Before I grab that drill motor...
Anybody out there installed the factory crossbar rack? I was wondering how accurate the templates are before I swiss-cheese the roof.
To fend-off anyone that wants to sell me on an aftermarket rack -- Once I found out that the factory rack bolts to [skinned over] inserts that are built into the roof, I opted for the factory rack over aftermarket. Too bad I don't have Superman's x-ray vision...
-Barry

 

Barry, I completely agree with your choice of racks. I have the MINI version and it is great, very stable and looks nice. I would be hesitant to do the install yourself and I almost always do my own projects. My MINI dealer actually put a hole in the wrong place and they install these racks all the time. Luckily hole was repaired without being able to notice but I would be very carefull with this job. Anyone out there do this themselves? Any suggestions?

 

Yeah, putting a hole in the wrong place would be a big bummer. I'm a DIY guy and will more than likely continue that trend [It's more than a pride thing -- it's a disease]. I was fishing for some posts to comfort me. Would be great to hear, "the templates were right-on for locating the drill locations," or "the drill locations were way off..." Any feedback is welcome.
Perhaps I'll wander over to our local dealer and chat a bit. However, the dealer has only been open for two months and I doubt their level is experience, if any, of installing these racks would give me a warm and fuzzy feeling...
-Barry

 

Although it was expensive to have the dealer install my factory rack, I considered the extra investment to be "hole insurance"