Roof Rails

Will.T

Will.T

Audi S3
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East Sussex
Hi guys,

As some of you may already know I recently purchased an Audi S3 8P. The car I wanted was very specific and I managed to get everything I wanted minus the roof bars.

With a quick search I've managed to find non OEM ones on Ebay that simply stick on with what I assume is some very strong adhesive. Has anyone had any experience with these?

Any suggests/help are much appreciated :icon thumright:
 
Arghhh....dont do it pal.
Imo it's do it right or not at all.
I retrofitted them twice, on my 8P and on my 8V, properly and with genuine parts.
Why ruin your new pride and joy!
I have the genuine retrofit pdf if you have the stomach to strip out the interior and drill the roof:)
 
-Ju- said:
Arghhh....dont do it pal.
Imo it's do it right or not at all.
I retrofitted them twice, on my 8P and on my 8V, properly and with genuine parts.
Why ruin your new pride and joy!
I have the genuine retrofit pdf if you have the stomach to strip out the interior and drill the roof:)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply.....I'm certainly not after ruining it :tearsofjoy: ideally want to make it better looking and I really like the look of the rails.

Definitely not up for stripping back the interior and drilling the roof. In what way would the stick on ones ruin the car? Surely it wouldn't damage the paint work and they wouldn't look any different than properly fixed OEM ones.

Please do correct me on any of this I'm just interested to know exactly what the problem/difference would be from sticking or going balls deep and drilling holes?
 
It's been discussed many times in the past and the general consensus is they are ok bonded for aesthetics but it becomes a problem when you sell the car and the buyer thinks he can mount all the families camping trip on the roof!
It's your call but I'd either leave it or do it right.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
 
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-Ju- said:
It's been discussed many times in the past and the general consensus is they are ok bonded for aesthetics but it becomes a problem when you sell the car and the buyer thinks he can mount all the families camping trip on the roof!
It's your call but I'd either leave it or do it right.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

:sweatsmile: ahhh I see, that makes sense. It does feel like the wrong thing to do and a bit of a cheap fix to an Audi it's just a nice little touch to the car.

So when you done it did you strip back the interior and drill holes etc? Was that a bit if a nightmare and more hassle than it's worth as I wouldn't be strapping anything to the roof it would literally be for looks?
 
Yeah it's not a nice job to remove the headlining as everything underneath it has to come out first including everything in the boot from the floor up, back seats and all the pillar trims!
It does make a massive difference to the car though so is worth the effort.
 
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-Ju- said:
Yeah it's not a nice job to remove the headlining as everything underneath it has to come out first including everything in the boot from the floor up, back seats and all the pillar trims!
It does make a massive difference to the car though so is worth the effort.
Click to expand...

Fair enough mate. Well thank you for the information. Think I'll leave it for now and enjoy the car as is :icon thumright:
 
Will.T said:
Fair enough mate. Well thank you for the information. Think I'll leave it for now and enjoy the car as is :icon thumright:
Click to expand...
Haha.......go on you must like a challenge lol
 
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it's not a hard job to do if you take your time. I would not be afraid of it. Many have retrofitted. massive difference in my opinion. the pdf is pretty spot on. some even have the rub strips indicating where to drill. I mean what the point of having an a3 if you dont go Frankenstein on it. Thats what its meant for.
 
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-Ju- said:
Haha.......go on you must like a challenge lol
Click to expand...

:sweatsmile: I do, but this one scares me. I don't like the idea of pulling half the interior out, I know myself well and I know I'll get stressed out if something doesn't go back right :tired:

Can you send me the pdf, fancy giving it a quick scan just to have a look at exactly what needs doing
 
tcardio said:
it's not a hard job to do if you take your time. I would not be afraid of it. Many have retrofitted. massive difference in my opinion. the pdf is pretty spot on. some even have the rub strips indicating where to drill. I mean what the point of having an a3 if you dont go Frankenstein on it. Thats what its meant for.
Click to expand...

Fair enough. I might give it ago if I have a spare weekend but with the kids and overtime at work its proving to be quite a bit of hassle getting a nice day to tackle something like that.

Do you have a rough time frame in regards to getting something like this done?
 
