Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

I've been driving a 99 Neon for 8 years now. Because of our lovely
winters here in Quebec, it is now starting to rust.

My 2x12 cab doesn't fit in the trunk of the Neon. I have to put it on
the backseats, and it's a pita to make it fit there.

I decided yesterday that it was enough. I'm selling that car and
getting another one. Probably a Nissan Versa (Tiida) hatchback. My
cab will easily fit in its trunk with all my stuff.

Do you consider the size of your bass rig when buying a car? What the
hell do upright player have as a car?

The only downside I can think of is that I'll have to pay for it. I
paid the Neon cash 8 years ago, so I'm not used to pay for a car.

--
Frederic Gelinas

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

"Frederic Gelinas" <frederic_gelinas@hotmail,com > writes:

> I've been driving a 99 Neon for 8 years now. Because of our lovely
> winters here in Quebec, it is now starting to rust.
>
> My 2x12 cab doesn't fit in the trunk of the Neon. I have to put it on
> the backseats, and it's a pita to make it fit there.
>
> I decided yesterday that it was enough. I'm selling that car and
> getting another one. Probably a Nissan Versa (Tiida) hatchback. My
> cab will easily fit in its trunk with all my stuff.
>
> Do you consider the size of your bass rig when buying a car? What the
> hell do upright player have as a car?
>
> The only downside I can think of is that I'll have to pay for it. I
> paid the Neon cash 8 years ago, so I'm not used to pay for a car.

I faced a similar decision back in 2001 when I'd recently joined the
band I was in. Yes, music has always pushed me into practical cars
that could fit either my drums or bass rig. I finally got tired of
trying to shoehorn my bass drum into the styles rear doors of the
Mazda 626. I got a Subaru Outback, and man do I love that car.
Especially on the way home on snow covered roads in the middle of the
night (I'm in Chicago).

It'll fit your rig and then some as its rear seats fold down flat and
give a ton of cargo room while still handling like a car.

For something more along the size of a Versa, consider the Subaru
Impreza 2.5i wagon, or Impreza Outback sport. Both have the same all
wheel drive. They are more expensive than the Versa though, and
unfortunately hold their resale value quite well so bargains on the
used market are tough to find especially in the snow belt.

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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Todd H. wrote:
> For something more along the size of a Versa, consider the Subaru
> Impreza 2.5i wagon, or Impreza Outback sport. Both have the same all
> wheel drive. They are more expensive than the Versa though, and
> unfortunately hold their resale value quite well so bargains on the
> used market are tough to find especially in the snow belt.

Too expensive for me. And with the gas price at nearly 1.50$/L, I
prefer the small 1.8 engine of the Nissan.

And I am not buying new. I think that it's just a money pit to buy a
brand new car from a dealer.


--
Frederic Gelinas

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

"Frederic Gelinas" <frederic_gelinas@hotmail,com > writes:

> Todd H. wrote:
>> For something more along the size of a Versa, consider the Subaru
>> Impreza 2.5i wagon, or Impreza Outback sport. Both have the same all
>> wheel drive. They are more expensive than the Versa though, and
>> unfortunately hold their resale value quite well so bargains on the
>> used market are tough to find especially in the snow belt.
>
> Too expensive for me. And with the gas price at nearly 1.50$/L, I
> prefer the small 1.8 engine of the Nissan.

Yup, they don't get great gas mileage due primarily to the viscously
coupled AWD system. The 2.2L boxer is ok otherwise. They top out
around 28mpg.

> And I am not buying new. I think that it's just a money pit to buy a
> brand new car from a dealer.

That is generally true, EXCEPT when looking at the most reliable of
vehicles with the best resale value. What I found when looking at
Honda and Subarus which both hold their value extremely well, if you
look at your yearly cost of ownership
(purchase-resale+maint)/yearsowned, new actually starts looking
equivalent versus a late model used on certain models, particularly
considering the elimination of the "did the prior owner maintain the
thing" variable, as well as the relatively small mtc cost of a new
vehicle where you enjoy 3-5 years of full factory warranty.

However, for the brands you're looking at the depreciation is the
usual/steep as soon as they're driven off the lot. That does lead
to bargains in the used market and less to shell out at the offset.

