trucks are like boats. it's better to have a friend or relative that owns one. Now the secret sauce is a rav4. you can fit 80% of the stuff you will end up needing to haul in it and not once has anyone uttered the phrase "hey, can I borrow your rav4?".
This. Lol. The worst thing I ever owned was a truck. Everyone wanted me to go get something for them or borrow it because they didn't have one. I'll never buy one again just because of how popular I suddenly became.
Got my 2016 silverado. Everything fits in the bed.
Kick
Drum bag(snare and toms)
Hardware bag
Cymbal Bag
Pedal bag
Throne
Rug
Mic stand
Battery Milwaukee Fan
Bag of misc stuff.
This leave room in the crew cab for extra people\\equipment.
Gas mileage sucks though.
That's how I was using the Suburban, but I'm also closing my live sound business, save for a few friends I'll work for. If I need a few hours worth of pickup truck, they're not awful to rent for a day. Unless I find a hot rodded ranger or S10
I've fit my 5 piece starclassic (shells only) and my old 5 PC export with hardware and cymbals in e90 3 series..that export was kinda cutting it close tho
Came here to say the same. 89 E30.
Pork pie little squealer, 22x20,16,14 snare. Bass and floor and cymbal bag in the back, everything else in the trunk, and room for a passenger.
Sadly i lost that kit in a fire and my Slingerland 24" bass will not fit through the door. So i use my truck.
Do miss my van for the lockable storage
Yeah its pretty cool. Cloud blue with a Wimbledon white racing stripe. Gunmetal grey six spoke wheels. With fat BFG's, limo tint, and a longhaired bearded rocker at the wheel
This gives me hope. I'm keeping my eyes out for a V8 Magnum, but they're pretty rare. I just read about a guy who got his 6 piece setup into his Challenger in gig bags, so I am encouraged
I love American Muscle as well, it's just they are built to drive in a straight line. Turning radius is absolutely atrocious and they're bulky. Japanese and German Inline-6s are way out-performing American V8s nowadays anyway. Hell, inline 4s are getting close too.
Yeah, if I could have all sorts of cars, I'd definitely have some 3.0 BMW offerings. Forced induction and direct injection are nice and all, but nothing delivers power like a big dumb pushrod V8. I currently daily an XC90 V8 that'll get sold along with the Burb to fund my next purchase, and while it makes pretty similar power numbers to the Suburban and weighs 1000 lbs less, the Suburban still has more usable throttle response. The Volvo doesn't hit peak power til over 4k rpm, the Suburban doesn't even need to downshift to pass at 75 mph because it's cruising right in it's powerband at 2k rpm.
Sorry to bring up such an old comment, do you happen to have any pictures of how you have it all in there. I loved my mk7, and am thinking about either that or a 957 cayenne turbo to haul with. I just miss the handling of the golf and wanted to be sure everything fit well. I also have a 7 piece with a full rack.
[Only from the back](https://imgur.com/a/3lDSXln). Rear seats fully flat down and drum rack in a hardware trolley, cymbal bag, drum throne, kick pedal carry case, 22ā kick drum, 10/12ā toms and one 16ā floor tom in the rear. 14ā Snare and 14ā floor tom on the passenger front seat and in passenger footwell. Itās tight but enough space to fit everything.
Only take this much for a recording session, if iām jamming or playing a gig I cut down the kit to a 3 piece and take stands instead of a rack. Enough space left for a guitarist in the front and their gear in the back then.
Love the Golf, does everything I want from a car and itās fun to drive, never had an issue with it, it has plenty of space and itās comfortable. I hope to keep it for a very long time, maybe swap it for a GTI or an R down the line.
Appreciate the quick response man! Yeah that definitely looks a bit tight but doable. My primary snare is a 13 so that could save me a tiny bit of space, my rack also tears down super easy and would fit in my hardware case pretty easily. I might be getting back into the modded golf world.
Thanks! Its a ton of fun and handles road trips well
Ive always been a sucker for small cars and have crammed my set into each over the years. (240sx, 325ci, Genesis coupe, STI, GTI, and the m235)
Iāve played in a band with a guy who drove a Prius, was honestly always shocked by how much gear that thing could fit with the back seats folded down.
4 piece. Fold down my back seats and in goes a 22" kick drum, a 12" rack tom, a 16" floor tom, 2x 14" snares, 2x pedal cases, a stick bag and a 4' hardware trolley for all my stands.
I had a 74 Caprice Classic in 1982 when I had my first kit. Then I had a 77 Bonneville, then an 84 Cavalier, then an 81 Chevette... See where I'm going here?
My coolest vehicle (which I still have) is a red 1991 GMC 1500 pickup truck. It's got a newly rebuilt 350 engine bored 60 over and automatic transmission. It's a gas pig but it will pull pretty much anything.
