Wasn't sure where to post these so I put them in the 'Off-topic' area. The pictures are a proof of concept. The same roof racks and canoe were used on a fox body mustang my parents had. Fits great on the WRX, need to get some new tie downs before I can take it on the street.
Very nice. The 'ru is a very capable boat hauler. I normally use ties over the boat and under the bars to keep it secure side to side, and bow/stern lines for front/back stability. If I'm not going far or fast, I'll sometimes skip the bow and stern lines. But kayaks are a lot lighter... Sent from my LS670 using Tapatalk
I have to get some ties for side to side shifting. The racks have eye screws on the ends for that. I plan on having those do the major holding while the bow/stern lines are there for acceleration/breaking stability. Can't tighten the bow/stern lines too much or I might dent the roof of my car. I like your setup, it looks better than my generic old school rack. I will probably order one in the future but I have to research what is the best one for my wallet. As long as this works, its hard to put the money down for another.
Depending on how the towers are set up, you might be able to just fit a set of Thule or Yakima crossbars and then use whatever accessories you need. Craigslist and forums are where I have bought all my rack stuff, probably have only about $200-300 invested in what would have been $600+. Also, for side-to-side, you want the tie downs to tie to the crossbars as close to the boat as possible, otherwise the boat may still slide left and right under the line. I usually will do this for a canoe: Take the line and toss it over the boat/car, go to the other side and feed it under the bar then toss it back over the boat/car, back to the first side, under the bar again, and tie off. If you get straps with a zip clasp or D rings, you can just cinch it down tight and you're good to go. If you use rope, you need a few knots to do the same. If you use a ratchet strap instead, you just hook right next to the boat, go over once and hook next to the other side of the boat, and tighten. Done right, the bow and stern lines aren't needed for accel/braking, but are useful for highway speed windsheer on the boat.