The thread on suitable luggage started me thinking about another problem.
I'm looking for a luggage rack which can be put on or taken off very quickly
and which requires NO modifications to the trunk(boot) lid - i.e. a rack to
use only when actually carrying luggage. One did exist in the '60's -see
story below.
Back in the '60's when my TR4 was new and was the family car, I bought a
simple, cheap aluminum luggage rack from Sears (I think). It was strictly
utilitarian and was composed of two hollow tubular aluminum side pieces
(shaped like flattened "C"s) and four or five tubular aluminum cross pieces
which fitted between the side pieces and were held in place with aluminum
screws. There was another piece, also shaped like a flattened "C", which
connected (so it was vertical) across the back and prevented any luggage from
sliding. The rack was big enough to hold a Samsonite 3-suiter tied on with
bungy(Sp) cords. When assembled the rack looked like most of the racks you
see in the catalogues except it was neither fancy nor pretty. But, it could
be taken completely apart in less that 5 minutes so all that you had were a
handful of hollow tubes which could be stored in the trunk (boot). (Or under
a bed or in the corner of a closet if you had no space inside for the
assembled rack.)
But even better than the above -- the rack required no mounting bolts or
holes or suction cups ( a friend of mine tore a nice suction cup sized paint
chip from his MG trunk lid by using a luggage rack with suction cups). The
rack which I had was held on by flat nylon straps running through plastic
encased metal clips (which looked like your fingers if you curl them at the
second knuckle). These clips hooked over the front and rear lips of the
trunk(boot) lid. The rack just sat on the lid ( I put foam rubber feet on
the side pieces where they contacted the lid) and was tied down by the four
straps and the hooks. This meant that you could put the rack on or take it
off in a minute and never even know it had been used.
I sold the car in 1976 and the rack sat around in my garage for about 10
years. We had a garage sale at that time and my other half insisted that I
"sell that damned thing which is just taking up room and not being used".
So, you got it, I sold it for 5 bucks. When my car returned to me in 1991,
I couldn't find a rack like that anywhere. BTW - this rack be used for any
TR 2-8 or Spitfire since the straps are adjustable. As I said it was
strictly a utility rack - nothing fancy and very cheap and I only used it
when I had luggage to haul - otherwise it was not on the car.
SO - does anyone have an idea about whether that kind of rack is still
around and where I could obtain one. Again the criteria is that it be
Quickly removeable and require NO modifications to the car itself nor any
tools to mount it.
If not, does anyone know of a metal shop which might be interested in
fabricating such a rack. And - BTW - maybe some people on the list might
just be interested in obtaining one.
Art Kelly '64 TR4 CT 33118L (Original owner)
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