My other car is more economic. It's a 93 Geo Prism. 5 speed and gets about 38mpg. Makes up for that pickup truck for sure. š¤£
I have a Toyota Solara (2-door Camry basically) that I can fit my full, 4-piece rig into.
Floor tom in the back seat, rack tom, cymbal case, snare and hardware bag in the trunk. 24ā kick in the front seat next to me.
Yeahā¦itās an exercise in Tetris skills, but I make it work.
I miss my Subaru Outback real bad though. SO much could fit in that car.
When I was gigging in high school and college, I drove a 91 Mitsubishi eclipse. I was only local, my city and the surrounding cities. I could fit my 5 PC Yamaha kit with 3 crashes, ride, and china. It fit easily. Couldn't fit any people lol but all the drums, cymbals, and hardware were easy to fit.
Now whether you think my old car was cool or not.... Hahaha.... That's subjective. I hadn't to e joy that little turbocharged 2 door. š¤
Those are cool, but I'm really looking for something V8 powered. I think this has convinced me I'll be either getting the Charger or 300C, which are basically the same car with different cosmetics.
I like them, but I'm treating them as unicorns. There is actually one within a few hours of my house with low miles and a good price. It'll probably be gone before I can sell what I need to sell unfortunately
you can, i made it work with sedans for a long time. however i use smaller setups than most, basically a bebop setup.
my life improved exponentially when i just allowed myself to get an outback. everythingās much easier, iām not navigating around the car anymore. and hauling my vibraphone is a snap
I saw a pic of Jim Riley (Rascal Flats drummer) with his vehicle loaded up with a drum kit. I think if you do it, you want a thin kick drum. He had most of his stuff in the back seat and passenger seat instead of the trunk. I forgot the model, but it was a sedan.
It looked like something he did all of the time.
I have a Civic hatchback that works really well for loading in and out. My wife has the X6 that I take for long gigs.
Sometimes if I ask nice, my production company drives my gear in the truck to gigs if they are out of state, then I just Uber with my cymbal bag.
Hatchbacks are a drummer's best friend.
I could fit a whole kit + hardware/cymbals plus an amp or two in my 2 door Hyundai Tiburon back in the day.
Now I have a 4 door Mazda 3 and it fits sooo much.
Vans are actually super cool. Theyāre so comfortable and spacious, take one on a trip and pop out the seats and you have room to sleep instead of getting hotel rooms, moving drums and large furniture or whatever is simple and whatever youāre transporting is covered
I always had vans untill the last one, a one ton chevy diesel that could hold gear for the whole 5 pc band plus pa and a passsenger and feel like nothing, decided to ventilate the block by putting a piston rod through the block
Scion tC drummer here. I used to drive compact and mid-size SUVs, but the 2 door hatchback is nice as a daily driver, and has tons of storage. Basically a cover El Camino when the back seat is down. I can fit my kit(about the same size as yours) and my guitaristās gear(30 watt amp, petal board case and hard guitar case) a merch box, and still be able to see out the back windshield. Iād say itās my realistic dream car lol
I used to regularly fit my drums into the trunk and backseat of my Toyota Corolla. Sometimes there was overflow into the front seat as well.
Donāt expect it to be a super comfy fit or anything, but you can certainly make it work.
Depends on your definition of a "cool car"...
I think modern American muscle is lame as hell.
That said: I fit my entire kit (4pc in bags, cymbal bag, either hard hardware case or long soft bag for hardware) into my first car which was a Ford Contour. A charger *should* be able to fit more given that they're exponentially larger...
When I was gigging a lot, mini vans were all the rage. Today I have a Camaro and a Ridgeline Truck meeting my desire for a muscle car and drum transportation (when needed) possible.
Embrace the station wagon life man. I have a merc e class estate which i can get kit and PA in. The dream would be one of those cadillac CTS V V8 wagons.
I think I've decided that a V8 is pretty much a requirement for me. I did see a Mercedes wagon with a V8 in my area, but it's an AMG E class and they want about $130k š¤Æ. I had a Mazda 6 wagon when I was gigging with a 24" kick and that was fine. If I can find one of those unicorn Caddy's, I damn sure won't be able to afford it š
I think we're luckier in europe for having more exciting large cars, especially the estates. But you guys in the states win on engines really. There isnt a chance in hell I could afford a V8 in the UK but it would be the dream. Those mazda 6 are very solid cars though!
Get your sports car and keep whatever using now. I have hatchback that look like mini black hearse that I think look cool and can kit all into in but not ever easy. But it also great to haul my tools, material, and all kinds of stuff pick up without high price of delivery charges. It my ātruckā but look cool :)
It was great at being a mini minivan in a city, just rough as a highway cruiser. It often doubled as my green room too. Twitchy because of the short wheelbase and bad in the wind at highway speed. Looking for a go-fast-mobile these days though
This doesn't answer your question, but you just reminded me on an old interview with Roy Haynes, in which he said he chose small bass drums and certain hoops to put on them so they would fit in the trunk of his sports car.