Provided of course you don't end up inheriting someone else's money
pit. :-)

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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

I drive a Subaru WRX 5 door.
Bags of room, great to drive, high reliability,
low depreciation but a tad juicy.
I'm on my third one...excellent gear carrier with attitude!!
Highly recommended.
We're getting a worse shafting than you guys on fuel costs...
95 octane at £1.15/L...diesel at £1.24/L...that's getting on
for $10 a gallon...82% of which is tax so I'm keeping out
of the turbo for a while.
Thieving bastards.

--
Clive P Norris
Managing Director
Selectron (UK) Ltd
Musical Equipment Distribution.
www .skullstrings,com
www ,es pguitars.co.uk
www .emgpickups.co.uk
www .tube-shop,com
www .coreoneproduct,com
www .whirlwindusa,com
www ,es pshop.co.uk
"They laughed at Newton,
they laughed at Einstein,
but they also laughed at
Bozo the Clown."
Carl Sagan

"Frederic Gelinas" <frederic_gelinas@hotmail,com > wrote in message
news:fac%j.12156$79.837@read1.cgocable,net ...
> Todd H. wrote:
>> For something more along the size of a Versa, consider the Subaru
>> Impreza 2.5i wagon, or Impreza Outback sport. Both have the same all
>> wheel drive. They are more expensive than the Versa though, and
>> unfortunately hold their resale value quite well so bargains on the
>> used market are tough to find especially in the snow belt.
>
> Too expensive for me. And with the gas price at nearly 1.50$/L, I
> prefer the small 1.8 engine of the Nissan.
>
> And I am not buying new. I think that it's just a money pit to buy a
> brand new car from a dealer.
>
>
> --
> Frederic Gelinas

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Hey Todd,

I understand that the Subarus are a little thirsty and the 2.5 engines do
have their problems, IE, head gaskets?


Hey Frederic,

Too bad, we have a 1994 Ford Escort wagon with 115K sitting outside of our
garage. My wife's uncle estate has it for sale; it's in BC unfortunately.

--
Best regards,

Brent
"Todd H." <bmiawmb@toddh,net > wrote in message
news:84d4n6r4yl@news.giganews,com ...
> "Frederic Gelinas" <frederic_gelinas@hotmail,com > writes:
>
>> I've been driving a 99 Neon for 8 years now. Because of our lovely
>> winters here in Quebec, it is now starting to rust.
>>
>> My 2x12 cab doesn't fit in the trunk of the Neon. I have to put it on
>> the backseats, and it's a pita to make it fit there.
>>
>> I decided yesterday that it was enough. I'm selling that car and
>> getting another one. Probably a Nissan Versa (Tiida) hatchback. My
>> cab will easily fit in its trunk with all my stuff.
>>
>> Do you consider the size of your bass rig when buying a car? What the
>> hell do upright player have as a car?
>>
>> The only downside I can think of is that I'll have to pay for it. I
>> paid the Neon cash 8 years ago, so I'm not used to pay for a car.
>
> I faced a similar decision back in 2001 when I'd recently joined the
> band I was in. Yes, music has always pushed me into practical cars
> that could fit either my drums or bass rig. I finally got tired of
> trying to shoehorn my bass drum into the styles rear doors of the
> Mazda 626. I got a Subaru Outback, and man do I love that car.
> Especially on the way home on snow covered roads in the middle of the
> night (I'm in Chicago).
>
> It'll fit your rig and then some as its rear seats fold down flat and
> give a ton of cargo room while still handling like a car.
>
> For something more along the size of a Versa, consider the Subaru
> Impreza 2.5i wagon, or Impreza Outback sport. Both have the same all
> wheel drive. They are more expensive than the Versa though, and
> unfortunately hold their resale value quite well so bargains on the
> used market are tough to find especially in the snow belt.
>
> --
> /"\ ASCII Ribbon Campaign | Todd H
> \ / | http :// www .toddh,net /
> X Promoting good netiquette |
> / \ http :// www .toddh,net /netiquette/ | http :// myspace,com /bmiawmb

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

"justB." <spamblock@shaw.ca> writes:

> Hey Todd,
>
> I understand that the Subarus are a little thirsty and the 2.5 engines do
> have their problems, IE, head gaskets?

