JimGnitecki

My just-completed 2500 mile solo road trip has made me suspect that if my wife ever chooses to come along on a road trip, or even a weekend trip, luggage space in my 1992 C4 convertible could quickly become "an issue".

All of a sudden, a luggage rack that mounts on the rear of the convertible looks convincingly attractive.

A few questions, for those who have any experience or expertise on racks and the containers that fit onto them:

1. Can you still buy a luggage rack for a C4 convertible?

2. If so, where?

3. What do people use for waterproof containers (preferably white in color, since my car is white)? (Pelican gun case? Photographer's case? Or?)

4. Is the rack permanent, or can it be detached when not needed?

Jim G

RedCorvette1988

I also have a 92 white contv. and have wondered about room for suitcases on trips. Even without a luggage rack. Is there any hints folks have for packing for two in a c-4 contv?

Deakins

When I load down my convertible I use a soft duffle bag that will conform a bit when I put it in. That way everything packs in tight as I don't have a rack either so I can at least use every square inch of space. I too am curious as to any solutions out there to get more stuff on board.

JimGnitecki

I have a really nice leather roller carry-on bag that I used to use for business travel back when I was doing travel consulting.

It turns out that that carry-on bag that just meets the airline standards for maximum size, successfully slides in behind the passenger seat (when seatback is tilted forward of course) and fits like a glove into that cargo area, leaving room on the driver side for other smaller items. The limiting factor is the "thickness" of the carry-on, as it has to clear the "ledge" at the front of the cargo area (take a look at your cargo area and you will see what I mean). It also helps if the bag has, like mine, an upper portion that "compresses" a bit to get past that ledge. On my bag, that upper compressible portion holds a tri-fold dress and suit carrier bag that has rigid sides but a flexible top that allows it to bow outward when loaded up with suit, pants & shirts, or dresses/skirts.

I also use the passenger footwell for my briefcase that contains my laptop computer and other miscellaneous items. I used this system successfully on my recent 2600 mile road trip to Colorado and New mexico.

I think this "system" would break down if my wife came along on a road trip, since there would be no room for the briefcase (too large to fit into remaining area of cargo area if carry-on bag is there), and it's unlikely my wife and I could get BOTH our stuff into the carry-on. Hence, the question about the luggage rack.

I have examined photos of C4s with the luggage rack. It is NOT a one-piece freestanding rack. It is instead a series of black "slats" bolted to the rear deck, each running "foreand aft" on the deck, plus one long piece with a "barrier dam" behind the slats (that prevents the luggage from sliding off the slats to the rear).

I can see how the "barrier dam" prevents luggage from sliding off to the rear, and how luggage can be bungeed or belted to the barrier dam by belts that circumvent the luggage, but I cannot see how the FRONT of the luggage can be restrained from being thrown upward on abrupt bumps.

Because this luggage "rack" consist of pieces that are permanently bolted to the deck, with a total of perhaps a dozen bolts (because the slats are individual), it is extremely unlikely that the owner of an existing one mounted on a C4 is going to want to sell it (would require bodywork and paint to "undo" its prior presence), so the only hope is to find a new-old-stock (NOS) luggage rack kit at some GM parts and accessories dealer. After 17 years, that seems unlikely.

Temporary luggage racks won't work on our C4s, since they usually depend upon the presence of trunk lid edge gaps to which to clamp flat tightenable belts with plastic coated flat hooks on the end into, and we have no trunk lids and therefore no trunk lid gaps!

IF you could find some form of rack that would work, the luggage itself must also be waterproof at highway speed, which to me suggests that the luggage container must basically be a fully waterproof "case" like a Pelican gun case or camera gear case.

All this suggests to me that the best solution might be a waterproof rigid case with carry handle that "belts" onto a pair of "holders" that each run fore and aft on the deck, and from the SIDE of the car look like this:


]__________________[

The case would slip into the holders, be kept suspended above the deck paint by the holder "bottom" section, and would be secured to each holder, at both front and rear, by belts that circumvent the case and slip through slots in the holders.

This would require only FOUR holes to be bored into the deck, and their placement would be far easier than using the complex template for the factory kit. The 4 bolts would be countersunk into the holders to prevent damage to the luggage box. The paint would need to be black powder coat. Black so that like the facotry kit, it works on ANY color C4, and powdercoat for fierce resistance to abrasion and weather.

