Club 80-90 Forums

I'm looking for, what could best be described as a Syncro Coffin Carrier!

I play a rather large Saxophone, in it's case it is 2.42m long (maybe a little bit more), it's predecessor fitted (just with all seats out!) into my old Landrover Discovery, this one is just too long!

So, plan B is to go back to a VW (and keep the Landrover, sorry!)

So, yes, it does have to be a Syncro, 4WD rules

Do any of the Syncro's have enough load area for something that long (and about the shape of a human coffin!) AND the driver and maybe even a passenger get in too?

DaveB

Welcome to 80-90 forums Dave

So you want to off-road a saxophone ?

The single cabs of course will take 2.4 m easily, but I doubt you want one of those

Pretty sure the double cabs (doka) won't, will check later with mine, but think loadbed is 6' x 6'6"

Nor is the dead-man locker on those pickups anything like 8' across.

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It will fit between the rear tailgate and the front seat boxes, if there isn't a back seat, or the rock' 'n roll seat-bed is down

So a Caravelle with a seat missing or even a camper would be ideal (lots of musicians would have had T25 campers or multivans for touring)

A panelvan would be ideal as well, if you didn't want to advertise what was on board.

Also, between tailgate and front screen I know a large diameter roll of carpet 4m long will fit (just), going between the front seats.

HarryMann wrote:Welcome to 80-90 forums Dave

Thanx, my previous Van was a T5 Camper, but the Taxman felt he needed some money more than I needed the Van . The Landrover is a 15yr old Discovery Series 1 and he didn't feel that was worth his bothering with (I happen to disagree, but there you go!)

So you want to off-road a saxophone ?

Well, not quite, it will be a multi purpose vehicle, the Sax case could have an engine fitted and it would off road on it's own (mind you rubbish ground clearance!)

The single cabs of course will take 2.4 m easily, but I doubt you want one of those
Pretty sure the double cabs (doka) won't, will check later with mine, but think loadbed is 6' x 6'6"
Nor is the dead-man locker on those pickups anything like 8' across.
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It will fit between the rear tailgate and the front seat boxes, if there isn't a back seat, or the rock' 'n roll seat-bed is down

Excellent, I felt it would fit, just wanted to be sure

So a Caravelle with a seat missing or even a camper would be ideal (lots of musicians would have had T25 campers or multivans for touring)
A panelvan would be ideal as well, if you didn't want to advertise what was on board.

Driven around many a major city, late at night with what apears to be a coffin beside me in the Landrover and nobody batted an eye lid, a camper or something I can convert to a camper sounds best as I am often driving back from a gig long distances, late at night!

Thanx, time to start looking whilst persuading the distaff side that it's a good money pit to invest in (she's not impressed with the running costs of the Landrover!)

This is the weirdest thread ever !!

This maybe what you need ....



Pity it isnt 4x4

i play double bass mate and my fiberglass case is about 2.4m and goes in a treat on its edge down one side - the case lives in the van

I had to fit a row of 5 cinema chairs in mine the other day (long story) so had to measure the distance from back of drivers seat to tailgate.

2700mm

The Sax will fit in this syncro.

Tesco's could be fun though!!

OK, looking good so far, the Sax (aka Coffin) is going to go in nicely.

Now, I love my old cars, but I do love my modern comforts too, so how much of my cake can I have and eat? I end up driving long distances all year round (freezing and baking), so

1) Air Con for the Summer would be nice, I wish I could say it wasn't, but I've had it in every car I've had for 30 years (and it was rare back then) and whenever I get a new car, I keep thinking, no, too expensive, just open the window, but every time I relent and summer comes around, ..., it was a good decision.

So, can I either get Syncro's with Air Con or get it after market and are either option any good?

2) Ditto for heat, especially when stopping over in the winter (plus my wife is always complaining about the cold!), this looks a no brainer as there are plenty of heaters (diesel or petrol) around if I need one.

