a3la
Registered User
I have the 2008 A3 5-door 8p with a flat roof. The OEM roof bars 8p9071126 were discontinued without a replacement. However, looking at the parts page for them, they actually work on the 2013, which is the 8v model.
Now, the OEM roof bars for the 2013 A3 flat roof are 8v4071126.
So here's my theory! The newer bars are the same dimensions as the older ones, only the newer ones have pokers where they meet the door frame to go into the holes in the frame. However, my 8p does not have holes in the frame so the only thing I would need to do is either drill the holes myself or cut off the pokers that go into the door frame.
If I drill holes, I worry about damaging paint, and the roof bars making a funnel for water to get into the A pillars and potentially ruin everything. I'm pretty sure the factory holes are sealed but mine would not be.
If cut off the pokers on the roof bar clamps, I worry about not being able to get a flush cut and damaging the paint but also the roof bars potentially moving around and scratching the paint. Perhaps the newer ones were designed to need that mechanism to stay mounted in one place and not slide around whereas the older ones were designed to stay still without it?
Has anyone dealt with this or have any ideas?
Now, the OEM roof bars for the 2013 A3 flat roof are 8v4071126.
So here's my theory! The newer bars are the same dimensions as the older ones, only the newer ones have pokers where they meet the door frame to go into the holes in the frame. However, my 8p does not have holes in the frame so the only thing I would need to do is either drill the holes myself or cut off the pokers that go into the door frame.
If I drill holes, I worry about damaging paint, and the roof bars making a funnel for water to get into the A pillars and potentially ruin everything. I'm pretty sure the factory holes are sealed but mine would not be.
If cut off the pokers on the roof bar clamps, I worry about not being able to get a flush cut and damaging the paint but also the roof bars potentially moving around and scratching the paint. Perhaps the newer ones were designed to need that mechanism to stay mounted in one place and not slide around whereas the older ones were designed to stay still without it?
Has anyone dealt with this or have any ideas?