Will.T said:
Fair enough. I might give it ago if I have a spare weekend but with the kids and overtime at work its proving to be quite a bit of hassle getting a nice day to tackle something like that.

Do you have a rough time frame in regards to getting something like this done?
Click to expand...
I'd say 3-4 hours.
It is easy to remove the interior but you have to start in the boot and be methodical.
Drilling, I just drilled up for my first hole as you can see from inside where it goes and then marked up with masking tape from above. Use a step drill bit to avoid snagging in the hole.
I'll PM you the link to my google drive
 
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-Ju- said:
I'd say 3-4 hours.
It is easy to remove the interior but you have to start in the boot and be methodical.
Drilling, I just drilled up for my first hole as you can see from inside where it goes and then marked up with masking tape from above. Use a step drill bit to avoid snagging in the hole.
I'll PM you the link to my google drive
Click to expand...

Lovely....thanks dude
 
We all know that the Sportback is the best looking A3. The roof rails make it better still :grinning:
 
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SootySport said:
Not for me:sadlike:. Turns the car into an SUV in my eyes.
Click to expand...

Each to their own I suppose. It doesn't look like it's going to happen anyway unfortunately as there's no way I'm personally going to do it and I don't fancy paying a garage to do it
 
I purchased some roof rails and going into paint (gloss black) next week then the retrofit begins.
The set I purchased are mint and a shame to cover up the chrome but needs must
 
Has anyone had experience with the generic removable ones that hook into the doors? I need some roof rails but only for practical reasons when going camping etc. so will be removing them afterwards.
 
Will.T said:
I agree. Shame they're such a nightmare to fit, wanted some nice black ones
Click to expand...

I don’t think they would be such a nightmare to fit.
I retrofitted an aerial to mine for dab which requires removing the headlining and drilling a hole in the roof and it only took me about an hour and half.
You have to take off some of the boot trim inside but not much of it and then take out all the screws from the headlining for the lights and sunvisors etc but that didn’t take long and then it’s just a case of drilling your holes.
This is what I was concerned about but when I got the balls to do it and actually did it then it was fine as it’s quite easy to drill.
If you’ve done work on cars before and you’re decent at diy then I’d give it a go.
I’ve got the same car as you in the same colour if you want a picture as mine has roof rails on, only thing is mine is an S Line with S3 skirts on but it’s an Ibis white black edition sportback.
 
JayA3sline said:
I purchased some roof rails and going into paint (gloss black) next week then the retrofit begins.
The set I purchased are mint and a shame to cover up the chrome but needs must
Click to expand...

Nice mate. Are you doing it yourself or are you getting a garage to fit them? Also how much did you manage to pick them up for?

Update us with some pictures through the stages of fitting them. Would be good to see
 
ab1702 said:
I don’t think they would be such a nightmare to fit.
I retrofitted an aerial to mine for dab which requires removing the headlining and drilling a hole in the roof and it only took me about an hour and half.
You have to take off some of the boot trim inside but not much of it and then take out all the screws from the headlining for the lights and sunvisors etc but that didn’t take long and then it’s just a case of drilling your holes.
This is what I was concerned about but when I got the balls to do it and actually did it then it was fine as it’s quite easy to drill.
If you’ve done work on cars before and you’re decent at diy then I’d give it a go.
I’ve got the same car as you in the same colour if you want a picture as mine has roof rails on, only thing is mine is an S Line with S3 skirts on but it’s an Ibis white black edition sportback.
Click to expand...

To be honest I know I could do it, I just can't be bothered for such a small change, I really do struggle with having spare time due to the children and currently training to be an electrician so things are hectic at the moment. If I had more time, a decent area to work on the car then I'd go for it but it just seems like so much hassle. To be honest I was hoping it would be an easier fit or the stick on adhesive ones where decent.

Get some pictures up of yours anyway, interested to see it.
 
Will.T said:
Nice mate. Are you doing it yourself or are you getting a garage to fit them? Also how much did you manage to pick them up for?

Update us with some pictures through the stages of fitting them. Would be good to see
Click to expand...

Yes going to do it myself, use to stripping the interior and although it sounds daunting it’s only drilling a few holes. Most importantly is to protect and seal for the long run.

I paid £135 delivered and they look brand new which is very rare especially as they are 5-10 years old. I will take some pictures as I like to look back at these things. Once they come back from paint I’ll begin.
 
