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This morning was a bit cool and overcast here in Los Angeles, so I decided it would be a good time to tackle the ugly ass roof rack on my car. First order of business was to see what the car looked like with no rack at all. I was not a fan, but I did decide that the little strips that lie across the roof between the two primary rails could go away. At one point maybe someone figured that they would be used to protect the roof from boxes that had been tied down, but let’s get real, there will never be anything attached to these racks. If I ever plan to take this car to the mountains for biking or snowboarding, I will get a real rack from Yakima or Tule. The little strips combined with moisture and time had really done a number on the roof, so I grabbed my 3 step 3M buffing kit and was able to significantly reduce the staining, but not eliminate it. I then removed the little strips from the larger rails and re-installed them.

I’m a fan of the overall cleaner look with the little strips gone, but I think I am going to keep the chrome racks. They just reek of ’90s charm that I feel is crucial to the appeal of these Swedish Bricks.