood. Pictured below is red oak).
- Powder coated finish, I will likely offer various colors and textures (chrome unfortunately isn't happening, but there is a powder coat color which is pretty similar).
- Different frame styles and layouts available
- Super durable and sturdy

Price:
With the cost of materials, consumables and powder coat as well as the time involved to build these (which is a lot), I would like to price them in the $500-600 range before shipping. Shipping would be around $50-75 depending on location. I can't really afford to offer them any cheaper to be honest, but I would be really honored to see my racks on cars all over the country.

So what do you guys think? Would any of you be interested in one of my racks? Any comments, criticism or feedback is highly anticipated and don't be afraid to critique. I look forward to hearing what you guys have to say. Thanks!

-Mikey






And here's a photo of my second prototype in the works:

[bataangpinoy]

make a touring-sized one!

[mcskibadee1]

Not my style for my e30 but that would look bitchin on a vw or older bmw.

[ButtJuice]

Pretty cool.

[goldfishe666]

I think it looks good. My only concern would be the weight and the reliability of the mounts. Also $500-600 pre shipping is out of many people's price range

[bruner]

Not my style for my e30 but that would look bitchin on a vw or older bmw.

This exactly. Thule ftw for e30

[Joe G]

I would be concerned with standing water on a rainy day.

[n3rdy30]

pm'd you

[E30Gus]

I think they look very nice! Personally I would ditch a majority of the bars in the middle (weight reduction) and have the wood be the main platform with space between them for rain drainage as Joe G was pointing out. This should cut down on cost/time and maybe allow you to offer at a lower price.
Very nice craftsmanship though!

[flyboyx]

its real purdy! i kind of like the second one with the curved bars. you could mount a sport seat up there and go hunting from that thing.

red oak looks nice. however, its not something you can leave out in the weather for any period of time. also, the ends of the bars being open like that are probably going to promote rust from the inside. you might consider dropping some 90 weight down the holes before you weld everything up.

i really like it however, it isn't something i would personally have a use for.

[blunttech]

Im not a roof rack guy but I gotta say you are really an awesome fabricator. Very nice

[Sea Aych]

These are fantastic! A dark, almost black stain would look great too

[88e30is]

What brand are the gutter mounts? Do they fit 1"x1" square tube? I have been wanting to build a light bar and I love the low profile look.

[lucidy]

I think they look great, fits very well with the whole 2002, e28 and e30 image. Although if there was a way to get a bike on there on top of luggage that would be good.

[CubbyChowder]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, a few points have been brought up that I hadn't even considered yet. What I'm sort of gathering is that these racks are structurally a bit overkill. They are honestly pretty heavy, and I think weight reduction is something I should make a top priority for future racks. That and leaving bigger gaps for water and wind to pass through. Flush sitting wooden inlays on a metal frame is kind of my thing, so I don't really want to eliminate the metal bars between the wood altogether, it's what makes them unique in my opinion.

I do think simplifying them all around is what I should focus on, so I could build them quicker and price them more affordably. The two prototypes have been very time consuming as I'm pretty meticulous and picky with my metal work.

Again, thank you everyone for the useful input so far. I'd love to hear what more of you have to say, so keep the feedback coming!