Roof Rack mystery

I recently found a used Porsche OEM roof rack on CL that the seller claimed was complete - no missing parts. The rack included two sets of ski attachments as well. The price was right and I had the seller shiped the rack parts to me from Cali. After the rack arrived, I found a few missing parts the most important - missing keys! The rack is in locked position so it not possible to mount on the car After comprehensive RL search and many references to this OEM rack being manufactured by Thule, I've contacted Thule customer support looking for replacement keys. They were great but could only make keys if I provide 'N' numbers off the front of the lock barels. Well, the OEM rack barels have no markings of any kind! Thule support then asked me to provide complete set of pictures to help identify the rack. After a few days they came back with - this rack is *not* manufactured by Thule, likely made by Votex, manufacturer that makes majority of VW group roof racks. Well Votex has no support organization in US that I could find - so getting keys directly from the rack manufacturer turned into a dead end . . . Next up Porsche parts. I've contacted Bob at Sunset who's been great to work with in the past. Bob came back with great news - the lock barels with keys are available directly from Porsche, not exorbitant - $17 each. Before drilling out the lock barels Bob suggested taking the rack to a locksmith and have them try to pick the locks and make me a set of keys. Off to the locksmith it went . . . I'm hopeful the locksmith will be able to make me a set of keys, but three days later - not a peep back. Keeping fingers crossed Secondly, the rack is missing one of the foam rubber pads that mounts between the body of the car and the bottom of rack foot. I presume one needs this pad to protect the paint. The pads are different, pair for the front bar and a pair for the back. I'm missing the front pad . . . Again, Bob from Sunset came back with encouraging news. A set of pads can be sourced directly for a paltry sum of $34. Before I go for a set of these; Are these pads a must? Can the rack be mounted without the pads and still keep the paint scratch-free? Anyone have a spare front pad? And lastly, the rack came with optional ski attachments. The packing box shows PN 000.044.000.04 and included the top clamping bow and separate rubber piece that supposedly slides into the open groove on the roof rack cross member. For the life of me, I can't figure out how the top bow locks to the rail. Was there another piece that that locks the top bow to the rack? I have no instructions that came with the ski attachment, so its very hard to tell how this thing goes together . . . The ski attachment may be for 993 rack but appear to fit this 996 rack although I have no clue how to keep it closed/locked. Anyone with this ski attachment care to shed some light or have the mounting instructions page?

Subscribed. I have a complete rack in my garage with missing keys. I gave up a few years ago on a solution after a runaround. Curious and optimistic as to how this turns out.

There was a previous post on this problem before. Rack sent with non working keys. A locksmith fixed him up with new keys for like $20. Do you have a complete picture of the ski holders ? Yours does not look like the 996 rack type (don't look like mine)

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The rack is definitely for 996/997 variants. The part number on the box shows 996.801.105.00. The ski attachment, I'm not so sure about. The original receipt from the dealer that sold the rack also lists the ski attachments which makes me suspect they *should* fit this 996 rack. The far end of the ski attachment slides right into the top channel on the cross bar and appears to be correct for this rack. Its the end that should lock to the rail leaves me perplexed . . .

Those Ski Racks look Vintage... this is what i have http://www.suncoastparts.com/product...e=996_roofrack and as for teh Foam i think you will need that to make a tight fit and protect teh paint... get it

Those don't look like anything I have and they may fit the rail. I don't thnk they are functional in their present form. I think the ski's will fly right off when you get going

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I agree, the ski attachment doesn't look appropriate to the roof rack. Most of the ski attachments I've seen are the ones you've linked to above. The curious part is that the original box that ski attachments shipped in, shows date of manufacture as 08.98, about the right 'age' to the rack . . . I'll be ordering the foam pad set from Suncoast, assuming the locksmith can open the rack and make me some keys

OK, the ski attachment mystery has been solved. It is indeed *not* 'native' to the 996/997 roof rack system but rather was available for 924, 944, 964, 968, 928 and 993 OEM roof racks. The PET originally shows it as optional part for 928.801.055.02 roof rack and then again for other varians mentioned, albeit without diagram . . . If anyone wants/needs these ski attachements for your 928 or 993 OEM rack, pls PM me off line.

Votex and Thule collaborate on many of the rack solutions for VAG racks. My VW racks have Votex made carrier bars and Thule made bike holders that mount in the tracks with T-bolts. That said, having the key's lost without the locks being open (ie you cannot remove the end caps... I'm thinking you are hosed. The only solution I could see is picking the locks or drilling them out and then buying new endcaps/locks/keys to replace what you had. Unless the prices was 50% of new retail you may come out on the short end of the stick here. If its anything like my VAG bars, the lock cylinders are hard to turn with a key.. there is friction resistance to the mailbox-style paddle that has to turn. So lockpicking would seem possibly more difficult... just drilling out the locks seems the best option.. unless you can just return the whole mess to the sellor for a refund.

Bringing from the dead. Just bought from e-bay too about a complete roofrack advertised as complete. But somehow the seller forgot to mention that the keys are also not included and that he lost it. I bought it really cheap, so I didn't want to return it and would look to other avenues of unlocking the lock and bike rack. If the op is still on board, where you able to unlock it?

Bring it to locksmith!

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Yes, I was able to have keys made. After three different attempts with local locksmiths, I found an old-timer who made me a set of keys. He said that most 'new' locksmiths in the biz have no clue how to make keys by 'feel' or whatever technique he was using. Cost $50 for a pair of new keys which I though was reasonable considering I was about to junk the rack

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I also just bought a "roof Transport System" on eBay, but I knew in advance that it came with only three of the pads. Based on your experience, I called Suncoast (and spoke to someone other than Bob). They put me on hold and looked into it, and ended up saying they can't get the pads. So my question - did you actually get the pads from Suncoast or elsewher, and if so, do you have any left over such that I could get the one I need from you? Thanks, Chris

Just go to your local hobby store and buy a foam with the same thickness. Stencil/copy and cut the other side.

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You would recommend you contact Bob McCarthy <[email removed]> directly via email. Here's his response when I was looking to source this set of 996 rack pads. "I found we can purchase lock set for $17.01 or some locksmiths are able to come up with a blank and make key I also found pad, they come as a set for $32.46 I found instructions for this."

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Well, it seems like there's an epidemic - I just got around to trying to fit at least part of my new rack on the car using two of the three foam pads I have, when I discovered that there are no keys with it. Without the keys the cross-bars can't be attached to the feet, and the rack is useless. I'm going to contact the seller, but I suspect he'll say he doesn't have the keys. Then I guess I'll go in search of a competent locksmith who can make the keys. What a p.i.t.a.!

Unreal that Porsche can�t or doesn�t provide replacement keys for RTS base locks. I transported my paddle board to Vermont, now I can�t find the keys, so RTS remains on the car....