This is not a hypothetical question!

Does anyone know if it's possible to get two 3/4 double basses (both in padded soft bags) in the back of a Volvo V70 estate? (We don't have one to try so can't test it out).

And please don't ask me why...

Well I'm sure I could do it in my 940 - if the back seat would go down. Certainly we've had two cellos in their mail packaging (which is substantial!) in the back of a 740 with plenty of room to spare - think I could have got 4 in. You are talking seat down I assume? We had a 1/2 size bass in its air freight packaging in the back of an Escort hatchback once - had to drive all the way from Huddersfield to Norfolk in November with the back tied down because it was about a foot too long.

Thanks Liz - I thought you'd probably know! And yes, we are most definitely talking seat down - it goes completely flat. We didn't really fancy the idea of putting one on the roof.
The V70 actually has a smaller boot opening because the rear is more shaped, but it sounds as though it'll probably be possible. We have had a small piano in the back once....

(When I said we didn't have one, I meant the bass not the car, just realised that was a bit unclear!)

we had a string teacher at school who managed to fit two double basses into her ford fiesta, one was 1/2 size, the other 3/4, so it can be done! I think she may even have squashed a 3rd 1/4 size bass in there two, I cant remeber.

You can fit a 34 string clarsach into the back of a Renault Clio and still fit two passengers in.

We were pretty surprised

I used to get two basses into my Ford 1600 estate and could do the same in my Volvo 940 estate (maybe even three). The load space of the V70 is about 5 inches shorter, and I would expect two basses to be a very tight squeeze. I know a bass player with a slightly larger instrument than mine who gets it into his V70, but he has to fit the scroll between the two front seats, and I don't see how you could do that with two. You may be able to fit each of them diagonally into the load space, with one resting on the other at the cross-over, but you would need the top one's spike end to rest on a box of about the height of a bass body to keep it level and its scroll away from the roof. I strongly recommend that you restrain both instruments with elastics hooked to the D-rings (the 940 has six of them; I expect the V70 is the same).

Were yours full size or 3/4 kenm? Also, there won't be a passenger in the front seat so that can be moved and/or reclined in any way that suits.

Yes it is possible - I have done it. But I'm not sure what kind of car it was - some estate car. Folding down the back seats it was possible to put both basses on their side (back to back) in the centre of the car, with the scrolls fitting between the two front seats. We used lots of duvets and bungees as support and both basses survived a 300 mile trip down the A1.

Best ever achievement was fitting three people, two lots of school bags and PE kits, a double bass and a trombone into a metro. This was a regular feature of the last five years I was at school. I think I am now remembering why I am downsizing to viola!

We once got two cellos, 5 people, a baby, a suitcase, a buggy and a lot of baby stuff into a small Citroen.

Wow.

http://www.whatcar.com/car-review-performa...D=30420&U=0

All the measurements for a Volvo V70 are there

Car Expert

It should fit!!

But while we're on the topic of how many musical devices can be fitted into a car - we once fitted 5 people, a baby carseat (not sure who's it was cos the person who owned the car doesn't have kids), 2 violins, a cello, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets, an oboe, 2 saxes, 7 school bags, 2 PE bags, 3 art folders, and an oversized Eeyore into a Corsa!!

Is anyone else thinking how much more interesting car adverts would be if they showed how many instruments you could fit into their particular brand of car? I'm sure inhabitants of these boards could be swayed in their purchasing decisions if given the appropriate piece of information.

Good idea!

When my family bought a new car, we brought a cello and insisted it had to fit in three ways - in the boot, the back and the front - before we bought it! Poor salesman didn't know what to do with himself....

Right, said Fred,
Have to take the roof off -
this old roof it really has to go.
Even with the roof of
we we're getting nowhere
and soooo
we
had a cup of tea

then
Charlie had a think and he said
Look Fred,
I've got a kind of fee- ling
if we re-move the ceiling...

Well it did no good
Well I never thought it would!

(for those over a certain age - this is a shortened version from memory - do you really want the whole caboddle! Happy days!).


Or is that caboodle

You say caboodle
I say caboddle

Let's call the whole thing off

(Anyone of a certain age should now be in bed )

My basses are both 7/8, and the one I transported for my colleague was about the same.

HAHA!!

Maybe I should take my 3 tonne of stuff which I lug to school in the mornings when I go to buy my car - just to test that they'll be room for it all plus the two people who want a lift to school.

I usually walk my daughter to and from her cello lessons so the problem of fitting the cello into the car doesn't arise. However, one day a friend of hers came out of her dance class at the same time and her mother offered to give us a lift home as it was pouring with rain. I gratefully accepted but then discovered that the 1/2 size cello wouldn't fit in their boot, or the front, or the back. (It's some sort of Renault but I can't remember exactly what and it doesn't look that small).

One of my favourite songs when I was young(er)!

We are sticking to our Volvo 240 - 13 years old and still immaculate - because it can hold SO much. On one memorable occasion we had: 2 adults, 2 young teens, 2 bass viols, 2 tenor viols, 2 treble viols, 2 violins, 3 music stands and a large box of music, and clothes, etc. for a long weekend, plus 2 bicycles on the roof rack! One of the basses was in a soft case but the rest were hard ones.

Oh well, we'll never find out now - we've just learned that we only need to transport one after all!

Still, it was fun reading all the lists of unlikely things you have got in your car!

The list of stuff I've had in my Ford Focus pales into insignificance -

2 children
2 school bags
2 PE bags
1 trombone
1 alto sax
1 viola
1 flute
1 music bag
and a large basket of ironing.

Sometimes on a Friday my daughter has to take her school bag, PE bag, music bag, viola, sax and flute to school. I give her a lift on those days!