Update on car search

[James Vette]

It seems I'll have to wait until I'm 25 and maybe some LHD experience somehow before I can secure a classic. I'm disappointed by this news but I'll have to wait 2.5 years I guess. Trans am / C3 will have to wait... Will look into renting one for a weekend to treat myself.

 

[Chuffer]

It seems I'll have to wait until I'm 25 and maybe some LHD experience somehow before I can secure a classic. I'm disappointed by this news but I'll have to wait 2.5 years I guess. Trans am / C3 will have to wait... Will look into renting one for a weekend to treat myself.

Such is life and the downside of being a mere youth and one of the few adavantages of being old . I bet your daily drive if you have one is an `arm and leg job` insurance wise ! I imagine it would be nigh on impossible to get insurance cover at your age for a rental too .

 

[Lewis Kingston]

That's a shame. It shouldn't really be a barrier – I had my first C4 at 21 – but, that said, it does vary wildly.

Preaching to the converted no doubt, but have you tried the usual specialists over the phone, or have you just run online quotes?

 

[Roscobbc]

Going back to the 70's it was only reaching 15 and Norwich Union being perhaps the first insurer to offer specific cover for classic vehicles AND lhd American cars that I managed my first American car.
Oddly roll forward to the current day and whilst classic car insurance is still very resonable - cover for a late model C6 is far from reasonable and going to get worse as I get older.......

 

[James Vette]

That's a shame. It shouldn't really be a barrier – I had my first C4 at 21 – but, that said, it does vary wildly.

Preaching to the converted no doubt, but have you tried the usual specialists over the phone, or have you just run online quotes?

Thanks for the comment. I tried nearly every specialist I could find. I was devastated and still am a bit but I'll take it head on as that's life.

 

[James Vette]

Such is life and the downside of being a mere youth and one of the few adavantages of being old . I bet your daily drive if you have one is an `arm and leg job` insurance wise ! I imagine it would be nigh on impossible to get insurance cover at your age for a rental too .

Yeah prices go up while our wages stay the same. Anyway I'm looking forward to car shows and hopefully a convoy next year.

 

[CaptainK]

I'm guessing its just a case of cost at your age that you can't get insurance, and not to do with companies saying you must be over X age? I say because I'm sure various people on Facebook American Car groups are younger than 25 and have various types of American classic cars.

Still, 2.5 years gives you a good amount of time to meet a lot of Corvette / Trans Am owners and get lots of advice from them and being taken out in their cars. That way you have done your homework and you know the exact model you want, how much it'll cost, maintenance stuff and know all the bad bits to look out for.

Alternatively, you could go crazy and buy a cheap Corvette than is a project car / non-runner and then spend the next 2.5 years slowly doing it up. After all, these cars are going up in price, so if you buy a cheap project now and are happy to learn and do the work yourself then it would make for a nice personalised 25th birthday present to yourself (assuming its done by age 25) - you could always flog it if not and buy another.

 

[teamzr1]

It seems I'll have to wait until I'm 25 and maybe some LHD experience somehow before I can secure a classic. I'm disappointed by this news but I'll have to wait 2.5 years I guess. Trans am / C3 will have to wait... Will look into renting one for a weekend to treat myself.

I was just about 25 years old in 1975 and changed cars more often then changing my socks

I was pissed at the time about a Boss 302 Mustang I had that would crack pistons when redlining it, often
So in the dead of Chicago winter with 2 feet of snow I happened to stop at a Chevy dealer to look around for my
next venture.
Just happened to catch a 1975 Corvette sitting out of the way on the lot, it had very recent damage to the right front corner
I asked what happened and was told a guy had just bought it at that dealer 2 weeks before and just cracked C3 up driving in this snow
Owners insurance told him to go pound sand, so he traded it in for a pickup

Dealer wanted to dump the C3 ASAP, so they made me a deal "As is" so I traded in that POS Mustang, and then I did all the repair work
myself but had to have someone doing the painting in a candy apple color using new type of paint
As normal, I then quickly began making it to go fast, real fast

So you never know, keep looking, the first Vette is always the hardest to get, but then easy after that so keep looking, and you will find
some way to work around the problems getting one and insured

I just wish I had half the money I have spent since 1975 on having 12 Corvettes and treating it with expensive, mods !

