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I took the plunge this weekend and did the roof rail install myself. Fairly straight-forward, and as always the factory directions were pretty good. The only word of caution is to NOT FOLLOW the suggested length to trim the front section of roof moulding. It will leave that piece shorter than is desirable. Go a bit longer (almost to the stud) so a significant portion of it is under the roof rail and is secure. You can place the roof rail base on the car and see how long to make the front piece. Also, ignore all the drilling on the rear trim piece, it is unnecessary unless you are using a jigsaw or something. I used a Dremel cutoff wheel and it was totally fine w/o and holes. Don't be afraid to try it. Just go slow and take your time. This is a pretty easy install.
Local dealer costs: $560 for just the rails, $728 for rails and install. I paid $339 for the rails online (MacChurchill Acura) with free shipping and did my own install. So I saved $389. Not too bad.
To be reversible, I guess you would have to buy new trim strips and rear covers as these were cut and modified to install the rails. So certainly do-able.
05-22-2018, 07:36 AM