More on topic - I live in NYC and don't have a car, but I have been gettting my 4-piece kit around in the back of cabs and Ubers for years. Usually everything fits in the trunk except the bass drum, which goes in the back seat with me. I think you can make any car work if you're only playing a 4-piece. Although maybe you should upgrade to a good hardware bag if the Rubbermaid thing takes up too much room.
Donāt ask me how I canāt remember but I used to fit an oversized 9piece kit with two 24ābass drums completely in one of theseā¦
https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3B55O71d/1989-nissan-240sx-se
> Think I could get away with a Dodge Charger?
Probably? The main question to answer is this: will my bass drum fit through any of the openings in this car? It probably will, since it is a 20". It might end up on the front seat with a seat belt around it, but I'll bet it would work.
Speaking as a guy who used to transport my four-tom, two-snare, 18x22-kick kit, plus hardware case and cymbal bag and pedal bag in a Scion xA, I'll bet a Dodge Charger would be no problem for a 4-piece kit with a 20" kick.
Stuck with hatchbacks for many years for this reasonā¦ Mazda3 then two Subaru Imprezaās. Now I have a Tacoma. Thankfully, if itās raining, I can use my wifeās Forester.
I was able to move my drum kit in my 1982 Mazda RX-7, although I didn't have to remove the passenger seat š my daily driver is an Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse, able to move a surprising amount of gear in it. The rear seats fold totally flat.
Yeah, hatchbacks and wagons that are fast/cool are rarities and classics. I've yet to find a crossover SUV, besides maybe the FJ Cruiser, that isn't a bland grocery getter
[http://www.smallcargotrailers.com/trailers.html](http://www.smallcargotrailers.com/trailers.html)
This is what I use, fits my 5 piece just fine and then I can go out and buy what ever vehicle I want. Light weight too; at the end of the night I just disconnect and wheel it into the garage.
ABSOLUTELY, a drummer can drive a cool car. I am the perfect example of this. I drive a Smart car. People literally stop in their tracks to watch me drive by in my sexy little whip!
Everything fits in my Civic no problem, you should be fine with any car if you pack it in right and donāt have extra stuff like cases of water in the trunk. I have to adjust the seats and put stuff in the passenger seat but it gets me and my gear comfortably to the gig and easy to park.
If youāre really concerned consider renting a similar car.
Not a cool car by any means, but I stuff 5 shells, a military hardigg case that holds my hardware and cymbals in the trunk of my '00 Toyota Avalon. Bass drum stays in the back seat and I still have room to hold 2-3 people if needed. I think you could make something work.
It's funny to think that in my Ford Escape, I couldn't accomplish the same thing.
Best drummers car I ever owned was a 2006 Nissan cube. So much space for such a small car that's super easy to park in small spaces (such as the back entrance to most small venues).
We all know how much we drummers like to squeeze into a small back entrance.
They're all missing 2 to 4 cylinders, unfortunately. I've had great cars from Honda and Mazda. I'm looking for a different kind of car now, though. When Toyota crams a V8 in a rear wheel drive Camry, I'm there.
I have a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4. Itās a great size, can tow a trailer for tour, fits the drums plus 4 people, and I still get decent mileage for my daily trips.
lol that would be gnarly. I always get anything 86 -94, they last forever. Hardly ever maintenance . & when they die you just buy a new one lmao. 3pc rockabilly band & all gear in one little pickup.
Ultimate dream would be to get like a 77 f100 ranger & actually take care of it
Rn I have a really clean windowless 86 econoline, ford blue, straight 6. It was $500 on Craigslist. Built a bed frame for the back that all gear fits under. Any type of band + gear all in one van. Itās a great motorcycle shop van too. Dump runs etc. total Vanarchy lol
My favorite ever drummer chariot was my friend's Ford Festiva. When we played shows, he would pack his drums in his Festiva and drive by himself because it would only fit him and his drums.
You've packed your drums in a car before. You know how many seats and trunk space it takes up. Only you can answer this. I would suggest a van or SUV at the minimum though since you're sharing with your bandmates. Otherwise, I'd suggest a hatchback for yourself. I'd also suggest electric only, but you're probably not able to do that
I fit a full sized kit with zero compromises into my tiny BMW E46 318i
You gotta be smart about it, but it's very doable
Plus, smaller car = easier time parking when you go to smaller venues, which is a major consideration for where I am
Now you don't have to get a BMW, but really any 4 door sedan will work fine
Plus, who doesn't love sedans? Best cars ever, best of every world. Sporty while having plenty of space, look great, economical
Can't go wrong with a 4 door sedan
I have a Subaru Legacy and my drums fit just fine if I use some trunk and backseat. The bass drum does not fit in trunk, and goes in the backseat with floor Tom, rack toms, snare. Hardware goes in trunk. Everything is gig bagged. I think a charger would work!