 

[Nassau65]

I’m sure somebody would be willing to insure you on a C3 corvette, limited mileage, not your everyday car etc at a semi reasonable price. Perhaps I’m wrong? Another way would maybe insure it in your fathers name with you as a named driver, again on a classic policy. I’m sure reasonable insurance is out there for 21-25 year olds.

 

[Chuffer]

I’m sure somebody would be willing to insure you on a C3 corvette, limited mileage, not your everyday car etc at a semi reasonable price. Perhaps I’m wrong? Another way would maybe insure it in your fathers name with you as a named driver, again on a classic policy. I’m sure reasonable insurance is out there for 21-25 year olds.

That`s called `Fronting ` and is illegal in the UK if he drives it more than his dad does . It would also not help his No Claims Discount one jot as he is not the policy holder .

 

[Nassau65]

Classic policies normally do not rack up no claims discount, so nothing lost there. As it won’t be his everyday car, what’s the problem.

 

[Chuffer]

Classic policies normally do not rack up no claims discount, so nothing lost there. As it won’t be his everyday car, what’s the problem.

The problem is , it is illegal for an experienced driver to be the policy holder on a vehicle who is not the primary driver of the vehicle and the `named inexperienced / younger driver` is the primary driver of the vehicle . I think there could also be issues around the `named driver` being the owner of the vehicle but not the policy holder . James`s dad would have to be the registered owner and then transfer ownership over when James is able to get his own insurance policy .

 

[James Vette]

I'm still trying everyone because I'm so passionate about this hobby. Wish me luck but not going to break the bank I can wait.

 

[Nassau65]

As I’ve said in a previous post, it’s always good to learn something new. I didn’t know that’s it’s now illegal to have a younger driver listed on your policy ( who will possibly be driving it more than the policy holder) something I should imagine would be very hard to prove if it came to it. Back in the day parents done this all the time, my friend drove his E-type like that.

 

[Nassau65]

I'm still trying everyone because I'm so passionate about this hobby. Wish me luck but not going to break the bank I can wait.

Everything comes to those that wait.

 

[Chuffer]

As I’ve said in a previous post, it’s always good to learn something new. I didn’t know that’s it’s now illegal to have a younger driver listed on your policy ( who will possibly be driving it more than the policy holder) something I should imagine would be very hard to prove if it came to it. Back in the day parents done this all the time, my friend drove his E-type like that.

Every day is a school day but as far as I am aware , `fronting ` has always been illegal even though we may know it went on and undoubtably still does .

 

[Roscobbc]

I wonder if there is the likelyhood in addition of the 'younger' drivers insurance cover being limited to TPFT or Third party Only?

 

[Corvette]

My daughter got her 2014 Fiat 500 when she was 15 and registered it in her name. You don’t have to insure a car to own it. James I think you are better off buying a car now, working on it then insure it when you’re 25 otherwise when you are 25 your insurance will be cheap but a car may be way out of reach.

 

[Roscobbc]

My first 'attempt' to buy a yank was about 1970 when I was 20. It was a '57 Plymouth Belvedere 4 door sedan. In red with a white side flash it may have been an ex Dutch or Belgian LHD taxi. Engine was a 3.8 flathead with 2 speed push button auto. Fast it wouldn't have been. Could have bought it for £80 if I recall correctly. Problem was that insurance would have been £130. Doesn't sound a lot but recalculated in todays prices.....
Inspired by this - clipped from an early 60's Car Craft of similar magazine.........

 

[CaptainK]

Doesn't sound a lot but recalculated in todays prices.....

Out of interest, I asked the internetz what that would be. It said:

£100 in 1970 is worth £1,586.80 today​