There is very definitely a head gasket issue in 01 and 00 models
particularly. Been there done that. The h6 model doesn't have this
issue.

Fuel economy isn't great, but is better than most AWD's out there.

Still love the car, but wouldn't be as enthusiastic as I would if I
actually had a commute with it. When/if it dies in 5 years or so,
I'll prolly buy another.

--
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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Todd H. wrote:
> "justB." <spamblock@shaw.ca> writes:
>
>> Hey Todd,
>>
>> I understand that the Subarus are a little thirsty and the 2.5
>> engines do have their problems, IE, head gaskets?
>
> There is very definitely a head gasket issue in 01 and 00 models
> particularly. Been there done that. The h6 model doesn't have this
> issue.
>
> Fuel economy isn't great, but is better than most AWD's out there.
>
> Still love the car, but wouldn't be as enthusiastic as I would if I
> actually had a commute with it. When/if it dies in 5 years or so,
> I'll prolly buy another.

A compact SUV-type vehicle (whatever they're calling it these days) is
probably what I'll drive forever, it sure is nice being able to open that
hatchback to load an amp or whatever with no strain. I've been impressed
with Subaru lately and when the day comes for a new vehicle they'll be at
the top of my list. Checking out resources like Consumer Reports is always
a good idea, in effect consulting thousands of vehicle owners providing
their experiences with repair costs etc. over time is good research.

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

"DGDevin" <dgdevin@invalid.invalid> writes:

> Todd H. wrote:
>> "justB." <spamblock@shaw.ca> writes:
>>
>>> Hey Todd,
>>>
>>> I understand that the Subarus are a little thirsty and the 2.5
>>> engines do have their problems, IE, head gaskets?
>>
>> There is very definitely a head gasket issue in 01 and 00 models
>> particularly. Been there done that. The h6 model doesn't have this
>> issue.
>>
>> Fuel economy isn't great, but is better than most AWD's out there.
>>
>> Still love the car, but wouldn't be as enthusiastic as I would if I
>> actually had a commute with it. When/if it dies in 5 years or so,
>> I'll prolly buy another.
>
> A compact SUV-type vehicle (whatever they're calling it these days) is
> probably what I'll drive forever, it sure is nice being able to open that
> hatchback to load an amp or whatever with no strain. I've been impressed
> with Subaru lately and when the day comes for a new vehicle they'll be at
> the top of my list. Checking out resources like Consumer Reports is always
> a good idea, in effect consulting thousands of vehicle owners providing
> their experiences with repair costs etc. over time is good
> research.

But no guarantee. Subaru's were considered rather bulletproof in 2001
when I bought mine. Then the head gasket issue reared its head and
my 2001 rightfully has a solid black dot in the "engine, major"
category.



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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

>> Checking out resources
>> like Consumer Reports is always a good idea, in effect consulting
>> thousands of vehicle owners providing their experiences with repair
>> costs etc. over time is good
>> research.
>
> But no guarantee. Subaru's were considered rather bulletproof in 2001
> when I bought mine. Then the head gasket issue reared its head and
> my 2001 rightfully has a solid black dot in the "engine, major"
> category.

Of course, that's why I avoid new designs, I'd wait a couple of years until
the bugs have been worked out. Even a new engine in an existing vehicle
would make me look elsewhere. Those reliability ratings take time to become
meaningful, any big changes in the drive train reset the clock to zero.

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

"DGDevin" <dgdevin@invalid.invalid> writes:

>>> Checking out resources
>>> like Consumer Reports is always a good idea, in effect consulting
>>> thousands of vehicle owners providing their experiences with repair
>>> costs etc. over time is good
>>> research.
>>
>> But no guarantee. Subaru's were considered rather bulletproof in 2001
>> when I bought mine. Then the head gasket issue reared its head and
>> my 2001 rightfully has a solid black dot in the "engine, major"
>> category.
>
> Of course, that's why I avoid new designs, I'd wait a couple of years until
> the bugs have been worked out. Even a new engine in an existing vehicle
> would make me look elsewhere. Those reliability ratings take time to become
> meaningful, any big changes in the drive train reset the clock to
> zero.