JayA3sline said:
Yes going to do it myself, use to stripping the interior and although it sounds daunting it’s only drilling a few holes. Most importantly is to protect and seal for the long run.

I paid £135 delivered and they look brand new which is very rare especially as they are 5-10 years old. I will take some pictures as I like to look back at these things. Once they come back from paint I’ll begin.
Click to expand...

Sweet, I look forward to seeing the progress. Might give me a nudge to getting it done myself
 
Can you message me with the PDF aswell please?

Been looking at doing this but don't know if i have the kahunas to start drilling the body, i can get a bit impatient
 
Just another thought, can roof rails be fitted on a Panoramic roof?
 
I really wanted to do this after I first got my car (completely overlooked the option at purchase point), but I read a great many posts about the process. And it's not for the faint of heart or someone who does the occasional light DIY. There's a lot that can go wrong, especially with removal of interior trim where tabs can get busted. I'd read at least one case where there was leakage. It's probably best to have done by a body shop, but they'll charge you about $1,000 USD in labor. It's really sad that Audi didn't spend just a little extra effort to make a post-purchase installation of OEM rails more feasible.
 
Done my roof rails this weekend. All completed and really happy with the results. It’s just one of those jobs that there’s no turning back once you start and you need to keep checking your fitment.

All holes were coated with etch primer once holes cut. Then the inserts placed through and bit between skins at a very low tension to avoid denting the roof. Then Wurth bond & seal used around the element insert on top to seal it to the car. I also put some bond on the rail itself so it will bond to the element when torqued down.

I had these rails painted gloss black to match the rest of my theme. White/ black.

1424ae731f876a3be126bfc1fdd84578.jpg
ec00c200fc445531e417c3d17470d008.jpg
089748dc98c7ee16d4fa1f90d19689dd.jpg
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cd7bb1b8afc879e99847ec26e91849d2.jpg
890a6a8a8605dc4530b4aca2524e0e56.jpg
b8643ff19ff495526e85beb1a762c37c.jpg
 
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JayA3sline said:
Done my roof rails this weekend. All completed and really happy with the results. It’s just one of those jobs that there’s no turning back once you start and you need to keep checking your fitment.

All holes were coated with etch primer once holes cut. Then the inserts placed through and bit between skins at a very low tension to avoid denting the roof. Then Wurth bond & seal used around the element insert on top to seal it to the car. I also put some bond on the rail itself so it will bond to the element when torqued down.

I had these rails painted gloss black to match the rest of my theme. White/ black.

1424ae731f876a3be126bfc1fdd84578.jpg
ec00c200fc445531e417c3d17470d008.jpg
089748dc98c7ee16d4fa1f90d19689dd.jpg
5adc0dcf83365f09bed894316345b3a8.jpg
cd7bb1b8afc879e99847ec26e91849d2.jpg
890a6a8a8605dc4530b4aca2524e0e56.jpg
b8643ff19ff495526e85beb1a762c37c.jpg
Click to expand...

Balls of steel you mate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Tech specs would be great for all. the key measurement is distance from rear hatch line to rear rail and distance from roof crease to first rear hole
 
The mounting points are clearly visible from inside once the headlining is removed, just drill up through one to get a reference point
 
tcardio said:
did you see any scuff marks on the inside to indicate the drilling points?
Click to expand...

32c0b3b8161a0d5b5c6a872cdeae23ec.jpg


02c358780c5acecd98325f41a35aaea3.jpg


View from inside (pilot hole) and outside (once cut to 14mm). You need to aim for the smaller key hole section as the element goes through the large hole and slides across so once the element is extended to pop through the hole outside it bites on either side of the small key hole area
 
JayA3sline said:
32c0b3b8161a0d5b5c6a872cdeae23ec.jpg


02c358780c5acecd98325f41a35aaea3.jpg


View from inside (pilot hole) and outside (once cut to 14mm). You need to aim for the smaller key hole section as the element goes through the large hole and slides across so once the element is extended to pop through the hole outside it bites on either side of the small key hole area
Click to expand...
Hey, I did not find where to dm, so posting here. I have questions about the roof rail retrofit. Can you dm me? :)
 
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