Actually on the highway it does just fine. At least I haven't had any problems any of the time I've been on the highway. I notice a decrease in speed a bit but hey, I get to carry my bikes and boats. The faring on the front of the rack system helps deflect some of the wind. It's the part with stickers directly behind me in the pic.

The rack also has a bar that holds the bike in place really well, so i don't have to take off the fron tire whenever I mount it up there. I think the rack model is called the Cobra, or something. I can find out for sure if there is interest.

Here is a closer pic of the rack...it shows how the rack grabs ahold of the top.
It's been a perfect setup for me, and so far I haven't had any issues out of it. It's been up for about a month or two now, and I use it alot.

Joe

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Here are some photos of my set up. I have a 1 1/4 inch receiver mounted just below the bumper. This enables me to leave the tag in place. It accepts a standard bike carrier. I have a set of bars that attach to the rear receiver, and also to the rear of the roll bar. This allows me to carry 2 kayaks. It doesn't add any load to the front windshield frame, and also allows me to remove the top if I want. I can also access both the rear trunk and engine compartment with everything installed and loaded. The receiver has a steel tube that is supported on the rear of the car by two 3/16 inch bars. The inner portion of the tube is welded to a 1/2 inch bar that is bent to go up and over the muffler and transmission. I have a few bolts through the trunk floor that hold the 1/2 inch bar. I have trailered a 30 foot long sailplane trailer with this set up, no problems. JoeO

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Side view of both bars, and detail of rear end of receiver tube mount.

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Joe,

I saw your rack and I like it! But I didnt see a bike rack on it so I didnt add it with the rest of them.
Also how is the hitch mounted under the car?

If you can post some pics of the bike rack mounting and how all the connections mount to the car (If you havent already posted them), I would love to add it with the rest of the racks!

Thanks!

Receiver is a standard 1 1/4 inch tube that is mounted as shown. Notch out the rear valence to clear the tube. Outside mounts are shown. As I said, there is a piece of steel bar welded on the inner portion of the tube that is bent to go over the muffler, and is bolted to the floor of the trunk. The receiver accepts a standard 1 1/4 inch bike carrier. Either an expensive one from Thule or Yakama, or a cheap version from Harbor Freight. Just plug the bike carrier into the receiver, and insert retainer pin. I just included this info since someone asked about mounting the hardware. Someone could also mount the front bar as I did. I leave the aluminum retainer blocks on the car. I just plug in the front bar and insert two quick release pins to hold it on. The bar is a standard Thule aluminum cross bar, and would accept Thule bike holders. JoeO

Just won this auction
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...RK%3AMEWNX%3AIT

Phase 1: Aquire mounts: Complete!

See post #2 for more on my setup so far. Pics to follow today!

IIRC you can pull the lock core out of the knob, copy off the code and get extra keys from Yakima.

Great info!


Thanks!
Andrew

Got my setup!!

The raingutter mounts are perfect for the trunk!!!

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So far im out $73! Plus maybe 5 bucks in scrap metal.. (However I do want to redo the mount as even with a bunch of reinforcement its wobbly.. I did make it out of 14ga metal though so now im gonna try 1/8"...)

I suggest some how connect the two plates, help brace themselves.

You've put together a nice, easy and afforable set-up!
Congrat

I'm using some info learned on here for Henna's trailer
(one wheel bike trailer for single track,slightly modified)

Ya I think it would be the easiest way to stabalize it.. I've thought about welding a plate between the two, or even adding a square tube bar to the center (Between the bolt holes) of it all the way through connecting them. But I really dont like how much that adds to the weight/complexity of install (you would need 2 people to put it on..)... Im curious if Josheph's made up of 1/8" metal sees the same problem that I see...

Square tubing would be nice,
and if you want a one person design,
how about square tube into a sleeve of another, slighly larger square tube?
make whole thing aluminum, bolts together.
simple.

Aluminum? Way to much money

Tubing that slides into each other is nice in theory, but I dont think it would implement well.