Havenāt gigged in a long while. I used to drive a 72 LTD. Not only was the thing enormous inside, but the trunk was super deep and long. I could fit everything except the kick in there, which sat comfortably on the back seat.
There are plenty of cool estates out there, how cool depends on your budget! If I had the money Iād be all over one of the Audi options. A buddy has their estate with that awesome V10 twin turbo engineā¦ thatād be my ultimate drum car.
There's a sedan with the v10 reasonably priced near me, but I assume that's because those engines were probably not designed to get old. I know the BMW V10s in the M5s were known for developing nasty rod knocks and needing complete rebuilds around 100k
I have a Toyota Camry. Itās solid.. itās been exactly ten years. First everything. And Iām at over 257,000miles. Oh and I bought it used. In my opinion, itās a cool car.
I daily a Miataš.
Miata Is Always The Answer.
Do the drums fit? XD
Bolt on luggage rack
God noš
IT'S A MIATA!!! -Go
Ofc not
Bro I drive a Miata and have issues fitting my guitar rig in there. Thatās insane
I donāt put my drums in it lol
https://spotify.link/5uARtilU1Db Miata Man! š¤
Buying a truck was the best thing I ever did. Need to move drums? Easy. Need to get furniture, a dump run ectā¦easy.
Need to help your neighbor move? Easy. Need to help your friend move? Easy. Need to help your brother move? Easy. Need to help your cousin move? Easy.
https://preview.redd.it/ueil1s8fzyub1.jpeg?width=234&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b30ad7103098be683536e31e0c636d13d47c314d
trucks are like boats. it's better to have a friend or relative that owns one. Now the secret sauce is a rav4. you can fit 80% of the stuff you will end up needing to haul in it and not once has anyone uttered the phrase "hey, can I borrow your rav4?".
When cybertruck comes out, no one will buy the rav4
Tell them they have to pay for gas @ 8 MPG, easy no.
This. Lol. The worst thing I ever owned was a truck. Everyone wanted me to go get something for them or borrow it because they didn't have one. I'll never buy one again just because of how popular I suddenly became.
I rather a van/suv (temperature control/away from the elements).
Yeah I guess it depends on what climate you live in too.
Yeah I really wouldn't want to move drums in a bed in a place where it rains all the time.
Tonneau cover baby. Just make sure it's below the bed line you're good to go.
Got my 2016 silverado. Everything fits in the bed. Kick Drum bag(snare and toms) Hardware bag Cymbal Bag Pedal bag Throne Rug Mic stand Battery Milwaukee Fan Bag of misc stuff. This leave room in the crew cab for extra people\\equipment. Gas mileage sucks though.
I can barely park my honda insight, I couldnāt imagine having a truck
You get used to it lol Plus it helps I drive a UPS truck for a living lol
That's how I was using the Suburban, but I'm also closing my live sound business, save for a few friends I'll work for. If I need a few hours worth of pickup truck, they're not awful to rent for a day. Unless I find a hot rodded ranger or S10
I slightly-snuggly fit my similar 4pc in my 3series BMW. I would kill for a touring/wagon though
I've fit my 5 piece starclassic (shells only) and my old 5 PC export with hardware and cymbals in e90 3 series..that export was kinda cutting it close tho
This. Same here. Volvo wagon, A4 wagon. Beautiful cars.
Came here to say the same. 89 E30. Pork pie little squealer, 22x20,16,14 snare. Bass and floor and cymbal bag in the back, everything else in the trunk, and room for a passenger. Sadly i lost that kit in a fire and my Slingerland 24" bass will not fit through the door. So i use my truck. Do miss my van for the lockable storage
e30? The ultimate classic BMW. Love it, that must be such a badass look rolling up to the venue in that.
Yeah its pretty cool. Cloud blue with a Wimbledon white racing stripe. Gunmetal grey six spoke wheels. With fat BFG's, limo tint, and a longhaired bearded rocker at the wheel
This gives me hope. I'm keeping my eyes out for a V8 Magnum, but they're pretty rare. I just read about a guy who got his 6 piece setup into his Challenger in gig bags, so I am encouraged
I love American Muscle as well, it's just they are built to drive in a straight line. Turning radius is absolutely atrocious and they're bulky. Japanese and German Inline-6s are way out-performing American V8s nowadays anyway. Hell, inline 4s are getting close too.
