I mentioned to someone at the weekend that I'd had a complete dining room sideboard in the back of the F - so here are the photos to prove it!

[img]http://i.imgur.com/qmAQqBl.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/CdvZgI5.jpg[/img]

The guy I was buying the sideboard from p* himself laughing when I turned up in Sundance to collect it. Then went very quiet when I slid it into the boot without any help, shut the tailgate and drove off

S

Ha ha ha, thats awesome

Nice job Serena. Playing Tetris has helped me more in life than Maths or Geography ever will!

haha nice one Serena! A lot of people are quite impressed with the size of the boot in the BA!

Even the front hood fits in there!!!
Yeah nice one Serena!

Why would you want to defile such a nice car with a sideboard?

Good job though! And yes, I was surprised first time I opened mine up and dropped the seats- it's a bit like the TARDIS in there.

[b]Pitrack_1[/b]

[quote="pitrack_1"]Why would you want to defile such a nice car with a sideboard? [b]Pitrack_1[/b][/quote]

I didn't have a van!!

I wouldn't do it these days with the leather interior though Sundance's days as an ad-hoc removal van are definitely over!

S

I usually prefer small sedans to small hatchbacks because a sedan boot is usually larger, self-contained and separated from the cabin compared to a hatch. I'd wondered exactly why the BA had such a useful load space for a hatch. I think I've finally figured it out and I believe it's for two reasons:

a) The sloping rear window (as opposed to upright like on most hatches) allows a sedan-like boot space,
b) The full hatch opening allows excellent use of that space to load bulky items.

Both 3s I have are sedans with folding seats too. However whilst the load length (to the front seats) is longer in the 3s, the loading is limited by the fixed rear parcel shelf and arch separating the boot/cabin spaces. The BL2 has a more restrictive boot/cabin aperture due to a larger/stronger arch (I'm guessing for rigidity/safety reasons) compared to the BK.

My last effort to fit a kayak in the BA showed me that the length to the front seat is not *quite* as long as both my Mazda 3 sedans but the hatch opening made up for that.
[img]http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd490/pitrack_1/1994%20Mazda%20323%20Astina/kayak1_med_zpsdxfcwrsz.jpg[/img]

Also, the loading of the following item into the 323 was impossible in the 3 due to the aforementioned parcel shelf/arch, but no problem (except for a little length) in the 323.

[img]http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd490/pitrack_1/1994%20Mazda%20323%20Astina/shelving_transport_zpsc39kpy0z.jpg[/img]

I don't know about [i]ANYTHING[/i], but pretty darn useful

[b]Patrick[/b]

Haha, I must admit I've never tried a canoe!

Brilliant

S

Another proof of the title, BA hood inside the boot as we discourse with someone a bit earlier:

[img]http://i.imgur.com/XMcMcBB.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/UiojVUd.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/L7SnxiJ.jpg[/img]

It even had a free play wich i had to fix with towels

Nice one - I'd heard it could be done but had never seen the proof!

Today I fitted in the boot of my BA ...

... getting on for half another BA! And with room to spare ...

[img]https://i.imgur.com/zfb2ih1.jpg[/img]

Look carefully and you'll spot a front bumper, both wings, dash, clocks, outside and inside trim, parcel shelf, door cards, boot carpet, and a huge bag full of anything else salvageable ... oh and there's a manifold hidden in the footwell

No rear bumper as we couldn't get the b*d thing off, but that's a tale for another time ...

Thanks to AndyM for pretty much giving me another car

S

[img]https://i.imgur.com/aZcWS9k.jpg[/img]

It's bended but still.. 1.3x1.23m palstic sheet

And a baby stroller beneath it