YOU PUT A WHAT ON A WHAT?! (a roof-rack on a Mustang.)
“You put a roof-rack… on a Mustang?!” — asked like Marty McFly in Back to the Future upon first seeing Doc Brown’s Delorean time machine.
I get that question all the time. And the answer is yes. I put a roof-rack on a Mustang. And it is awesome. Now, I know I’m not the only Mustang owner who would rather be mountain biking, kayaking, or just plain hurting him or herself as opposed to car cruising, drag racing, or good ol’ fashioned masterbating (ha. I’m going to get sh*t for that statement, aren’t I?) And for that reason, above all, I’m posting these pictures… and because it is f*cking impossible to find any pics or info on roof-racks for Ford Mustangs. Until now…
Yakima makes the only roof-rack system for the Mustang and there are some limitations: like a 100 pound weight limit. But that’s about the equivalent of two bikes or two kayaks or one bike and one kayak or one kayak and one bike… you get the idea. I don’t think that’s that big of a problem… unless you’re a cowboy or something and you plan on strapping a horse atop that thing. Oh, you will want to get the Q stretch kit if you plan on hauling kayaks (or horses) so keep that in mind. Price out the complete package here: www.yakima.com
High-fives to The Bicycle Shop of State College. They did a kick-ass job installing this baby. There are zero rattles and zero whistles… even with a bike on the roof doing 80… it blows my mind. Oh, one more thing: I haven’t competed in Autocross with the rack on yet so I’m not sure if it will pass race inspection or not. I talked to the local SCCA regional executive and he thinks if it’s that hard to get off and on that it might be okay… I will have to compete in the modified class though. But that’s no big deal… I’m just in it for the fun.
Hope this helps…
UPDATE:
I did take the car racing this past summer and it past my local SCCA inspection without a problem. Since it has absolutely no performance value (actually probably a hindrance) the car stayed stock-class and everything…
Klockwork Kugler: This is my blog. This is what I do. 
Just wanted to say thanks for this!!! I’m an avid mountain biker / snowboarder, and have been seriously considering a 2011 Mustang V6, but could never find anything on roof racks, Now I’ve seen it, and thanks! I know the 10-11 are slightly different, but the roofs are essentially the same, and Yakima does list one for the new body style. Thanks again!
-Kyle
Hey!! No prob. Thanks for the comment! The rack really looks cool. Unfortunately I take it down for the winter… so I’ve been missing it. I should take up snowboarding to keep it on year round! As for the ’11 Mustang V6… that is an incredible car. The quality is a big step over my generation… and the performance of the V6… yikes. I know I’d think twice before pulling up along side one at a light. If you go with the Mustang and throw on a roof rack let me know if you post any pictures and I’ll link up!
oh… I just updated with pics from Autocross!!
Saw the autocross pictures, if I end up getting the car, (it’ll be about 6 months at least, want to find a lightly used one) I’ll definitely post up a link.
-Kyle
Love the setup! would you mind posting the yakima components you purchased? the configured rack on the site includes 4 pods and 2 cross bars. It looks like you have a 5th and 6th pod to stabilize the rack in the rear and some lengthwise running bars.
thanks
Andrew
hey andrew — I got the the base rack (Q towers, 58″ load bars, 2 pair of Q78 clips) as well as the Q stretch kit. Hope this helps!!
Love seeing the mustang used for things other then street racing, drag racing, etc…. When I have enough I will be installing one on my mustang as well. Great post, I rally cross with my mustang so its good to see you keeping the rack on while you autocross, its a wonderful statement.
Thank you so much for this! I have a 2005 V6, and I can’t tell you how hard it is to drive with a 7′ surfboard in the car and two 6′ men sitting up front (you read that correctly, IN the car).
A question for you. I plan on getting a kayak soon so my girlfriend and I can go together. Why will I need the Q stretch ket? I can’t find anything on the Yakima website that tells you what the stretch kit does.
Thanks for your time, and if I get it, I will post some pics!
I’m pretty sure that’s what I was told: that I’d need the Q stretch kit for kayaks. I purchased my rack through a local bike shop… they were really helpful. Perhaps you have a local shop yourself, or maybe a local ski shop??
Any complaints about paint rub/scratching? I know running a trunk rack it leaves wax marks, I’d assume with the roof rack feet being less….mobile… this might not be an issue?
The rubber feet did leave marks… but, to be honest, the weather changed for the worse so fast this fall that i never got to the chance to try buffing it out. I’ll try taking pics and posting them soon!
hey Josh — I forgot to take pics but when I did finally wax the marks they came right off.
do you think the stretch kit is absolutely necessary? I was thinking about getting both but they’re kind of pricey. Trying to see if I can get away with just using the base system plus some other type of rack.