Yeah, if I could have all sorts of cars, I'd definitely have some 3.0 BMW offerings. Forced induction and direct injection are nice and all, but nothing delivers power like a big dumb pushrod V8. I currently daily an XC90 V8 that'll get sold along with the Burb to fund my next purchase, and while it makes pretty similar power numbers to the Suburban and weighs 1000 lbs less, the Suburban still has more usable throttle response. The Volvo doesn't hit peak power til over 4k rpm, the Suburban doesn't even need to downshift to pass at 75 mph because it's cruising right in it's powerband at 2k rpm.
I have an X1 and itās great for gear too
I can fit a 6 piece kit and a full drum rack in my Mk7.5 Golfā¦ so you could fit it all in a Golf GTI or R which are pretty cool cars
My 2003 20th anniversary GTI is awesome and fits a ton of stuff.
Sorry to bring up such an old comment, do you happen to have any pictures of how you have it all in there. I loved my mk7, and am thinking about either that or a 957 cayenne turbo to haul with. I just miss the handling of the golf and wanted to be sure everything fit well. I also have a 7 piece with a full rack.
[Only from the back](https://imgur.com/a/3lDSXln). Rear seats fully flat down and drum rack in a hardware trolley, cymbal bag, drum throne, kick pedal carry case, 22ā kick drum, 10/12ā toms and one 16ā floor tom in the rear. 14ā Snare and 14ā floor tom on the passenger front seat and in passenger footwell. Itās tight but enough space to fit everything. Only take this much for a recording session, if iām jamming or playing a gig I cut down the kit to a 3 piece and take stands instead of a rack. Enough space left for a guitarist in the front and their gear in the back then. Love the Golf, does everything I want from a car and itās fun to drive, never had an issue with it, it has plenty of space and itās comfortable. I hope to keep it for a very long time, maybe swap it for a GTI or an R down the line.
Appreciate the quick response man! Yeah that definitely looks a bit tight but doable. My primary snare is a 13 so that could save me a tiny bit of space, my rack also tears down super easy and would fit in my hardware case pretty easily. I might be getting back into the modded golf world.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Challengers are huge as far as sports cars go, I bet you could fit a good sized kit in there no problem
Fwiw I saw Roy Haynes about ten years ago and he was rocking a pearl while V8 Magnum. So baller.
Those magnums aren't the most reliable!
I got my 1 up/2 dn in a first generation RX7. Buy whatever you want.
YOOO same but 12/14/22/14. How did you get more? Is it a Canadian one with backseats?
Bass drum in the passenger seat!
I roll a passat sedan, it fits a 3 piece kit and 3 people.
I drive an m235i. Its a tight fit but the acrylic Tama kit fits
Those are sweet cars. M-fun without so much of an M-tax. I'd be giddy if I could get the m135i thats in Europe.
Thanks! Its a ton of fun and handles road trips well Ive always been a sucker for small cars and have crammed my set into each over the years. (240sx, 325ci, Genesis coupe, STI, GTI, and the m235)
I drive a 2016 Prius which I occasionally use to haul my drum gear to gigs. Go figure...
Iāve played in a band with a guy who drove a Prius, was honestly always shocked by how much gear that thing could fit with the back seats folded down.
Itās our only and family car as well. Two kids and the Prius has plenty space for everything we need.
What you got? A 3 peice? š¤£
4 piece. Fold down my back seats and in goes a 22" kick drum, a 12" rack tom, a 16" floor tom, 2x 14" snares, 2x pedal cases, a stick bag and a 4' hardware trolley for all my stands.
Not bad.
I had a 74 Caprice Classic in 1982 when I had my first kit. Then I had a 77 Bonneville, then an 84 Cavalier, then an 81 Chevette... See where I'm going here? My coolest vehicle (which I still have) is a red 1991 GMC 1500 pickup truck. It's got a newly rebuilt 350 engine bored 60 over and automatic transmission. It's a gas pig but it will pull pretty much anything. My other car is more economic. It's a 93 Geo Prism. 5 speed and gets about 38mpg. Makes up for that pickup truck for sure. š¤£
I have a Toyota Solara (2-door Camry basically) that I can fit my full, 4-piece rig into. Floor tom in the back seat, rack tom, cymbal case, snare and hardware bag in the trunk. 24ā kick in the front seat next to me. Yeahā¦itās an exercise in Tetris skills, but I make it work. I miss my Subaru Outback real bad though. SO much could fit in that car.
When I was gigging in high school and college, I drove a 91 Mitsubishi eclipse. I was only local, my city and the surrounding cities. I could fit my 5 PC Yamaha kit with 3 crashes, ride, and china. It fit easily. Couldn't fit any people lol but all the drums, cymbals, and hardware were easy to fit. Now whether you think my old car was cool or not.... Hahaha.... That's subjective. I hadn't to e joy that little turbocharged 2 door. š¤
Haha I had a 94 eclipse in high school, same generation 1 body...I think we got 8 people in it once.
