Driving to Mongolia, cheap option for a roof rack?

[Stagleton]

Hey,

I'm driving to Mongolia in a 1l '97 micra. I don't care about cosmetics but I don't have any tools readily available in London. I have a few days to scrap together a roof rack....any suggestions?

I'm thinking about just using bolts through the roof (going upwards so I don't get a hole in my head during a crash) going through some 2x4's and then using jack straps to hold stuff down. Any better ideas?

[Greg]

I'd try to find some used roof rack cargo bars, and then get some strong wire mesh to strap to those.  Get some fencing that's made of 4 or 5mm wire and you could put just about anything up there. 

Where I live we can get 3/6" galvanized wire mesh (called hog panel) in a 4" grid pattern that would work well.  the sheets are large (7' x16') but maybe you could find a small scrap of something similar.

[unpolloloco]

Assuming you're doing the Mongol Rally (that's awesome!!!)  You might be better off finding a good welder and having them add a bunch of angle iron to the top of the car (and/or bolt it)?  Or go for a hitch-mount carrier?