Car hunting.

[Tiotion (Jack)]

Hi all,
My 97 magna sedan, with 290000kms is on it's last legs and I'm looking for a replacement. The main factor is that it fits my 12" solid tube dob and equipment comfortably. Oh and a 10k budget. But primarily I don't want to kill myself putting the thing in the car.
A wagon is good, I like the newer magnas but I've missed out on three already, they seem to be the new hot cakes.
Sedans I'm weary of, unless the back seat can fold down and I put the tube through the boot onto the back seat. The magnas seat doesn't, so I have to angle the tube from back seat, fold front back, and sit it from dash to back seat. Then the base goes behind me and everything else in any nook and cranny possible.
Hatch backs I'm not keen on. I'm 6'2 and drive a lot. Don't want to be uncomfortable for long drives.
Utes are possible but the tray on a duel cab is short and commodore Utes are still pricey after 2000 models.

So if you have a solid tube dob, what do you drive?

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

Originally Posted by Tiotion

Hi all,
My 97 magna sedan, with 290000kms is on it's last legs and I'm looking for a replacement. The main factor is that it fits my 12" solid tube dob and equipment comfortably. Oh and a 10k budget. But primarily I don't want to kill myself putting the thing in the car.
A wagon is good, I like the newer magnas but I've missed out on three already, they seem to be the new hot cakes.
Sedans I'm weary of, unless the back seat can fold down and I put the tube through the boot onto the back seat. The magnas seat doesn't, so I have to angle the tube from back seat, fold front back, and sit it from dash to back seat. Then the base goes behind me and everything else in any nook and cranny possible.
Hatch backs I'm not keen on. I'm 6'2 and drive a lot. Don't want to be uncomfortable for long drives.
Utes are possible but the tray on a duel cab is short and commodore Utes are still pricey after 2000 models.

So if you have a solid tube dob, what do you drive?

I drive a Toyota Camry Sedan 99 and I own a 10" Solid Tube Dob and have no trouble transporting it and I reckon you cant go wrong with a Camry great cars.

[Tiotion (Jack)]

Warren, is that across the back seat from door to door? I dont think there will be many cars that are wide enough.
I have an idea... i'll settle for a Honda Jazz (wife is in love with them) as long as it has a Meade 16" LB in the back! Score!

[supernova1965 (Warren)]

Originally Posted by Tiotion

Warren, is that across the back seat from door to door? I dont think there will be many cars that are wide enough.
I have an idea... i'll settle for a Honda Jazz (wife is in love with them) as long as it has a Meade 16" LB in the back! Score!

Yes that is across the seat from door to door with pleanty of room on each side about 5 inches and seatbelts around the scope and snapped in

[GeoffW1 (Geoff)]

Hi,

I have a 94 Camry, the "widebody" series, and it was not wide enough for a 300mm Bintel Dob OTA straight in across the back seat.

It was a heck of a job to take the scope anywhere and eventually I stopped trying. A 250mm would have been OK though.

Cheers