A6 (C4) Avant Chrome Roof Rails/trim?

[Jon-G]

Does anyone know if the chrome roof rails/window surround trim from any other Avants will fit onto a 1994 A6 (C4 Platform)?

[Jon-G]

Would anyone with chrome roof rails on a newer gen A6 be prepared to measure the distance between the centres of the feet, and let me know what car they have taken the measurements againt?

TIA

[NickPicks]

I have a 2001 A6 (C5). It's got black roof rails, but they should be the same as the silver. My brother had a C4 version and his roof bars won't fit on mine (the bar profile is slightly thicker on the later version).

The window shape is different between the versions, so I very much doubt that the window trims would fit.

I'll try to measure the feet distances tonight and let you know tomorrow.

Are you thinking of swapping your black ones for chrome? Personally, I prefer the look of black against the silver car.

[Jon-G]

Hi Nick,
Thanks for your reply. Yes I want to get rid of the black rails for chrome, and Im really just exploring whether I can get a drop in replacement, rather than have mine chromed.

The car isnt staying silver for very long as Im going to rust all the bodywork for a rat look. Heres a photoshop of a 100 avant (only side profile pic I could find of a similar car while on my lunch other day) showing roughly what I plan on doing with her:





Where it looks orange on here this will be just rusted metal (apart from the rear spoiler which Im going to matt black), and I think the chrome rails against the rust will look spot on

[NickPicks]

I measured them (2001 A6 2.4 SE Avant - C5 shape) this morning. If we call the front mount A, middle B and rear C, then the measurements are as follows:

length of mount A = 150mm
length of mount B = 60mm
length of mount C = 120mm
gap between A and B = 890mm
gap between B and C = 735mm.

The measurements are a bit tricky as they're rounded at the front and back, so I've tried to measure from the very front of the curve.

The rails on the C5 are mounted on the curve of the roof edge (as it curves down to meet the windows), so the mounting feet are shaped to match. I'd be very suprised if the curve of the C4 shape are the same.

I don't know where the mounting studs go through, and I'm not going to try and remove my head lining to find out.

I'm intrigued about the rusty look. Do you just blast off the paint and galvanising and leave the panel to go rusty? How do you stop it at the surface rust level without letting it carry on rusting to 'rusted through'?

Good Luck.
Nick

[Jon-G]

I measured them (2001 A6 2.4 SE Avant - C5 shape) this morning. If we call the front mount A, middle B and rear C, then the measurements are as follows:

length of mount A = 150mm
length of mount B = 60mm
length of mount C = 120mm
gap between A and B = 890mm
gap between B and C = 735mm.

The measurements are a bit tricky as they're rounded at the front and back, so I've tried to measure from the very front of the curve.

The rails on the C5 are mounted on the curve of the roof edge (as it curves down to meet the windows), so the mounting feet are shaped to match. I'd be very suprised if the curve of the C4 shape are the same.

I don't know where the mounting studs go through, and I'm not going to try and remove my head lining to find out.

I'm intrigued about the rusty look. Do you just blast off the paint and galvanising and leave the panel to go rusty? How do you stop it at the surface rust level without letting it carry on rusting to 'rusted through'?

Good Luck.
Nick

Hi Nick,
That's great thanks! Ill be out there with the tape tomorrow measuring up!

With regards to the curvature of the base, I think from memory the mounts are quite flat on my rails, but as long as the spacing’s are about right, I may be able to flatten of the base of the C5 mounts with a grinder, and drill and re-tap the holes. The main thing I want to avoid is drilling new holes through the roof skin, as I can foresee sealing up the old ones becoming a problem!

I have bought a random orbital sander with plenty of the most abrasive pads available for getting the paint off and cutting through the galv. I used a 3" wire brush and a drill to do the wing of the polo (see signature) but this took forever! Once down to the bear metal it’s just a matter of mixing up some strong salt water solution in a spray bottle and dousing the panels down.

There is no real way to stop the rust eating through the entire panel, but the process is much slower than you would think. The wing on the polo was done over a year ago now, and the metal has not thinned or weakened.

Eventually the rust WILL eat right through, but I bought the car for £350 and only hope to get a couple of year’s service out of her as workhorse while I renovate my house, and a daily to keep the mileage off my golf! Can’t help meddling though, nothing to say you can’t have cool and practical!

The enquiries are already underway for the coilovers and wire wheels, so watch this space!

[JPJ10]

Hi Jon-G,

I'm not sure if your rails are made the same way as the ones on the C5 model, but underneath they are actually silver.

I have black ones on mine and found a thread where someone removed the rails and stripped the black coating off with something like Nitromors and hey presto, silver roof rails!

Hope this works

[Jon-G]

cool and the gang

I am the man with much nitromors (doing the whole car) so watch this space and Ill let you know if it works on the C4

[Jon-G]

Hi Jon-G,

I'm not sure if your rails are made the same way as the ones on the C5 model, but underneath they are actually silver.

I have black ones on mine and found a thread where someone removed the rails and stripped the black coating off with something like Nitromors and hey presto, silver roof rails!

Hope this works

Its taken me a while to post back as Ive been a busy boy stripping pain/galv from the car, but I can confirm the nitromorse trick works with these rails. I stripped them with a paint scraper then used wirewool soaked in nitromorse to get the last bits off. A polish up with meguires metal polish and they look spot on (especially against the rust!)

Heres a pic I took of the car this morning after chopping her springs down last night

[NickPicks]

The rails look good.

I'm in two minds about the car though. I think that it probably looked better in silver. The rusty look is quite interesting though, as I've never seen it before (apart from the broken down sand blasted wrecks you occasionally come across in the desert).

If you're using it as a workhorse, won't chopping the springs mean that you'll be hittting the bump stops every time you take a load of rubble to the tip (When I was renovating my house, I took quite a lot to the tip).

Oh, and what have you told DVLA about the colour change? Does the logbook now say "Rusty"?

Have fun with it. It's very unique, and it'll certainly turn heads!