I think the thicker base metal really is the answer.. I'll do it in about a week and update! Pretty sure I have some 1/8" at my dads.

Added a second bike rack to my extra targa top. This one attaches to the front fork with the wheel off. Tested it and the entire unit seems stable ... we'll see how it holds up on a windy day!

look at the way it hold on a side hill!

I'm happy I found this thread. I plan on adding a rack to my 914 this weekend. I'm planning on scavenging parts from a Thule rack that I, um, forgot was on my other car when I pulled into the garage one day. Luckily the bike was fine. The roof of my Subaru was not. And I busted the bike rack as well.

Inspiring! Gives me even a chance to haul my son's Optimist dinghy to the summer regattas. (Will top the Belgian father with a Panamera + trailer with an Optimist and a 12" RIB!)

Menno

The rope rack

Nice Bill. Looks highway ready to me. And to unload.. they just cut the rope then?

Although, not cheap the SeaSucker company might make something that will work on the rear trunk. I doubt it would work on the targa since I'm not sure you would get a good seal on the suction. Likely could get a windshield or trunk application to work and no bolts and timely installation or removal. These things are highly reviewed.

https://www.seasucker.com/product-category/bike-racks/

I like the rack on the driver side. How is the front piece attached, and same for the aft part. I'vebeen toying with the same idea and possibly using the three ski-rack holes to secure a plate that would hold the tray.

I made this rack back in 2005 and used it at the WCC. I could add another bike by using an additional Yakima tray and fork clamp. If you loosen the fork clamp and the rear clamp, the bike can be slid over to accommodate another bike. It doesn't look like it but when you loosen the clamp on the rear bar, you can open the trunk lid as long as you take the bike off first. I found the straps were not necessary. I used it on the Rt 66 tour in Palm Springs and it worked great. I have more detailed pics if someone wants them. Holy $hit, was that really TEN years ago.

Well I'll be. And I thought that you put that Duck Tail on your car as the chock for the Bike's rear wheel.

Elliot, I have yours linked in the first post along with all the others

Modified pieper ski rack with Rockymounts thru axle fork adaptor and a sear sucker suction cup rear mount

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Love it. Love the new Creamsicle, and the bike rack application. And what I know about Ferg's rep, is it will be done clean and well. Nicely done, sir.

F ing show off! Nice work!

If that PO only knew what he had! At least 2 people even suggested it to him...Oh well...to Ferg-mans benefit. Thanks for saving this one Mike.

He was told and knew or had an idea. He Didn't care.

I was asked on Facebook if u could rotate the pieper rack to lower the overall height. Answer is yes but then engine lid would hit when opened

Here is my rack, similar to a lot of others here; Mine uses a Thule head unit, a Yakima rail, and a Thule wheel strap that has been modified to fit on the Yakima rail. The wheel holder is also Thule. the seat stays of the bike are strapped down to aluminum plates attached beneath the targa and make for a solid triangulated mount. the wheel mount simply uses the velcro strap to keep the wheel from spinning. I had a different version from a couple of years ago, but just now used what rack parts I had laying around on an extra targa top.

Thread bump with my solution to this problem.

@superhawk996 this is for you bud. :-)



The finished product, with and without bikes.

My goal was to have a rack strong enough to mount 2 heavy-ish bikes and front wheels on m 914 so I could drive hundreds of miles away from home for bike camping car trips. AND, the top had to be removeable with the rack in place.


I used the 6 existing ski-rack mounting bolts and fabbed up the bar using a Thule bar from my very first car back in 1998 that has somehow stuck with me for the past 24 years. This pic is the MK2 mount I fabbed, as there is a requirement for spacers in order to clear the chrome targa bar trim. In this pic the mount is only tacked together and held with one loose hex cap screw for fitment. One of the tricks that came up was that the mount had to be at an angle to the Thule bar, to match the slight curve of the Targa.

Almost all the non-home made parts came from https://www.backcountry.com/.

I used fork mounts simply bolted to the bar to hold the bike at the front, and QR wheel mounts to hold the front wheels.

