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For anyone interested, here's a snapshot of the shopping process so far: the leftmost few columns of the Google spreadsheet where I'm keeping track of what I've found and whom I've talked to (and at some point soon I hope, which cars I've looked at and test driven). These are the cars I haven't completely ruled out yet, subject to massive winnowing as I take a closer look at each, take a closer look at my bank account, incorporate advice from y'all, get questions answered, etc.
| Make/Model | Year | Style | Mileage | Price | MD Insp | Bass Fits? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acura Integra | 1991 | hatchback | 147,000 | $1,500 | ?? | yes |
| BMW 325e | 1985 | sedan | ebay ($400 at last look) | ?? | ?? | |
| Cadillac El Dorado | 1982 | $2,000 | ?? | yes? | ||
| Chevrolet | 1989 | truck | $1,450 | ?? | yes | |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 1997 | SUV | 110,201 | ebay ($4850 buy-it-now, $809 at last look) | no | yes |
| Chevrolet Blazer | 1988 | SUV | 50,000 | $2,000 | ?? | yes |
| Chevrolet Caprice | 1994 | wagon | ?? | yes | ||
| Chevrolet Impala[?]* | 1979 | ?? | $800 | ?? | ?? | |
| Chrysler New Yorker | 1994 | sedan | 140,000 | $850 | no | ?? |
| Dodge Caravan | 1991 | van? minivan? | $1,000 | ?? | yes | |
| Dodge Caravan | 1993 | van? minivan? | 109,000 | $995 | ?? | yes |
| Dodge Caravan | 1995 | van? minivan? | 93,000 | $1,400 | no? | yes |
| Dodge Caravan | 1995 | van? minivan? | $1,750 | yes | yes | |
| Ford Bronco | 1990 | SUV | $900 | ?? | yes | |
| Ford Bronco | 1985 | SUV | 118,532 | ebay ($450 at last look) | no | yes |
| Ford Bronco | 1986 | SUV | 142,200 | ebay ($1200 at last look) | yes | yes |
| Ford Bronco Eddie Bauer | 1994 | SUV | 80,750 | $2,000 | ?? | yes |
| Ford Bronco XLT | 1990 | truck? SUV? | $900 | ?? | yes | |
| Ford F-150 XLT Lariat | 1990 | truck | 186,000 | $1,200 | ?? | yes |
| GMC Jimmy | 1990 | truck? SUV? | $1,800 | ?? | yes | |
| Honda Accord | 1987 | sedan | 418,000 | $550 | no | yes |
| Honda Accord | 1987 | coupe? hatchback? | $800 | ?? | ?? | |
| Honda Accord | 1987 | sedan | 140,000 | $1,000 | ?? | yes? |
| Honda Accord | 1989 | sedan | 175,000 | $1,000 | ?? | yes? |
| Honda Accord | 1990 | ?? | $1,500 | ?? | ?? | |
| Honda Accord | 1991 | sedan | $1,700 | ?? | yes | |
| Honda Accord | 1991 | coupe | $1,850 | ?? | ?? | |
| Honda Accord | 1992 | sedan | 177,000 | $600 | ?? | yes |
| Honda Accord | 1992 | sedan | 300,000 body 100,000 motor | $900 | ?? | yes? |
| Honda Accord | 1993 | wagon | $900 | ?? | yes | |
| Honda Accord | 1995 | sedan | $1,500 | no? | yes? | |
| Honda Accord | 1994 | ?? | best offer | ?? | ?? | |
| Honda Accord | 1996 | ?? | 131,000 | $1,650 | ?? | ?? |
| Honda Accord CVCC | 1978 | hatchback | 51,000 | $1,500 | ?? | yes |
| Honda Accord EX | 1992 | wagon | 166,000 | $2,000 | ?? | yes |
| Honda Accord LX | 1991 | wagon | 190,000 | $1,500 | ?? | yes |
| Honda Accord LXi | 1988 | ?? | 180,000 | $2,000 | no? | yes? |
| Honda Civic | 1992 | hatchback | 184,000 | $1,200 | yes | yes |
| Honda CRX DX | 1990 | hatchback | 143,400 | ebay ($770 at last look) | no | yes |
| Isuzu Rodeo | 1995 | ?? | 99,000 | ?? | ?? | ?? |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee | 1993 | SUV | $1,000 | ?? | yes | |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo | 1996 | SUV | 176,277 | ebay ($100 at last look) | no? | yes |
| Mazda 626 | 1996 | sedan?? | $999 | ?? | ?? | |
| Mazda MPV | 1993 | SUV | 120,000 | $1,995 | ?? | ?? |
| Mercury Mountaineer | 2000 | SUV | 129,426 | ebay ($5500 buy-it-now, $152 at last look) | no | yes |
| Mercury Mystique LS | 1998 | sedan | 99,000 | ebay ($3200 buy-it-now, $200 at last look) | yes | ?? |
| Mercury Sable | 1993 | wagon | 121,000 | $1,999 | ?? | yes |
| Mercury Villager | 1996 | minivan | $1,500 | ?? | yes | |
| Mitsubishi Diamante | 1995 | ?? | $1,500 | ?? | ?? | |