And late 2001 was "a couple of years" for that redesign (model year
2000). The problems emerged only several years later.

My point is that one can do all relevant research and still have bad
luck. :-)

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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Todd H. wrote:

> And late 2001 was "a couple of years" for that redesign (model year
> 2000). The problems emerged only several years later.
>
> My point is that one can do all relevant research and still have bad
> luck. :-)

Absolutely, friend of mine who is a research fanatic bought a Saturn and
managed to get one with a major (and hard to find) defect right from the
factory. He was at the point of suing when they finally flew in a mechanic
from the factory who figured out what was going on. He still has the car
but I bet he never buys another Saturn regardless of what Consumer Reports
says. For that matter Consumer Reports doesn't recommend my vehicle as a
used car purchase and I haven't had a lick of trouble with it in over five
years, so there you go. ;~)

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

DGDevin wrote:
> Todd H. wrote:
>
>> And late 2001 was "a couple of years" for that redesign (model year
>> 2000). The problems emerged only several years later.
>>
>> My point is that one can do all relevant research and still have bad
>> luck. :-)
>
> Absolutely, friend of mine who is a research fanatic bought a Saturn and
> managed to get one with a major (and hard to find) defect right from the
> factory. He was at the point of suing when they finally flew in a mechanic
> from the factory who figured out what was going on. He still has the car
> but I bet he never buys another Saturn regardless of what Consumer Reports
> says. For that matter Consumer Reports doesn't recommend my vehicle as a
> used car purchase and I haven't had a lick of trouble with it in over five
> years, so there you go. ;~)
>
>

My youngest daughter has a '93 saturn. With those, it's almost better to
wait until they've got 50k on the clock before buying one.

-
Les Cargill

Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Les Cargill <lcargill@cfl.rr,com > writes:

> DGDevin wrote:
>> Todd H. wrote:
>>
>>> And late 2001 was "a couple of years" for that redesign (model year
>>> 2000). The problems emerged only several years later.
>>>
>>> My point is that one can do all relevant research and still have bad
>>> luck. :-)
>> Absolutely, friend of mine who is a research fanatic bought a Saturn
>> and managed to get one with a major (and hard to find) defect right
>> from the factory. He was at the point of suing when they finally
>> flew in a mechanic from the factory who figured out what was going
>> on. He still has the car but I bet he never buys another Saturn
>> regardless of what Consumer Reports says. For that matter Consumer
>> Reports doesn't recommend my vehicle as a used car purchase and I
>> haven't had a lick of trouble with it in over five years, so there
>> you go. ;~)
>
> My youngest daughter has a '93 saturn. With those, it's almost better
> to wait until they've got 50k on the clock before buying one.

What, until it starts blowing blue smoke out the tailpipe as they all
seem to around 80k? At least that was the story with a 92 SL I had
the misfortune of owning. :-\

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Re: Changing car to accomodate bass rig...

Todd H. wrote:
> Les Cargill <lcargill@cfl.rr,com > writes:
>
>> DGDevin wrote:
>>> Todd H. wrote:
>>>
>>>> And late 2001 was "a couple of years" for that redesign (model year
>>>> 2000). The problems emerged only several years later.
>>>>
>>>> My point is that one can do all relevant research and still have bad
>>>> luck. :-)
>>> Absolutely, friend of mine who is a research fanatic bought a Saturn
>>> and managed to get one with a major (and hard to find) defect right
>>> from the factory. He was at the point of suing when they finally
>>> flew in a mechanic from the factory who figured out what was going
>>> on. He still has the car but I bet he never buys another Saturn
>>> regardless of what Consumer Reports says. For that matter Consumer
>>> Reports doesn't recommend my vehicle as a used car purchase and I
>>> haven't had a lick of trouble with it in over five years, so there
>>> you go. ;~)
>> My youngest daughter has a '93 saturn. With those, it's almost better
>> to wait until they've got 50k on the clock before buying one.
>
> What, until it starts blowing blue smoke out the tailpipe as they all
> seem to around 80k? At least that was the story with a 92 SL I had
> the misfortune of owning. :-\
>

No kidding? Hers has 103k on the clock, and the odometer was broken
when we bought it.

--
Les Cargill