3) Cruise at 70MPH, I know that's a tad unreasonable on a standard engine, but how about alternatives? Don't want or need to thrash it, but when you have finished a Gig at 10 or 11pm and got 300 miles to go home (everywhere is at least 300 miles from West Cornwall!), that extra 10MPH does make a difference! Fuel economy would be nice

Oh and 'cos I do so like my eating my cake, how easy is it to get 2 rows of seats that are quick release so I can convert from Van to people carrier at the drop of a hot (this is a good selling point for the other half, so would be useful)

DaveB

air con is pretty rare, my old South African one had it, a fair number of them do, but there's only a handful of them over here, not suprisingly it wasn't often specced on uk or european buses
there are some fitted heaters - eberspacher and webasto, but not that common on uk buses, but easy enough to retrofit
seats you'd be best with a multivan layout, that gives you a rear 3 seater that folds down to carry the sax and sleep on and you could team that with slide in second row of seats which were fitted to Caravelles or go with the two rear facing folded jump seats, which would give 5 in the back with seat belts

my old SA van would tick the boxes as that had the Caravelle set up, three seater in the middle with 4 bolts to undo and then remove and Caravelle rear seat that folds down to make the bed - now lives in Brighton with a guy callled Adam who's in the biz, works BigChill and other events, it's red, and would happily do 70, 2.1 DJ 112bhp

Most of them will do 70 but the revs are high and the fuel economy is poor at that speed, they ain't known as bricks for nowt

the guys with newer diesel engines in will be along in a moment to tell you they all cruise at 70+ and get 35mpg , but you need to know the engine conversion cost them big bucks as did the gearbox rebuild

I happen to know of someone in Cornwall that might be taking their Aircon system out of their SA syncro....

On the note of removeable seats: get down the local scrappy and have a look at the stuff they use on the floors of disabled vehicles / minibuses. Aluminium tracking stuff with nice little locking units that fit into the tracks. Can attach seats, wheelchairs, actually pretty much anything you like and all removeable in secs. Could be just the sort of thing you need?

i doubt if you'd be into coming so far to view but this might suit ye as a basis for further developments.

my dad was allegedly the best baritone player in scotland.

DaveSB55 wrote:OK, looking good so far, the Sax (aka Coffin) is going to go in nicely.

Now, I love my old cars, but I do love my modern comforts too, so how much of my cake can I have and eat? I end up driving long distances all year round (freezing and baking), so

1) Air Con for the Summer would be nice, I wish I could say it wasn't, but I've had it in every car I've had for 30 years (and it was rare back then) and whenever I get a new car, I keep thinking, no, too expensive, just open the window, but every time I relent and summer comes around, ..., it was a good decision.

So, can I either get Syncro's with Air Con or get it after market and are either option any good?

2) Ditto for heat, especially when stopping over in the winter (plus my wife is always complaining about the cold!), this looks a no brainer as there are plenty of heaters (diesel or petrol) around if I need one.

3) Cruise at 70MPH, I know that's a tad unreasonable on a standard engine, but how about alternatives? Don't want or need to thrash it, but when you have finished a Gig at 10 or 11pm and got 300 miles to go home (everywhere is at least 300 miles from West Cornwall!), that extra 10MPH does make a difference! Fuel economy would be nice

Oh and 'cos I do so like my eating my cake, how easy is it to get 2 rows of seats that are quick release so I can convert from Van to people carrier at the drop of a hot (this is a good selling point for the other half, so would be useful)

DaveB

All of this is possible but its a Mercedes W124 4matic estate ... !!

oorwullie wrote:i doubt if you'd be into coming so far to view but this might suit ye as a basis for further developments.

You never know, the big sax comes from Munich and we should have had our honeymoon in Switzerland this Summer (but had to cancel as my father in law died 3 days after we got married ) and my wife loves Switzerland and so it would be easy to swing a trip, so coming over is not that far fetched an idea, tell me more, ...

my dad was allegedly the best baritone player in scotland.

A mere toy in comparison, but the Bari is my main practice instrument as it's rather more practical than a Sax that needs a minimum ceiling height of 2.4m!

syncropaddy wrote:All of this is possible but its a Mercedes W124 4matic estate ... !!

Not got anything against Mercs, but my blood runs old Landrover and VW Van and I'm too old to change If I wanted to take the easy route I wouldn't be talking Syncro, so I'm going to have to do the best I can with the Syncro, just like i do with my old Discovery, it's not the fastest Disco, costs a fortune to keep on the road, air conditioning comes on by itself whenever towing a Caravan up hill - exactly when you don't need that extra bit of power sapping, ...., but I wouldn't get rid of it, I feel the same about the Syncro and I haven't even got it yet!

DaveB

maybe seeya sometime then. i have a few old saxes here but nothing as big as yours.

Criterion No 3 is the hardest one to meet.

You would need a good Subaru conversion or if a diesel a very good Tdi (and gbox) conversion to meet those specs, doable but not out the box...