Luggage rack Options

[Warren914]

I picked this up about 20 years ago. It hasn't been mounted on the car. Does anyone recognize it? Someone suggested it's a Leitz for a 356.

I'm looking for something to use for an upcoming 12-week road trip. Revo-rack looks promising. Two people with tent and camp gear will fill the car quickly. Some added storage space could be useful.

[VaccaRabite]

There are a lot of reasons not to use a luggage rack.
It puts leak points in your trunk, which leads to rust in the trunk hood and trunk itself as the water ends up sitting in the carpet and eventually gets into the metal.

It also disrupts airflow into your engine when you have luggage on the rack. Not really a good thing, especially as you are planning some longer tours with your car and you will NEED that cooling air.

And your trunk isn't designed to carry much weight on top of it, and is likely to distort if there is weight in the rack.

I'm the guy with with the green 914 with the bike rack on FB, and I do a good bit of touring with mine. I've found I can fit a LOT more in my 914 with the spare tire in the rear trunk. I'm on the verge of replacing the spare tire completely with a can of tire slime (I know, I KNOW). Its also important that all your luggage is soft sided.

The Yeti Roadie 24 fits into the front trunk of a 914 like it was designed to be there. And, yes. I did buy a cooler based on what would fit in the 914, hold more then a 6 pack, and stay cold for a good bit of time.

My car is a bit lowered. With the bikes on the rack and both trunks loaded up, 2 adults in the cabin and my GFs "comfort items" in the cabin, the car sits even lower. But we are able to make trips several times a year to go camping with other people, sometimes a couple hundred miles away. Its easier without the bikes, but some of the trips are bike oriented, and it fun to see people get all confused and point at my car with that "WTF is going on" look.

I will also say, and bearing in mind my engine is a 2056 with modern fuel injection, heat soak starts to become an issue with the bikes loaded. I know on the FB thread you mentioned bringing a bike on your tour. My car, even on longer drives going up an down the long hills in PA, tends to run pretty cool - even when I'm pushing it. With bikes on the car, 2 people and lots of camping stuff, the engine will heat soak after 75ish miles of driving. At that point it won't just cool off right away cruising down a hill. I'll need to drive it more like a larger VW, and not like the low nimble sportscar it usually is. The bikes will add a LOT of drag, and probably effect airflow to the engine bay not unlike what the luggage racks do.

Zach

[SirAndy]

There are a lot of reasons not to use a luggage rack.

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