Who wants to engineer and produce one for the limited and falling C4 convertible market?

Jim G

92ragtop

1. Would be hard to find, but possible.
2. There was a NOS rack on EBay last year, but the guy wanted $1,000.
3. I saw a photo on the forum once, showing a vert with a C4-specific luggage case on the back. Whatever you plan to use, just paint it white.
4. The rack is made of of a number of pieces that are screwed & glued on, and is intended to be permanent. I tried to get a piece of mine off once, but gave up before I damaged something.

Pack light in a soft bag or two that fit under the top. Or, just find a nudist colony that you can end up staying at.

JimGnitecki

92ragtop: Thank-you! That really helps to understand how the factory "solution" works and is mounted.

To me, it is far too complex.

Tell me: how do you get UNDER the deck to apply the retainers that hold the factory screws or bolts???? (See section B-B in first diagram, on left hand side)

Jim G

Streamline

Metric thread Well nuts are used.
Sometimes (rarely)...used and NOS luggage racks do surface on ebay, unfortunately expect to pay top $$$.

JimGnitecki

Ah, that explains it.

For those that do not know, a well nut is basically a flanged rubber insert with a nut at the non-flanged end. It is inserted through a hole in a surface (the surface is the deck in this case), and a bolt is threaded through whatever is being fastened, through the rubber insert and into the nut, and then tightened. The tightening expands the rubber radially so that it grips the surface into which it was inserted.

I wonder how many would be needed to securely retain the two "holders" I described above, in 90 mph highway wind speeds and over abrupt bumps that would try to make the rack "airborne". Since the deck body panel is probably thin, it might not take that many well nuts, as each well nut rubber can expand quite a bit under a thin surface like that deck.

Jim G

JimGnitecki

Ok, let's modify the holder shape to look like THIS from the side of the car: (left side is the front of the holder, right side is the rear)

___
]
[______________[

That new top horizontal "lip" at the front will secure the waterproof container at the front, against both high speed wind and abrupt bumps, by "trapping" the container under it.

A properly positioned bolt with plastic **** handle, at the rear of each holder, would thread against the container, above the sealing lip between top and bottom of the container case, to secure the container at the rear, against both vertical and horizontal movement. Removing the container at gas tops would thus be easy (just loosen the 2 plastic handled bolts).

Jim G

kmillar

I bought a used rack from vette2vette a couple of years ago. Try them or Shawn (rare Z16). Do a search and you'll get his address.
I also have the factory template for drilling the holes. I've made copies 3 times and sent them, you'd just have to cover shipping.
I wait and get a factory rack as they are around and it would look the best. If you decide to go this route. PM me and I'll send you a copy of the template

JimGnitecki

Thank-you! I'll see if I can locate a rack from Vette2vette or elsewhere. if I do, I'll PM you for the template!

Jim G

corvetteronw

This is a pic I took at Bloomington Gold '06.

Macs94

Where is the rack available from? I would like to add it to my 94"
Thanks,
Macs 94

Biker

Is there a rack for an '86 convertible?

103047boat

Jim here is a web site that the racks look like the OEM for the C4 and a really great price ,looks like the one I have on my 1991,http://www.prolineracks.com/trunk-deck-racks.html you have to look on the site they have many items.

JimGnitecki

Thank-you, but I sold my C4 in January.

However, I know that a number of others on this forum were looking for racks, so this may help them!

Jim G

canuck buick

That proliner rack looks interesting anybody ever put an aftermarket rack on?

103047boat

Just looking at the pictures it looks really close, email them and maybe they can give a little better picture they also come in difference sizes, I tried to get the instruction sheet open but wouldn't, bet by the looks it has the well nuts to hold it on like the vettes, I was lucking and called a car dealer in Grand Rapids MI ask if he had a rack and sure enough he did, picked it up for a $100.00 I was very lucky. John G

Vetteblack-96

I haven't looked but I'd be surprised if the major Corvette aftermarket guys (Mid-America, etc.) didn't have something.

A few years ago I was meeting a gf at the airport and it didn't dawn on me until I got there that she would have a suitcase. I ended up opening the deck lid of my vert, laying straps down and closing the lid with the ends of the straps sticking out being used to tie down the suitcase........ Good thing she only had one case or she'd be following me in a cab!

canuck buick

None of the corvette houses carry a luggage rack.