So, I'm sure there must be someone else on here who has wanted to be
able to carry something wider than a pair of skis or a fishing rod on
their car with the new type of 'Rapid System' Thule (and possibly
other) roof bars these days?

In the good old days, I could stick a rowing dinghy on the roof of the
MkII Escort or MK5 Cortina or Serria with a pretty universal and
longish pair of Thule gutter mount bars that I could position pretty
well anywhere (especially along the long gutters on the Cortina or
Sierra estates).

Just about to inherit Dads 04 Meriva with 'Fixpoints' (mutter ..
probably all down to elfnsafety?) and it appears the only 'choice' we
have is:

Thule Rapid System 753 [1]
Thule Square Bar 761 (or aero types but same limitations)
Kit 3006 Fixpoint XT

Now I believe the 761 bars are 1.2m long and with a 200 mm adjustment
/ mounting slot underneath at each end.

I think the next worthwhile size bars up (763?) are 1.35m long, still
with the 2 x 200mm mounting / adjustment slots but what I can't glean
anywhere is would that allow a Fixpoint spacing down to 1m (as
measured across the Meriva roof)?

We popped into a Halfords tonight in the hope we could assemble a set
and actually measure them but they were out of the 753 'feet'. ;-(

So, long shot, would anyone have a pair of the 761 / 1.2m Thule bars
(I think the square / aero have the same dims / limits) with the 753
feet and (ideally) Fixpoint mountings see just how narrow they can go
down to please (and I should be able to extrapolate from there if the
longer (763 / 1.35m) bars would also fit).

Or point me to some info that might give me such dimensions? I've yet
to get an email reply from Thule c/s.

Cheers, T i m

p.s. If you do have such a combo you might be interested in this
recall:

http://www2.thulegroup.com/en/Product-Recall/How-do-I-know-if-my-load-carrier-is-affected/

[1] The low height jobs as the Meriva is tall enough for lifting a
dinghy onto thanks. ;-)