I have the same question as krizia. Also, having a black Mustang just like yours, it looks like it will look as dorky as I feared. Oh well, thems the breaks!
haha…. to some people it’s a travesty. to others it’s the batmobile.
I’m told the stretch kit really helps with the weight… so… i dunno… our mustangs’ roofs aren’t designed to hold much, or anything really….
What exactly did you buy? I want that!!!! I MTB often and road cycle as well! Thanks for your help!
I read the comments. Sorry for being lazy! I love the setup bro! I have a black mustang as well!! Keep looking fresh!
if you get the rack, share some pics!
Man thank you so much. You are damn right that it is impossible to find any information regarding roof racks on modern mustangs. Im sure you saw all the pics on google of the guy with a surfboard rack on his blue 60s mustang in San Francisco, that is all I could find. Apparently all the guys on the stang forums believe that the mustang is gods chariot and think that it is somehow sacrilegious to put a roof rack on one. It’s a nice car with sexy lines but come on now, it’s no $300k Italian. What’s so bad about guys like us wanting to find a way to increase our seat time in a fun car. I’m stuck driving a boring s10 pickup most of the time because Im hauling a surfboard, meanwhile my fun sports car (s2000) sits at home parked. Now fitting a rack on the s2000 is impossible, so that’s not an option, but selling my pickup and s2000 for a GT that I could enjoy every day with or without a surfboard, now were talkin! I’ve been wanting to make that transission for a while, now I just might. Looks great man!
good job. I am in the process of possibly gettig a roof rack for my 93 gt. you have a nice set up. I can can get the parts needed fo rmy 93 gt.
Amazing! This is the first time that I’ve seen a mustang with a roof rack. I’ve been looking over the web for a roof rack that can fit on a mustang but until now am still clueless. Hope you can put the link so i can search there available auto part and accessories. The photo collection that you have is really unbelievable.
In the pictures it looks like the rack is actually attached to the top of the door frame. Wouldn’t this pose an issue to getting in and out of the car? If it is in fact attached to the roof, does it make it difficult to close the doors securely? Thanks!
…Mustangs don’t have “tops of door frame”… Just window. Disregard haha.
Nice. have been wondering if I could do this with my ’12 GT Brembo car. Pony Car addiction and road biking addiction CAN live in harmony !! Also considering a hitch for paint protection reasons… but worried about clearance if I eventually drop the car with a nice new suspension.
How hard is it to take on and off? Is it purely a compression system where you place the pieces and tighten up a nut?
Any issues with rain getting in the car due to the weather seals being bent from the rack?
No weather problems at all. And it’s easy to get off and on (though I leave it on during riding season and only take it off for winter.). It takes two people to put on and clamps on, like you’re saying. I highly recommend NOT dropping a bike on the roof… Like I did last fall. Ugh. So be careful!
I’m convinced. I’ve wanted a kayak for a long time now, but with the Mustang i didn’t know if I could do it.
Unfortunately my ‘stang is blue it probably won’t look quite as sharp , but the racks definitely going on in a week or so.
thank you for this!!!!! now instead of folding the seats down and getting the inside of my car dirty with snowboards and bikes i can just throw them on the roof!!!!
I just ordered my setup the same as shown above. I’m looking forward to seeing it in action!!!
Hey man, quick question. I’m thinking about getting a roof rack for a fishing kayak on my ’02 mustang, and was wondering if you had put a kayak on top of yours yet. I’m looking at a 10 footer kayak, but I’m afraid that would be too long. Any experience with this? Thanks for the article!
I haven’t put a kayak on it, sorry. Maybe try just calling Yakima. They seem pretty honest when it comes down to it. Hope this helps!!
If you find using the car WAY beyond it’s intended purpose, you can fold down the back seats to open the cabin up to the boot and use it as a bed. I have pictures and video if you want. I’d like a rack, but I can’t afford one, but I have seriously thought about adding one to get a small rocket box or something up there for extra stoarge and if I find a bike cheap, could certainly use the roof space. ~Owener of a 2006 Mustang GT (Silver)
yeah i’ve made use of the “bed” feature of the mustang. actually quite comfortable considering the seats fold down relatively flat!
Thank you for posting this!! I have an 2005 stang and have been wondering if it is even possible to put a hard rack system on it for surfboards and snowboards. I had used a soft rack before, but it was super sketchy. Definitely going to invest in these soon. Active life-style mustang owners….out numbers are growing!!!!
A roof rack on a Mustang! Call the Police! haha. I have a 2011 GT and am getting tired of shoehorning my bike in the trunk. I had a Yakima roof rack on my BMW 540i and loved it. I’d be a bit concearned about where the clips hook to the window trim. Does the trim around the windows look like it’s holding up well?
it’s been three years now of summer use and winter storage and the window trim is holding up fine. The only evidence of the rack (other than the marks of the bike I dropped on my roof…. :P) came from the pads on the paint itself. It’s really slight though. And tough to describe. They didn’t scratch or anything it just seems like the extra pressure on the paint at those four spots effected the finish. Which isn’t much of a surprise I guess.