| Mitsubishi Eclipse GS | 1992 | ?? | $1,000 | no? | ?? | |
| Nissan Altima | 1996 | ?? | $2,000 | ?? | ?? | |
| Nissan Maxima | 1993 | sedan | 160,000 | $975 | no? | ?? |
| Nissan Stanza | 1993 | ?? | $1,400 | ?? | ?? | |
| Oldsmobile Aurora | 1995 | sedan | 135,000 | ebay ($200 at last look) | no | ?? |
| Oldsmobile Cutlas | 1987 | ?? | $1,600 | ?? | ?? | |
| Oldsmobile Cutlas | 1993 | ?? | $900 | ?? | ?? | |
| Plymouth Breeze | 1996 | sedan | 125,000 | $1,700 | ?? | ?? |
| Plymouth Grand Voyager | 1990 | minivan | $800 | ?? | yes | |
| Plymouth Voyager | 1991 | minivan | $750 | ?? | yes | |
| Plymouth Voyager | 1993 | minivan | 141,000 | $1,500 | ?? | yes |
| Pontiac Bonneville | 1997 | sedan | $500 | ?? | ?? | |
| Saab 900s | 1997 | 5-door | 150,140 | ebay ($1125 at last look) | no | yes |
| Saturn LX | 1994 | wagon | $1,450 | ?? | yes | |
| Subaru GL-10 | 1988 | wagon | $300 | ?? | yes | |
| Subaru Legacy | 1994 | wagon | ebay ($1500 buy-it-now, $800 starting bid) | no | yes | |
| Subaru Legacy | 1993 | wagon | 197,000 | $1,000 | ?? | yes |
| Toyota Camry | 1988 | ?? | $1,300 | ?? | ?? | |
| Toyota Camry | 1989 | sedan | 135,000 | $1,350 | ?? | ?? |
| Toyota Camry | 1990 | ?? | 277,000 | $900 | ?? | ?? |
| Toyota Camry | 1991 | sedan | $1,650 | yes | ?? | |
| Toyota Camry | 1991 | sedan | 135,000 | $1,950 | yes | ?? |
| Toyota Camry | 1993 | ?? | 170,000 | $1,900 | ?? | ?? |
| Toyota Corolla | 2000 | ?? | 104000 | $2000 | ?? | ?? |
| Toyota Tercel | 1995 | ??? | 350,000 | $500 | ?? | ?? |
| Volvo 240 | 1985 | wagon | 190,000 | ebay ($300 at last look) | no? | yes |
| Volvo 740 | 1987 | wagon | $1,500 | ?? | yes | |
| Volvo 740 | 1992 | ?? | $1,900 | yes | ?? | |
| Volvo 740 GL | 1990 | ?? | $800 | ?? | ?? | |
| Volvo 740 GL | 1990 | ?? | $1,000 | ?? | ?? |
[*] Ad title says Impala, body of ad says Caprice Classic.
If you think you want to see the whole spreadsheet and add annotations (I've got a column for "advice from friends"), drop me a line and I'll add your email address to the collaborators list. (If you want to be helpful but don't want to get quite that involved, don't worry: I'll continue asking questions right here every so often. Or just venting.)
Remarkably, I actually found a few Volvos! One's already sold, one is $500 to high, one is on eBay, and the other two I'm waiting to hear back from the sellers (in one case I left a message asking "is this the sedan or the wagon?" In the meantime, do we know whether the double bass will go into a Volvo 740 sedan?).
I still want the "what cars can carry a bass" wiki. So far, on rec.music.makers.bowed-strings I've discovered that the topic has been extensively discussed on a mailing list, but I don't know yet whether that list has publically searchable archives. It's a start.
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A 95 tercel is most likely a sedan; I'm virtually positive there were no wagons at that point (or at all after 1989) and pretty sure there were no hatchbacks in the US. If the back seat folds down, a double bass might squeeze in with the neck passing through to the trunk; not sure if diagonally across the back seat would work. Small, efficient, reliable car.
70s cvcc accords were marvelous, but would be quite long in the tooth at this point; more a collectible than a daily driver, and rust definitely an issue. 90s accord wagons were nice, and I see a fair number still on the road.
I'd call a Mazda MPV a minivan not an SUV. The shape is nice, no idea on mileage or reliability.
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In the 1990 Accord I folded down the back seat for the extra couple of inches it provided, and had the neck pointing forward over the front passenger seat. Putting it in neck-aft will depend on the clearance between the back of the front seat and the ceiling, I think, but I'll have to remember to try that maneuver when test-fitting the bass into sedans.