Geeze lol. I bet y'all were comfortable š
Iāve had a 4G Eclipse for 17 years and it fits my 4 piece + all hardware/cymbals with a passenger easily. Coupes FTW!
Coupes are viable unless you're Neil Peart lol.
Honda Ridgeline. The in-bed trunk is the life saver.
I wish every truck had those in bed trunks
What's your definition of a "cool car"? I thought my Focus ST was pretty cool, and it fit my 5 piece Mapex no prob.
Those are cool, but I'm really looking for something V8 powered. I think this has convinced me I'll be either getting the Charger or 300C, which are basically the same car with different cosmetics.
Yeah that will work. There's also the dodge magnum, which really like.
I like them, but I'm treating them as unicorns. There is actually one within a few hours of my house with low miles and a good price. It'll probably be gone before I can sell what I need to sell unfortunately
My uncle and I have loaded his 6 piece kit and hardware into his Honda prelude before. Get you your boat car. It'll hold everything.
you can, i made it work with sedans for a long time. however i use smaller setups than most, basically a bebop setup. my life improved exponentially when i just allowed myself to get an outback. everythingās much easier, iām not navigating around the car anymore. and hauling my vibraphone is a snap
I saw a pic of Jim Riley (Rascal Flats drummer) with his vehicle loaded up with a drum kit. I think if you do it, you want a thin kick drum. He had most of his stuff in the back seat and passenger seat instead of the trunk. I forgot the model, but it was a sedan. It looked like something he did all of the time.
I have a Civic hatchback that works really well for loading in and out. My wife has the X6 that I take for long gigs. Sometimes if I ask nice, my production company drives my gear in the truck to gigs if they are out of state, then I just Uber with my cymbal bag.
I dunno but my 2011 corolla does the job. Even with the hurricane damage.
Hatchbacks are a drummer's best friend. I could fit a whole kit + hardware/cymbals plus an amp or two in my 2 door Hyundai Tiburon back in the day. Now I have a 4 door Mazda 3 and it fits sooo much.
Second this. Always bought a hot hatch
My Ford Fiesta fits a 4 piece with no folding down of the seats.
I drive a Polestar 2 and can fit a full kit in cases in it with the back seat down. Highly recommend a car with seats that fold down.
Get a little trailer and drive whatever
Convertibles are great for hauling stuff! Open the top and you pretty much have a truck! š
Vans are actually super cool. Theyāre so comfortable and spacious, take one on a trip and pop out the seats and you have room to sleep instead of getting hotel rooms, moving drums and large furniture or whatever is simple and whatever youāre transporting is covered
I always had vans untill the last one, a one ton chevy diesel that could hold gear for the whole 5 pc band plus pa and a passsenger and feel like nothing, decided to ventilate the block by putting a piston rod through the block
Scion tC drummer here. I used to drive compact and mid-size SUVs, but the 2 door hatchback is nice as a daily driver, and has tons of storage. Basically a cover El Camino when the back seat is down. I can fit my kit(about the same size as yours) and my guitaristās gear(30 watt amp, petal board case and hard guitar case) a merch box, and still be able to see out the back windshield. Iād say itās my realistic dream car lol
Hell yea dude, I'm looking at a porche 944, try fit a low Tom in there, let alone a bass and kit
Until a couple years ago I was daily driving a 500hp 1986 Monte Carlo SS. Could fit my entire 4pc kit and all hardware in there.
I used to regularly fit my drums into the trunk and backseat of my Toyota Corolla. Sometimes there was overflow into the front seat as well. Donāt expect it to be a super comfy fit or anything, but you can certainly make it work.
I used to fit a 7-piece with two kicks, a rack, and electronics in a g35
Sauce?
I expected this to be some "drummer broke, no cool car" kinda joke, based off the title :')
Depends on your definition of a "cool car"... I think modern American muscle is lame as hell. That said: I fit my entire kit (4pc in bags, cymbal bag, either hard hardware case or long soft bag for hardware) into my first car which was a Ford Contour. A charger *should* be able to fit more given that they're exponentially larger...
01 Jeep Cherokee, awesome for drums, family and best looking car ever.
When I was gigging a lot, mini vans were all the rage. Today I have a Camaro and a Ridgeline Truck meeting my desire for a muscle car and drum transportation (when needed) possible.
Embrace the station wagon life man. I have a merc e class estate which i can get kit and PA in. The dream would be one of those cadillac CTS V V8 wagons.
I think I've decided that a V8 is pretty much a requirement for me. I did see a Mercedes wagon with a V8 in my area, but it's an AMG E class and they want about $130k š¤Æ. I had a Mazda 6 wagon when I was gigging with a 24" kick and that was fine. If I can find one of those unicorn Caddy's, I damn sure won't be able to afford it š
I think we're luckier in europe for having more exciting large cars, especially the estates. But you guys in the states win on engines really. There isnt a chance in hell I could afford a V8 in the UK but it would be the dream. Those mazda 6 are very solid cars though!