Very cool. Thanks for posting the pictures. People do not believe that a Mustang can be a practical car… but my V8 gets better MPG on the highway than the family Subaru. I can also testify that Mustangs do a very fine job of towing trailers too 😉
Your post has inspired me. I found one on craigslist and snatched it up. It was worth every penny. And I gotta say, it doesn’t look half bad on my ’07, even if it is a v6.
For lack of a better way to share pictures, I’ll post links:
Your post has inspired me. I picked one up off of craigslist two days ago and haven’t stopped loving it since. I didn’t think it could ever work but you proved me wrong.
And I gotta say, it looks pretty damn sporty on my ’07, even if it is the V6.
For lack of a better way to post pics, here’s some links:
Shoot yea I didn’t mean to post that twice haha
Just put this rack on my 2007 GT and the black looks pretty good on blue.
The stretch bars are not absolutely required but are highly recommended. They spread the rack and place the weight out to the rear. Better load bearing spots back there and a wider base is way more stable. Wider bar spacing also provides a more stable mounting for anything on top.
One thing I found is that the front fairing is absolutely required on this setup. I mounted up just the front bar and it starts howling at about 50 MPH without the fairing. Add the fairing and it gets much quieter.
I have a 2005 v6 Mustang and was wondering what size fairing you have on your Mustang?
Oh man. Hmm. It’s been so long since I ordered it. Does Yakima recommend anything?
Very soon this web site will be famous amid all blogging and site-building
viewers, due to it’s nice posts
can u put it in amustang 1998? somebody thanks
4 years later and this page is still one of only two images to be found on the interweb of Mustangs with racks. Thanks for the info!!
Haha. No kidding. This shall be my legacy. 😛
Considering this rack for my ’13 V6, I will mostly use it for my surfboard, any advice?
hey! sorry for the delay! Did you end up getting a roof rack? I don’t think it’ll have any problems with a surfboard as long as you get the ‘Q stretch kit.’
Great write up man! Going to be getting a roof rack for my bmx bike on a 2003 v6. I’ll post some pictures once its all installed.
Excellent! Can’t wait to see it!
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I have a 2010 GT500 (4th stang) that I put a trunk rack on… It worked okay but wasn’t happy with having the weight on the trunk… On a Saturday afternoon and after a few mimosas haha, I backed the car too fast into the garage and slightly dented the trunk from the trunk rack 😣🔫. I’ve seen your post before and revisited last Friday as the 2015 Bike MS was Saturday/Sunday. With that being said, I looked up the roof rack on REIs site and decided to make the investment. I haven’t installed it (missing the q clips but ordered) but looking forward to having my active lifestyle move forward even with a super car.
I didn’t get the stretch kit as of now, since I don’t own a kayak yet, just my roadie and MTB. I’ll post the pics when I get it installed.
Thanks bro for the write up. Hope you still own the stang.
You’re welcome!!! I’m happy to have helped! I look forward to seeing pics!
Finally got it installed. MPG suffered 1-2 MPG and the wind noise is somewhat annoying but will be getting the fairing at the end of the month. 🙂
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PYvkjuoTcow/VfGTRFhfqjI/AAAAAAAAAag/-pyz8VzF_60/w780-h585-no/001
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DKIgMaxqzl4/VfGTRCQZ6yI/AAAAAAAAAaY/KMFbzei4PUM/w780-h585-no/001
I got the roof rack installed! It looks awesome, MPG suffered but it’s okay. Best of all I can still win mini street races with it installed, bahaha.
Hello I am very interested in the specs of this I am looking into getting one of my 06 mustang gt. I was wandering what the length of the bars were and the fairing. I am trying to get the right size for the car and you also used the q78 clips with the q towers and stretch kit correct? Also has it been an issue on your paint or the doors? Hopefully you get this thanks for your time.
Would you be so kind and leave the specifications of the rack? Model, year and everything please.
Man this is exactly what I was looking for ! For my 05 and it looks killer on yours!
Cant seem to find it on the website tho
Does your mustang have the windows that go over the window molding? I was scared it would burst the glass? Just curious I have an 06 coupe fantastic shape i would die if something happened to it ♡
Hello,
What parts did you use for the rood racks?
It’s been a really long time since I got these. A local bike shop ordered it for me but I remember it being a pretty basic set up from Yakima.
I have a 2008 Bullitt
Those racks look like shit on a Mustang
So does your mom, but hey we still love her. Oh and sell that bullit, there’s someone out there that deserves it. 🤷♂️🤫✌️👊
Hey I saw your post, thanks for the tips. I have a 2022 mustang gt, supercharged 5.0 and I want to be able to transport my bike. Good to know there’s other guys out there!