To hold the back tires to the car I used suction cup rear tire mounts. They work really well.


Here you can see that the clearance is TIGHT with my ancient Iguana mounted to the rack. In fact I chipped some paint taking the roof off and putting it back on. BUT I COULD AND DID TAKE THE ROOF OFF. If I were doing it again I'd make the mounts I fabbed up about an inch longer. But I was concerned about having too much of a lever pushing against the mount, and I also needed to be able to clear the spoiler for the rear tire. Also, I quickly realized with the 914 loaded with a tent, cots, sleeping gear, a cooler spare clothes, eating gear, and 2 people there was nowhere to put the roof anyway once removed.


Again, not a lot of room to spare with the spoiler in place. This pic also shows the beefy suction cup mount used to secure the rear of the bike to the car. The trunk cannot be opened while bikes are mounted - pack accordingly!


both bikes and both wheels mounted. The mount is strong, with minimal sway of the bikes while they are on it - no more then any fork mounted bike. I did not hammer any twisties with the bikes on the car.


Loaded with the bikes, and all the camping gear the car was HEAVY. It is sitting visibly lower then usual. Both trunks were filled, with the spare tire moved to the rear to make space up front for the cooler.

Driving the car fully loaded like this was disconcerting at first. But the night before the "big trip" I loaded the bikes on and did a late night blast up I83 about 40 miles. The bikes add a LOT of drag, but I was still able to drive the car about 85-90mph without issue aside from the CHT gauge going a bit higher then usual.

For the trip (about 150 miles one way) and loaded with all our camping gear, I drove it a lot more like a bus then a sports car for most of the trip. But I was still able to keep it at about 75 on the free way, and drive to the CHT like you would a bus. I was a good bit more ginger on the curves then usual.

My car usually get attention when I drive it. But my car with BIKES on it got a ton of attention. One guy we drove by pointed and yelled loud enough that we could clearly hear him "Holy shit, that little car has bikes on it. Thats cool!"

I will be changing things up a little bit this year (maybe). I bought a new bike (first new bike in 22 years) and it uses through axles rather then Quick Release tabs on the forks. But this will be a simple change up.

Zach

I think using the ski rack mounts is one of the best solutions. Although, I wonder if getting the forks down to the engine lid would help with the aero. I had always though of getting a 2nd engine lid and putting fork mounts (along with some reinforcement) directly on the metal of the engine lid, like shown on the black(ish) car on page 1.

I guess you’d have to watch your crank arms and pedals from digging/scratching up the trunk lid…

Very nice! I now know what to do with the spare ski rack we have

@VaccaRabite

thank you for link. Like the creative reuse of the ski rack holes . . . bookmarked for future . . ..

i picked up a RockBros. suction bike rack setup and ran it this weekend, worked well. i used a strap to add extra security. it is not in the photos…


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Okay so instead of putting the bike on the car, put the bike in the car.

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It just barely squeezes in there

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(Spent the previous year at college making this folding bike concept.)
It is a little floppy around the hinges but hopefully the next year I'll get around to making another one that is more rigid.

You went old school with the spinergy wheels. I haven’t seen them since the 90’s.

I don't ride them on group rides - with their 'reputation' but this set is the generation that doesn't explode. They are flatter than most wheels so I thought I would try them to save even more space.

They are probably the quickest wheels I've got save for some old dupont tri-spokes. My father used both for triathalons in the 90's.

I was a test rider for the Tri spokes. A friend of mine, Mark Hopkins designed, oversaw development and production at DuPont. We worked with the UCI to get them approved for mass start racing. I still have 6 sets in my garage. They were very fast wheels.

Not a 914, but here is the rack I had on my Boxster. Made by Bird Automotive, it had a pair of receiver tubes that mounted under the car, and the rack then slid in (and out) easily. To prevent wobbles, it cam with straps that hooked onto the leading edge of the trunk lid. I changed that by adding a bracket that bolted into the Boxster rear tow hook hole behind the license plate.

I never tried but I bet the Bird rack could be adapted to the 914.