TXLX1
New member
I put a Rola on my 99 a couple of years ago. I didn't mount it to the factory rails, I removed those and used some bits of Unistrut and mounted it directly to the channels the rails fit into. Gives it a lower, stealthier, sleeker look. Very solid and secure, I have (somewhat inadvertently) used it as a tree skid a couple of times, heh.
Only issue is that the paint on the Rola is not very durable. I think they ship with nothing protecting the insides at all, from the beginning mine would occasionally puke rusty water out onto the car from the center where the halves connect. And after a couple of years, rust has started to show through the paint on the exterior, it's just sort of coming through the paint, the paint isn't even thick enough to flake off. Looks like a real PITA to clean and repaint too.
Rack sits nice and low:
I painted the unistrut sections black:
I'm using the same square stainless steel nuts that fit into the rails that the stock cross bars used to hold them in place. I just took one by Home Depot and got some matching stainless steel bolts. They have to be pretty short, though, otherwise they'll bottom out on the rail before tightening down on the unistrut.
I'm liking this idea. I can't see the pictures, is it just me?
