Do you guys have any ideas on how to carry a bicycle on a 280ZX? As a reminder, I have t-tops and a shaved rear bumper. So anything that involves bolting onto the rear bumper is automatically out. A trailer hitch with a square receiver would allow me to mount a bike rack, but I don't see how that would attach to the underside of my car. I was thinking if there's some sort of rack or crossbar setup that would allow me to carry a bike on either the roof or over the rear hatch. Thoughts?

 

could always get a folding bike to stick in the back

http://www.heartlandamerica.com/brow...1&SC=WIG20001&

 

totally... I have been thinking about how to carry a kayak on my 280ZX for a while now.

You get a spare set of t-tops. Then weld two square tube bars to it, raised slightly off the t-top by brackets. These would weld to the large metal piece at the outter end of the top that encases the lock mechanism. The bars run forward and back on the car and extend out just slightly over the roof in front and back.

Once you snap those onto your car you can buy a variety of aftermarket cross bars to connect to the two square bars you have on the t-tops. From there any sort of bike, kayak, or tray will bolt or clamp on.

This setup will not touch the body or paint in any way and can be removed completely.
A bike should be fine for this. I was still wondering about a kayak since the weight of those extends so far forward and back. They should still probably be fastened down to the front and rear bumper which is hard on most any 280ZX unless they are completely stock.

 

I take my wheels off and stick pieces of bike in the hatch. Fits nicely unless you have a 2+2.

 

maybe?

 

u-haul sells hitches with a 1 1/4" square. it mounts to the stock holes on the underside of the frame. i used to install hitches for uhaul

http://store.uhaul.com/hitches.aspx?src=hitches

 

Looking at the underside of my rear end, I couldn't see where a reachable part of the frame might be. When I researched pre-made trailer hitches for the 280ZX, they all attached to the rear bumper (which of course I no longer have).

To further elaborate on my needs, I already have a folding bicycle that barely fits in the trunk. I need to be able to carry a 2nd bicycle for my lady friend.. I may try one of those universal trunk-mount racks, if they'll clear my big ol' ZXR spoiler. Yeah, I like that girl enough to risk my paint! But I'd put down some painter's tape before resting the rack on it of course, and the rack would barely be used anyways. But yeah, if I find some mounting points to custom attach a hitch to the underside, that would be better peace-of-mind.

 

I like my roof racks how I like my women... inflatable

 

you have to take the undercoat off the bottom in certain spots, there is foil tape covering the holes. if you hit the frame with a screw driver, youll find them. wish i had a photo. they actually are easy to find. the hitch mounts right to each frame and doesnt touch the bumper. search the hitch number and you can find online instuctions of how to install it

 

The angle in this pic kind of shows how the underside of my rear end is taken up by the exhausts and the gas tank. Do you know if those hitches you desribed attach to a point further forward on the car than that stuff? Otherwise I'd worry how much torque is being applied if it's something that long to mount that far foward and still extend to the end of the car, y'know? Not unless it attaches in the very slim area between the gas tank and that rear valence with the two little vents.

Edit: I looked up that 217262 hitch and see two problems, unfortunately:
1. It appears to be a ball-type hitch. I'd need a square tube hitch to attach a bike rack to.
2. The instructions show that it attaches to the rear bumper, which I no longer have. =/

 

did you look up both hitches. i remeber one goes on the frame. your exhaust may be in the way with the duals. only one way to find out. go to the local uhaul and get them to bring in both hitches, then you can see in person. hitches are usually just a day away. altho being a 30 year old car, it may be a week. it doesnt cost anything either so nothing lost really