i had only ever seen the canadian stock roof racks until i bought some US ones off of ARCHINSTL. they are quite different and i was a little shocked when i first looked at what i had bought but i now see value in both kinds and thought i'd highlight the differences here.
the canadian racks are about 46" long and designed specifically for the tercel, with a cutaway for the aft end ridge/hump/whatever you want to call it. once mounted, they're there long term. i think they're stylish.
the US racks are about 32" long and not tailor fit for the tercel--rather than having a cutaway for the ridge, the ones i got from tom have a bunch of rubber gasket packed into the empty spaces. they have two hard mounted pieces but four adjustable pieces which can be slid around to accommodate whatever you're putting up there and even removed when not in use. i really like this feature since fuel economy is important to me and roof racks increase drag. excuse the dirty roof, the car will get washed as soon as i'm done working on it.
Oh, you Canucks - allus goin' fer style over utility!
I agree - the Canadian version is MUCH better looking than the US version, while the latter would seem to offer more utility.
I wonder why the difference? This is another, albeit minor, reason that it would be nice to have some Toy former staffers involved in the design/marketing of these cars weigh in.
Tom M.
T4WD augury?
"Oh, do not ask, 'What is it?' Let us go and make our visit." T.S. Eliot - "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"
"Now and then we had a hope that, if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates." Mark Twain
figgered i'd chime on this one. i've had 4 t4wd's with roof racks. two with short racks ('83and '84) and two with long racks ('85 and '88.) all were US versions, so i think rack style has more to do with production date than market. not sure, but "dealer installed option?" i agree with arch- greatly prefer the short rack- completely adjustable and the screw- down "thingies" work great with bungee cords. IMO, the longer racks are pretty much only for lookums.
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
rer, when you say "long racks" do you mean the same kind that i thought were the canadian racks? if so, i'm going to be mighty embarrassed and have to rename this thread.
i don't think the production year plays into it though, as my long racks came off an '83. i have also seen them stock on '87s. additionally, the short racks i bought off tom were from his '86, and the next set i am planning on buying come from an '85. i've never seen the short racks up here before so i think it's safe to say they are a US thing but maybe it's more of a US dealer vs. factory thing? i agree tom, maybe bryanthompson will pop in sometime soon and be able to clarify.
while i do prefer the look of the long racks, the ability to mostly remove the racks and not sacrifice fuel economy is the best feature to me so the short racks also have my vote.
It appears there was no "factory" rack, all were dealer installed, likely from some "approved" vendor. Notice how the Euro tercels all had very different racks from the US and Canadian Tercels. So that would mean that there is no such thing as a Tercel roof rack, all were purchased from a local domestic vendor.
Since these cars were so under powered, packing a lot of stuff on the roof would make them even slower at hwy speeds. I do not care for the way a roof rack affects the economy so I always avoid them. Besides, with all the room inside, why would you need a roof rack?
My tercel:: 81 tercel sr5 GTS (4age RWD and 4WD application on build up for the moment) now im running a 3a with weber 32 dmsa 100,corolla gts front suspension, sway bar and steering, troush exhaust
In rallying some use them to put some spare wheels,tools on top! As you not allowed moving objects in the vehicle in case of crash! Personally I prefer bolting a steel box inside my hatch!
With a baby on the way, and a ski hill 20 minutes from town, the roof rack will be an essential for my little family and our outdoor lifestyle. What I lose in fuel economy I gain in not spending $10k on a used Rav4 or equivalent. That's good enough reason for me!
Currently:
Majorette France Tercel 4WD - Fini
Formerly:
'87 6spd SR5 4WD modified Wagon (Ron, the post-apocalyptic summer ride)
'87 6spd dlx 4wd Wagon (Pinkman Got Nuthin', aka Pinky)
'87 Auto dlx 4WD Wagon (Otto, temporary parts car)
'88 6spd SR5 4WD Wagon (Perry, the parts car)
how 'bout 10' foot long 2x4's to trantport to put a winter cover on your boat? don't drive these cars to to make a fashion statement!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
Ha, I had 11 T4WD from the past and never got one with roof rack . I have roof rack that sit or stand on the drain gutter , is the strongest to hold the weight and all 4 wheels will have equal weight of load ,my T4WD is the only daily transportation I have so I used them a lot with all kind of weight I carry , last fall I put 15 sheets of 1/2 " plywood and drove it few miles, it the record of the heaviest weight I ever carried . I'm not doing that again either . Just don't take off quickly from stop .
don't tell me, you thought you could hold that pile of plywood on the roof by rolling down your window and putting your hand on top of the stack to steady it on the roof.
That happens pretty regularly around here, seems bubba underestimates the amount force it takes to hold a stack of lumber on the roof and when you apply the brakes. Sometimes results in hilarious mishaps. Should take a simple lesson in Newtonian physics.
My tercel:: 81 tercel sr5 GTS (4age RWD and 4WD application on build up for the moment) now im running a 3a with weber 32 dmsa 100,corolla gts front suspension, sway bar and steering, troush exhaust
We did that once moving my friends bed on the roof tie down with ropes, went downhill quite fast and was railroad crossing, I must of swear that it felt like gliding, lol! When we landed one of the rope broke off and we try catchin the mattress with no success really! It got real heavy real quick! We had a good laugh tho, could of been dangerous with lumber!
Petros wrote:don't tell me, you thought you could hold that pile of plywood on the roof by rolling down your window and putting your hand on top of the stack to steady it on the roof.
OH Petros ,Petros,Petros , Do I have to explain every detail on how I strap down the Plywood on the roof rack , Of course I wouldn't drive with my hand on top of the stack.
