Opinions and help needed!
 

Hey everyone,

I am in my last year of high school and currently doing a "Major Design Project" which requires me to develop and build something to solve a problem, need or want etc. as my formal assessment task.

Anyway, I'm designing a new type of luggage rack for the Mx5 (Miata), one that:

-Doesn't rest on the boot-lid or surrounding body work
-Carries a decent amount of weight and various items
-Can be removed easily and allows ease of access to boot contents
-Has a protective cover for luggage etc. That also doubles as a carrying bag.
-Possibly adjustable to suit more than just the NA (Possibly other cars too)
-Remains simple in design and function

Though I need opinions on: how could I improve on what is already available, what are your experiences with these devices (On any vehicle), how regularly do you use them and your own design solutions?

I would also like to know, generally speaking, what is the average age of most miata owners in your opinion?

Any info would be greatly appreciated, I trust some of you can help me out at the least. Cheers :)

Demographics of new buyers would be mostly over 45 here in America but the number drops dramatically for the subsequent owners. I would guess the average of the entire population of registered cars to be about 35yrs and the average used car owner age to be about 30, with that number falling as the age of the car increases.

The racers of Miatas have been using the lip area around the trunk lid opening for support for large wings. The wings can create a hundred pounds of force and significant drag, so I know that area will hold much more than the trunk lid itself. And it allows the trunk to still be opened for access to the battery, etc.

If you look on miataturbo.net, you will find some examples of the hardcore racer types and their wing mount arrangements (as well as some non-hardcore types). Use the search button on that site before posting any questions. They aren't fond of people that ask questions without searching first. It would actually be best if you posted in the "Meet and Greet" section over there and talked about what you are trying to do and why. You may get some pointers on where the good pictures of wing mounts are hiding. They have a "DIY aero" thread in the "race prep" subsection that probably contains some good pics.

Thanks sixshooter that info will really help. Actually, from a big build down here in australia, I got my inspiration for mounting the luggage rack as you just described.

Attachment 6049

As you can see, he uses the "lipped" area around the boot lid and considering it's steel, it seems to be the way to go.

Yes, that is multiple layers thick there, so it should be strong.