Can't find flush mount cross bars to save my life...

[dcgt05]

2005 Legacy GT wagon. I've literally spent a week now searching on eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, and 3rd party vendor sites and can't track down what should be a super simple find. Everything seems to be for raised rails, even so called universal mounts. There are also mounts that I believe fit in the rain gutters but I have existing rails on the car so I want to use them and keep additional hardware off the body and for all I know, they'd get in the way anyhow.

I don't care what brand and I don't care how they look, only that they're in good condition so they don't go flying off the roof of the car and that they don't cost stupid money like options from Thule and Yakima (over $200 for just cross bars? really?).

Sincerely appreciate any help!

[Max Capacity]

I wonder if you can use sedan mounts. You can see the front mount on my wagon, is sedan mounts. Wish I had the other half for the two mount kits I had to buy, but they got tossed/lost years ago in a move.

 

Are these the rails your car has ?

 

[Max Capacity]

Worst case, would be to get, Outback rails from a junkyard, they came with cross bars.

[dcgt05]

6 hours ago, Max Capacity said:

I wonder if you can use sedan mounts. You can see the front mount on my wagon, is sedan mounts. Wish I had the other half for the two mount kits I had to buy, but they got tossed/lost years ago in a move.

 

Are these the rails your car has ?

 

Yup. Exact same car (assuming it's a 5MT did you know we've each got 1 of 200 ever made in this exact style/color?), same rails. So are those sedan mounts front and back or just the front and you've got something else on the back? If this is a pair, got a link to these?

Junkyard is a thought. Think it's easy enough to swap out the rails or is that a whole deal? Hard to tell just looking at them.

This is such a great car and a limited release but drives me crazy how hard it is to find stinkin' cross bars and my 2003 Honda Element has an AUX in for the radio but not the Subie. But that's another topic.

[Max Capacity]

Black non-limited there are only 108 made.   Mine uses Thule sedan mounts in the front and the Thule wagon rail mounts on the rear of the box. I think Subaru only made these rails for 3 years, so I can understand why they are hard to find.

"108.....OBP.....2005 Legacy GT wagon MT Unltd"

That's from the sticky above. Mine is the 193rd one made, built on May 28, 2004. I dove it off the dealer's lot June 28, 2004.

Yes, the rails bolt on from under the headliner.

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ilh/vacation/  you can find the service manual in that link.

[Max Capacity]

https://www.thule.com/en-us/roof-rack/car-roof-racks

Here's what my rears are.

https://www.thule.com/en-us/roof-rack/car-roof-racks/thule-squarebar-evo-_-712xam?selectedcar=make%3A67627ecc-21df-45d4-9dee-6c91b5fe3827|SUBARU%2Cyear%3A2005|2005%2Cmodel%3Ab17b9350-8612-45bd-8c83-0d616817ce0f|Legacy%205-dr%20Wagon%202005-2007%2Croof%3A44e41384-78cc-424a-a7c9-c43d207c72df|Flush%20rails

[Infosecdad]

22 hours ago, Max Capacity said:

Worst case, would be to get, Outback rails from a junkyard, they came with cross bars.

If I remember right, the Legacy wagons have a different rail than the Outback and the Outback bars won't work on Legacy wagons.

[Max Capacity]

6 minutes ago, Infosecdad said:

If I remember right, the Legacy wagons have a different rail than the Outback and the Outback bars won't work on Legacy wagons.

My assumption is that the bolt holes in the roof of the car are the same for both the outback and legacy. I assume, you could mount outback rails on a legacy. I base that on the "fact" (?) that the body's are the same, the outback just has the cladding. 

[Infosecdad]

Just now, Max Capacity said:

My assumption is that the bolt holes in the roof of the car are the same for both the outback and legacy. I assume, you could mount outback rails on a legacy.

Ah, yeah, I would probably agree there. I was thinking of outback crossbars on legacy rails won't work.

[Max Capacity]

21 minutes ago, Infosecdad said:

Ah, yeah, I would probably agree there. I was thinking of outback crossbars on legacy rails won't work.

Oh, yes, that is common knowledge. For those of us that have been here since...forever, LOL.

 

So, I'm looking in the Body Repair manual, I see on page 17 there is a note.  "Only for the OUTBACK hood, steel sheet galvanized on both sides is used"  So the manual covers both cars. On page 13 there is no mention of the Outback roof being different.

On the top of page 31, seems the outback only has different center rails. (?)

Page 19 shows the holes in the roof panels. Sorry, I have time today, so I'm digging into the body manual.

I also had my rails removed back in 2013 and painted the body color. 

You can find the Body manual in the link I posted above.

 

[dcgt05]

Would really prefer not to take apart the headliner but appears I may not have to. I called ReRack.com (can't remember how I came across them - the amount I've been Googling a solution is a complete blur). They were super helpful and I'm going to pick up a used Yakima Locking EZ Rider Flush Rail Tower Set for $70 plus the lock/key setup for another $70 and looks like I can pick up compatible cross bars on eBay for around $50. More than I wanted to spend but less than $200 for a setup that seems reliable and maybe more importantly, COMPATIBLE!!!

[dcgt05]

14 hours ago, Max Capacity said:

Black non-limited there are only 108 made.   Mine uses Thule sedan mounts in the front and the Thule wagon rail mounts on the rear of the box. I think Subaru only made these rails for 3 years, so I can understand why they are hard to find.

"108.....OBP.....2005 Legacy GT wagon MT Unltd"

That's from the sticky above. Mine is the 193rd one made, built on May 28, 2004. I dove it off the dealer's lot June 28, 2004.

Yes, the rails bolt on from under the headliner.

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ilh/vacation/  you can find the service manual in that link.

Where exactly is the sticky? I want to look up my car. Sorry I'm probably asking an obvious question. I'm just not on forums very often. I looked at the top of the 'Fourth Generation Legacy' section.

I looked up my car years ago and thought I read it was one of 200 but can't remember where, exactly.

I live in Los Angeles and found my car at a dealership outside of Cleveland. 5,000 miles. I thought it was a typo but the saleswoman confirmed it. I'm not impulsive but I put down a deposit on the spot and flew out there to pick it up and drive it back.

[Infosecdad]

8 hours ago, dcgt05 said:

Where exactly is the sticky? I want to look up my car. Sorry I'm probably asking an obvious question. I'm just not on forums very often. I looked at the top of the 'Fourth Generation Legacy' section.

I looked up my car years ago and thought I read it was one of 200 but can't remember where, exactly.

I live in Los Angeles and found my car at a dealership outside of Cleveland. 5,000 miles. I thought it was a typo but the saleswoman confirmed it. I'm not impulsive but I put down a deposit on the spot and flew out there to pick it up and drive it back.

It's the posts that are "pinned" at the top of each specific forum.

https://www.legacygt.com/forum/8-fourth-generation-legacy-2005-2009/

You can see the little green pin on the left.

About 10 posts from the top is the topic for Official MY2005 production numbers by model & color.

You may have to click back to the start of the thread to find the list, I'm 1 of 61 for mine (GT/SWP/Tan) (now black)

[Max Capacity]

Look for the words, Official MY2005 production numbers...

[dcgt05]

Ok, I see it now. I just didn't scroll down far enough. 1 of 108! Way better than 1 of 200! Except when someone dings or scratches the car it hurts more.