getting rid of roof rack channels anyone ever done it?

[funky2nite]

have severe rusting hole just near the FM aerial in the roof rack channel. have never found out any use for both roof rack channels on my micra and am sure will never ever find any. Now how about getting rid of the black strips covering the channels and filling both channels with hard metal/panel filler? or if this has ever been done before how have they gone round this?

Was also thinking on the long run if the filler is likely to develop cracks along time on bumps or high heat in our dry summers maybe all the filler will kind of detach from the sides.. just thinking.. haven't go much experience with hard metal. Have smoothed both my bumper with plastic filler was a bit of a pain but now it's done thankfully and due again since I've scratched my bumpies again..

thanks guys! much obliged as always!

Ian - MALTA

 

[--alpina--]

I wouldn't fill in the roof rack lines cos it will crack along the seam! The chassis is always twisting when turning so that will cause the cracks! A mate of mine done that to hisVW Corrado and it was bad!!

If I had rust around the aerial then remove and repair that area! Or completely remove the aerial and fiberglass the hole if you don't use the radio OR fit a bee sting aerial if you listen to radio etc!

J

 

[funky2nite]

I wouldn't fill in the roof rack lines cos it will crack along the seam! The chassis is always twisting when turning so that will cause the cracks! A mate of mine done that to hisVW Corrado and it was bad!!

If I had rust around the aerial then remove and repair that area! Or completely remove the aerial and fiberglass the hole if you don't use the radio OR fit a bee sting aerial if you listen to radio etc!

J

Thanks man for the heads up, thought the same would happen if I had to do it. What concerned me was that if I put fibreglass over the hole in the channel was that water would stop with the fibreglass bump and rusting starts again

 

[SirChris]

I reckon if done properly you can do it. Someone must make an appropriate material to out in the gap. Flexible to some extent.

 

[Wagoneer]

I had a Fiat Cinquecento prior to the Micra. The roof trim strips hit the bin quite early on and I welded a similar guage steel strip in to bridge the gap. No flexing issues there of course because of the weld. Do it, you've nothing to lose!