Rooftop Shark Fin

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Captain Tony 20
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Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by Captain Tony 20 »

Can anyone give me direction in making a shark fin for the roof of my car for an upcoming concert? I am not the most experienced when it comes to building but I'm sure I can follow directions. I have always wanted to pull into a parking lot "fins up." Thanks for any information you can provide.
and the rum is for all your good vices

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Post by chippewa »

Captain Tony 20
Southeast of disorder
Posts: 55
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Favorite Buffett Song: The Weather is Here, Wish You Were Beautiful
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Location: Richmond, VA

Post by Captain Tony 20 »

Thanks a lot. I hope I figure it out!
and the rum is for all your good vices

2005 - Charlotte
06 - Cincinnati
07 - Atlanta, Cincinnati
08 - Dallas, Raleigh
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Post by rednekkPH »

What do you drive? That'll be the biggest factor in how it will be built.
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Post by spucketts »

Made one just this week, a sheet of plywood, two 2x4s and some paint. The 2x4s are notched and sit on the roof rack of my jeep, the plywood, cut in a fin shape, is notched to sit on the 2x4s. I don't drive with it up there but place it once I get to the p'lot. I guess I could leave it up there if I drilled a hole and ran some bungees up or across. :pirate:
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Post by Bfan53 »

spucketts wrote:Made one just this week, a sheet of plywood, two 2x4s and some paint. The 2x4s are notched and sit on the roof rack of my jeep, the plywood, cut in a fin shape, is notched to sit on the 2x4s. I don't drive with it up there but place it once I get to the p'lot. I guess I could leave it up there if I drilled a hole and ran some bungees up or across. :pirate:
Man, that is so much simpler than trying to keep a real Great White sedated in a rooftop container filled with water on my car top for 12 hours............. :o I can cancel my offshore fishing trip now! :pirate:
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Post by spucketts »

Bfan53 wrote:
spucketts wrote:Made one just this week, a sheet of plywood, two 2x4s and some paint. The 2x4s are notched and sit on the roof rack of my jeep, the plywood, cut in a fin shape, is notched to sit on the 2x4s. I don't drive with it up there but place it once I get to the p'lot. I guess I could leave it up there if I drilled a hole and ran some bungees up or across. :pirate:
Man, that is so much simpler than trying to keep a real Great White sedated in a rooftop container filled with water on my car top for 12 hours............. :o I can cancel my offshore fishing trip now! :pirate:
You'd waste all your booze just trying to keep'm happy up there, darn waste of booze if ya ask me! :pirate:
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Post by citcat »

damm, chippewa ! You are quick on the info trigger. You may rival Desdamona. 8) :lol:
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Post by Parrot Elm »

I dress my nieces entirely in gray and make them stand on the roof of my car, while Uncle Elm enjoys some cocktails with his parrothead friends. Not a perfect solution, but oh well. :lol:
Fun sharks & parrots, like my sigpic, are in my CafePress stores. Check out the great stuff for babies to grownups:
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Post by Hockey Mon »

So, for those who cut out a fin, what did you use? A jig saw I assume. Or is there a better tool?
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Post by STL PARROTHEAD »

Hockey Mon wrote:So, for those who cut out a fin, what did you use? A jig saw I assume. Or is there a better tool?
yep.... I cut mine out with a jig saw... secured it on a piece of plywood with felt on the bottom (so it doesn't scratch the car).. Cut a slit in each corner of the plywood, attached ratchet straps, brought the straps down and into the car to attach to their opposite, clicked them tight and your ready!!!
we only drive around with it if we are going like 30mph or less.....

all in one short afternoon while hubby was putting up a fence........and his buddies laughed at me------ until I was done......... :lol:
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Post by blank1127 »

These aren't exact instructions, but I just thought I'd throw the idea out there for information's sake. A few years ago at an Indiana show I spoke to a guy who had made a decent fin out of foam. He glued 3 layers of the sheet insulation foam they use on the outside of houses together and then shaped it with a sander. It had a great shape, and he said it was really light weight. Unfortunately, the paint he used had the same effect as a solvent and it looked, for lack of a better word, melted. I'm not sure how he mounted it to the roof of his SUV, but as far as roof mounted fins go, it was definitely one of the more realistic looking that I've ever seen, despite the "melted" look. Just another idea for you. Good luck, and be sure to post pics of whatever you build!!!