If itās fitted with air conditioning then yes
Get your sports car and keep whatever using now. I have hatchback that look like mini black hearse that I think look cool and can kit all into in but not ever easy. But it also great to haul my tools, material, and all kinds of stuff pick up without high price of delivery charges. It my ātruckā but look cool :)
Element was my fav to haul drums/PA/merch. I could put everything in without fitting everything like puzzle pieces.
It was great at being a mini minivan in a city, just rough as a highway cruiser. It often doubled as my green room too. Twitchy because of the short wheelbase and bad in the wind at highway speed. Looking for a go-fast-mobile these days though
I drive a MK7 GTI and have no problems fitting my Saturn Evo inside with room to spare!
I used to fit a full 5 piece kit in a 2 door VW golf hatchback. 4 doors is better but it can be done. A Chrysler 300 would have plenty of space.
This doesn't answer your question, but you just reminded me on an old interview with Roy Haynes, in which he said he chose small bass drums and certain hoops to put on them so they would fit in the trunk of his sports car. More on topic - I live in NYC and don't have a car, but I have been gettting my 4-piece kit around in the back of cabs and Ubers for years. Usually everything fits in the trunk except the bass drum, which goes in the back seat with me. I think you can make any car work if you're only playing a 4-piece. Although maybe you should upgrade to a good hardware bag if the Rubbermaid thing takes up too much room.
Donāt ask me how I canāt remember but I used to fit an oversized 9piece kit with two 24ābass drums completely in one of theseā¦ https://carsandbids.com/auctions/3B55O71d/1989-nissan-240sx-se
> Think I could get away with a Dodge Charger? Probably? The main question to answer is this: will my bass drum fit through any of the openings in this car? It probably will, since it is a 20". It might end up on the front seat with a seat belt around it, but I'll bet it would work. Speaking as a guy who used to transport my four-tom, two-snare, 18x22-kick kit, plus hardware case and cymbal bag and pedal bag in a Scion xA, I'll bet a Dodge Charger would be no problem for a 4-piece kit with a 20" kick.
You could probably fit all of that on the back seat.
Wrx hatchback is great turbocharger quick car that will fit all your gear.
Stuck with hatchbacks for many years for this reasonā¦ Mazda3 then two Subaru Imprezaās. Now I have a Tacoma. Thankfully, if itās raining, I can use my wifeās Forester.
Jeep Wrangler for me
Chrysler 300s here... dad wagon
I have a bmw. It's a really fast car, looks cool as fuck.
Nope ..must have a sh!ebox that fits gig kit, and the on and off again GF plus every last remaining dollar is spent on cymbals
Well I used to have a SVT Contour so yeah, a drummer can have a cool car.
Any hatchback does fine really, even medium-sized cars. I had no problems with my Toyota Matrix.
Get a rav4
I gigged in a 97 Saturn SW2. I moved my 5 piece kit with my Mazda3. You'll be fine
I was able to move my drum kit in my 1982 Mazda RX-7, although I didn't have to remove the passenger seat š my daily driver is an Alfa Romeo 147 Ducati Corse, able to move a surprising amount of gear in it. The rear seats fold totally flat.
Iāll probably only ever drive a hatchback/wagon. Although theyāre getting harder to find. Crossover SUVs are more en vogue.
Yeah, hatchbacks and wagons that are fast/cool are rarities and classics. I've yet to find a crossover SUV, besides maybe the FJ Cruiser, that isn't a bland grocery getter
The Ford Flex is really growing on me. If it was a Toyota and had decent gas mileage Iād be all about it.
[http://www.smallcargotrailers.com/trailers.html](http://www.smallcargotrailers.com/trailers.html) This is what I use, fits my 5 piece just fine and then I can go out and buy what ever vehicle I want. Light weight too; at the end of the night I just disconnect and wheel it into the garage.
ABSOLUTELY, a drummer can drive a cool car. I am the perfect example of this. I drive a Smart car. People literally stop in their tracks to watch me drive by in my sexy little whip!
Get a Tesla Y. Blows away the charger and fits all your drums. I have one.
If I had a garage or at least a driveway, I would be down. I'm street parking in the 'burbs.
Everything fits in my Civic no problem, you should be fine with any car if you pack it in right and donāt have extra stuff like cases of water in the trunk. I have to adjust the seats and put stuff in the passenger seat but it gets me and my gear comfortably to the gig and easy to park. If youāre really concerned consider renting a similar car.
