Bicycle rack for a gt or thin bumper manta

[opeldean]

one of my dreams ,has been to drive my gt and take my bike with me.

I had a a bike rack ,that I bought in 74 for my 73 manta. It fit my manta...now I retrieved it from my 86 yr old mothers house,who fortuneately,never throws out a thing.

It fits great.Fast and quick.

taking my bike to work tomorrow...then I am going riding with some college kids...for a while anyway!

PS: Been driving the gt 250 miles a week this summer..it is great! mornings are cool enough with the windows down...evenings are a bit hot...but well worth the effort.
People ,honk .wave and holler at me all the time.

[First opel 1981]

Just make sure your bumpers will hold the bike weight in the long run. The GT bumpers aren't nearly as strong as the Manta bumpers and the mounts aren't as beefy either. Check your bumper bolts for rust to make sure they don't give.
It would be a bad day when you have to pull over while dragging your bike and then have no place to put it, and have to buy bumpers.

[ungermm]

Let me guess, you're only riding with them for awhile because they are college kids that 1) need money and 2) need beer. As soon as you buy them beer with your money...Thanks,See Ya!. Although you are masking the beauty of the rear of your GT, you do gain a little safety in that you're less likely to get rear ended. And, where do you have the front wheel of the bike? I'm sure you're maxing out the storage space behind the seats..

[opeldean]

Originally Posted by First opel 1981 Just make sure your bumpers will hold the bike weight in the long run. The GT bumpers aren't nearly as strong as the Manta bumpers and the mounts aren't as beefy either. Check your bumper bolts for rust to make sure they don't give. It would be a bad day when you have to pull over while dragging your bike and then have no place to put it, and have to buy bumpers.

good point. I plan to only carry the frame. Both wheels will go in the back seat to lighten the load. It's not real solid as the metal sheathing of the bumper is flexing at the atttachment points. I would never carry 2 bikes or a heavy mountain bike.So right now..its about a 20 pound load.

I could have have thrown the bike in my suburban or my subaru outback...but then I am not driving the opel...so what fun are those mundane vehicles?

as far as buying them beer,etc. ...they will be buying me beer as I plan to give them a "schooling" in bike riding...at least for 1 lap..

[mschmalenberg]

You could always do what I did and make a receiver hitch for your GT, I replaced the rubber pieces that go between the bumper and the body with steel and welded up some brackets to hold a 2 in. receiver.