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Post by TrojanF26Hardtop »

The car top shark fins are getting a little too common-about 12 years ago my wife and I found an inflatable shark-about 5' long-we bungy cord him to the roof of the suv for the trip to the concert (he's made about 10 shows at this point). He gets a lot of looks -(the "catch of the day")and is real secure heading down the interstate thanks to the bungy cords. I'm thinking about buying a couple of the bottles of helium that they sell at Sams Club for party ballons, for this years show and filling him with helium in the parking lot so he can get airborne.
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Post by Tarheel Tail-Gator »

TrojanF26Hardtop wrote:The car top shark fins are getting a little too common-.
If you get bored with just a fin, add a tail and some teeth! (oh and post pictures)
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Re: Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by cleeter2 »

Where can I find a Rooftop Shark Fin for my Toyota Fj Cruiser? I saw several of them in Cinicinnati and would like to have one. Please help! :pirate:
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Re: Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by JollyMon66 »

This bubbled up thread reminded me of an idea that I've yet to put on paper and construct.

I have this idea to make a roof top shark that doubles as a supply box for tailgating. The box (shark) will strap down to the roof rack and will carry all the stuff that doesn't fit in the back of the van.

BN faithful...does this sound mechanically possible and can I construct it so it will take 80 mph on I-95? I'd really hate to see a flying shark on the interstate.
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Re:

Post by Fruitcake14 »

spucketts wrote:Made one just this week, a sheet of plywood, two 2x4s and some paint. The 2x4s are notched and sit on the roof rack of my jeep, the plywood, cut in a fin shape, is notched to sit on the 2x4s. I don't drive with it up there but place it once I get to the p'lot. I guess I could leave it up there if I drilled a hole and ran some bungees up or across. :pirate:
I put 2 U-bolts thru the bottom of the 2x4s around my Thule racks....my plywood fin has mad the trip from NH to GW now 4 times on this car! :wench:
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Re: Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by eccodiver »

Check this one out, fiberglass and attaches with thule rack brackets, can be painted in any number of styles, a good friend of mine made this and i will ask if i can post their info if anyone is interested in one, i have used it on major highways at full speed, have a great day and enjoy!
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Re: Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by PackerPhan »

My friend made one out of wood as well and put 2x4's under his top rack as well. Everybody said he did a good job on it. In fact, he did such a good job someone liked it so much that they decided to go on top of his truck and steal it while we were in the show last year. This year he is making a sail instead. RIP truck Fin.
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Re: Rooftop Shark Fin

Post by jedivet »

Mine is made with plywood (fin), 1 x 8s, and good wood screws. I use the hardware from my Thule roof box to attach it.

Mine is a full box frame and thus is very stable. I drive with it on no problem. It doesn't even wiggle. For my Jeep, I attached it using the Thule brackets around the cross bars of the box and the Jeep's factory roof rack.

For the Pathfinder, I use the same hardware, but use an entire Thule system, as it didn't have a factory rack. In order to attach it properly for this vehicle, I actually attach the Thule cross bars to the box cross bars and then attach the Thule bars to the roof rails. It's the only way it would work, and it took some MacGyvering for sure.

Here is Dezdemona (my old Jeep) with it in place:
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Dez also had a fun face:
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That worked fine with driving, too, with some serious tie downs in place, but it was mostly a parking lot thing.

And here is Belle (my new Pathfinder) with slight modifications to the same gear:
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