How to remove the roof rack??

[jpastore]

Does anyone know how difficult it would be to remove the roof rack rails from the EX35? I know that it is a factory installed option and that Infiniti will not remove them.

I'm on the edge of buy a new EX and it's perfect but it has the roof rack and rails and I like it without them but the dealer can't find the model with options and without the roof rails that I'm looking for. So I'm wondering how hard it would be to remove them and what's left behind after doing so (a hole in each corner from the bolt that held it down or more than that). Is it something a body shop could fix easily or am I out of luck entirely?

Modified by jpastore at 7:56 PM 7/26/2008
Modified by jpastore at 9:36 PM 7/26/2008

[rontek]

I do not like the roof rack either. I could not find the color and options I wanted without it, so I special ordered mine. Took 3 months to arrive, but in my opinion was well worth it. The vehicle looks totally different without it. From what I have been told they can not be "Installed" except at the factory, but I do not know about removed. I would doubt it.

Ron

[jpastore]

I'm being told by my local dealer that they will not take any new orders and have cancelled outstanding orders due to the low demand of SUVs this quarter. He is however offering the car for $6000 less than sticker so it's kind of hard to walk away from considering it's perfect with the exception of the roof rails.

[rn79870]

For $6000 I would bet they wouild grow on you real fast. Every time I looked at them I'd see a $6000 savings and smile.

Oh, and welcome to the Nico forums. Hope you join the family here and enjoy your stay.

There are some really funny things happening with car pricing now. I was just at the Nissan dealership and they had brand new Titans on sale for $16995. Yep, that's almost half off factory sticker. Same with the SUVs. It's a good time to buy a SUV if you really have to have one.

[nghivdo]

There are some really funny things happening with car pricing now. I was just at the Nissan dealership and they had brand new Titans on sale for $16995. Yep, that's almost half off factory sticker. Same with the SUVs. It's a good time to buy a SUV if you really have to have one.

Of course, you'll quickly add to your monthly payment in gas costs these days I hear some dealers around here will give you way below KBB or even not take your truck/SUV as a trade-in!

[jpastore]

I think I'm going to jump on it. I just hope there aren't any many changes in the '09 model. Has anyone gotten the real story on what's going to change if anything?

I'd love to have the roof rails removed by a body shop. I just wonder how tricky it would be to get to the bolts holding them down. I assume they screw into the rail from inside the frame rather than outside in order to hide the bolt. Can any owners confirm or disconfirm?

[TrevEB]

I actually traded mine in to get the roof rack, among other things, using the buy back offer.

I do know that the 09 model will have the rails standard. It's already listed on there web page as non optional.

Be sure to check with Edmunds.com for dealer incentives. The car has up to $4000 cash back to the dealer.

[dividedhighw]

I do know that the 09 model will have the rails standard. It's already listed on there web page as non optional.

Could you please give me a link on where you found information on the '09 EX?

TIA,David

[TrevEB]

http://www.infiniti.com/ex/packages.html

Scroll to the bottomRoof Rails - Aluminum roof railsRequired with EX Journey or EX AWD Journey Models.

Otherwise as noted in C&T Sept issue. No changes

Another interesting note, The G35 is discontinued? Long live the G37.

[dividedhighw]

Scroll to the bottomRoof Rails - Aluminum roof railsRequired with EX Journey or EX AWD Journey Models.

I thought that was the '08 info (not '09).

Otherwise as noted in C&T Sept issue. No changes

What's "C&T" ... do you have a link? (Or, did you mean R&T or C&D?)

Thanks,David

[EX55]

I like the roof rails myself. Was able to view my choice of car without, with and with the roof cross-bars. I thought it looked best with the cross-bars included.

The hold-down bolts must be buried deep in the roof liner. I wonder if the service manual shows any details on the roof rails.

[sg77]

- Aluminum roof railsRequired with EX Journey or EX AWD Journey Models.

My 2008 EX brochure (which has a copyright date of 2007) says something similar: "Required on Journey model". But we know that's not correct, since some 2008 EX Journey models don't have them (including mine; I like the looks better without them). The local dealer told me it meant that if you wanted roof rails, you had to get the Journey, not the base model, i.e., it was a misprint for "Requires Journey model". I don't know if that's true, but it seems reasonable.I also read on a forum somewhere that only the first batch of EX's came without roof rails, and that later batches only come with them. That also seems plausible, since my EX without them was built in 2007.

[inteller]

the last part you said is true. the first batch came without roof rails. later in the year, they were mandatory with the Journey trim level.