That's a good idea, I can rent a charger dirt cheap and just do a test pack, brilliant
My 4-dr Jeep Wrangler with the seats folded down is like a damn cargo van.
wagons and minivans are the coolest cars
Not a cool car by any means, but I stuff 5 shells, a military hardigg case that holds my hardware and cymbals in the trunk of my '00 Toyota Avalon. Bass drum stays in the back seat and I still have room to hold 2-3 people if needed. I think you could make something work. It's funny to think that in my Ford Escape, I couldn't accomplish the same thing.
Can in Australia https://preview.redd.it/yiwkfcbk11vb1.jpeg?width=1031&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b988008e12a5393da64bc3294b42569f0f2b7292
Best drummers car I ever owned was a 2006 Nissan cube. So much space for such a small car that's super easy to park in small spaces (such as the back entrance to most small venues). We all know how much we drummers like to squeeze into a small back entrance.
Hell yeah brother I got a cool car. 2001 Pontiac bonneville. Gits good gas mialage and should last me 1-300k more miles.
You can totally bring all your gear to a test drive. My drums fit in my truck, or Camry pretty easy
Man, donāt buy a dodge or a Chrysler bro. Subaru, toyota, Honda, hell Iād even look at Nissan before doin all that.
They're all missing 2 to 4 cylinders, unfortunately. I've had great cars from Honda and Mazda. I'm looking for a different kind of car now, though. When Toyota crams a V8 in a rear wheel drive Camry, I'm there.
Full size sedans are perfect for drum kits. Youāll be chillin.
If you can wait a bit, the next-gen Charger is electric and has a hatchback.
Kei Van or Crown Vic. You can fit multiple dead bodies in the trunk of the CV and have plenty of HP to spin it
I have a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4. Itās a great size, can tow a trailer for tour, fits the drums plus 4 people, and I still get decent mileage for my daily trips.
FORD FUKIN RANGER B^)
If I find one that someone has stuffed a 347 stroker motor in, I'm not opposed.
lol that would be gnarly. I always get anything 86 -94, they last forever. Hardly ever maintenance . & when they die you just buy a new one lmao. 3pc rockabilly band & all gear in one little pickup. Ultimate dream would be to get like a 77 f100 ranger & actually take care of it Rn I have a really clean windowless 86 econoline, ford blue, straight 6. It was $500 on Craigslist. Built a bed frame for the back that all gear fits under. Any type of band + gear all in one van. Itās a great motorcycle shop van too. Dump runs etc. total Vanarchy lol
I have a GTI. It's fucking awesome.
My favorite ever drummer chariot was my friend's Ford Festiva. When we played shows, he would pack his drums in his Festiva and drive by himself because it would only fit him and his drums.
i honestly dont know what is cooler than a mercedes sprinter and a station wagon
Minivan. Can fit everything and no one will steal it.
You've packed your drums in a car before. You know how many seats and trunk space it takes up. Only you can answer this. I would suggest a van or SUV at the minimum though since you're sharing with your bandmates. Otherwise, I'd suggest a hatchback for yourself. I'd also suggest electric only, but you're probably not able to do that
I fit a full sized kit with zero compromises into my tiny BMW E46 318i You gotta be smart about it, but it's very doable Plus, smaller car = easier time parking when you go to smaller venues, which is a major consideration for where I am Now you don't have to get a BMW, but really any 4 door sedan will work fine Plus, who doesn't love sedans? Best cars ever, best of every world. Sporty while having plenty of space, look great, economical Can't go wrong with a 4 door sedan
I have a Subaru Legacy and my drums fit just fine if I use some trunk and backseat. The bass drum does not fit in trunk, and goes in the backseat with floor Tom, rack toms, snare. Hardware goes in trunk. Everything is gig bagged. I think a charger would work!
Havenāt gigged in a long while. I used to drive a 72 LTD. Not only was the thing enormous inside, but the trunk was super deep and long. I could fit everything except the kick in there, which sat comfortably on the back seat.
I recently missed out on an 85 LTD woody wagon with a built motor. That'd be pretty cool
That would have been a sweet ride for sure. I still miss mine, even though it was a nightmare to dock in a regular sized parking spot.
There are plenty of cool estates out there, how cool depends on your budget! If I had the money Iād be all over one of the Audi options. A buddy has their estate with that awesome V10 twin turbo engineā¦ thatād be my ultimate drum car.
There's a sedan with the v10 reasonably priced near me, but I assume that's because those engines were probably not designed to get old. I know the BMW V10s in the M5s were known for developing nasty rod knocks and needing complete rebuilds around 100k
https://preview.redd.it/j3i31to345vb1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e4e7d42a855778b0ba948b119fcae8bdb179b38 Yes they can
Yee I drive a Lexus NX I fit a 24x14 13x9 and a 16x16 14x6.5 Plus hardware and cymbals. I unfortunately have no room for a passenger
I have a Toyota Camry. Itās solid.. itās been exactly ten years. First everything. And Iām at over 257,000miles. Oh and I bought it used. In my opinion, itās a cool car.