Another 'classic' insurance question

[beko1987]

Aviva have offended me with our multicar renewal offer, so I've been shopping around.

 

With the XM knocking on 18 years old, would I get any luck with a classic insurance policy, and can anyone recommend anyone to provide it?

 

Getting £600ish a year through normal policies, which isnt too bad but I'd like it to be better!

[gordonbennet]

Well, my E320 Benz coupe is 18 now, and i've just re-insured both cars, Admiral came in at silly money.

 

Cos i'm a lorry driver (and an old bugger at that) Adelaide Insurance offer good deals, indeed i had a chat with them about putting it on classic insurance, but the problem being classic doesn't count to your NCB so it could get lost.

 

They came up with £190 fully comp protected policy, that'll do me.

 

Just out of interest Saga now cover the Mrs' 04 Outlander @ £216, again protected.

 

Saved £200 on Admirals renewal price between the two.

 

I wanted to go back to NFU, in my humble the best insurance company on the planet, but they quoted £895 for the two cars, sod that.

 

[Sloth in a bowl]

I have had a low luck factor in finding classic insurance compatable cars under 30 years old unless they are fugging expensive to start with (15 years classic, bollocks more like). However a good place to start to see if classic quotes are an option seems to be the online AA classic insurance web site.

 

Please post back if you have a good results elsewhere.

[dollywobbler]

Depends on insurance company. Peter James seems to operate a blanket 20-year rule. Others happily cover stuff that's much younger.

[plasticvandan]

also,nearly all the classic insurers have gone for the same shitty blueprint of " cant be your only car,can only do a stupidly low mileage,has to be garaged,have to be a club member,cant use it to go to work etc etc

[Partridge]

Have you looked in to getting insurance through a Citroen club or another club for French crap?

[DSdriver]

LV did me a good deal for the XM about half what your lot quoted. That was because I also transfered the Peugeot of last resort that had full no claims - they gave both cars full no claims otherwise the XM would have had none.

[dollywobbler]

also,nearly all the classic insurers have gone for the same shitty blueprint of " cant be your only car,can only do a stupidly low mileage,has to be garaged,have to be a club member,cant use it to go to work etc etc

 

This doesn't seem to be the case at all. Sorry. I've got unlimited mileage and three cars on one policy, all of which can be used for commuting (not that I do any seeing as I work from home). I've got a garage, but they're all declared as on the driveway. I am a club member, but the club benefits apply to the Disco too, even though I've only declared being in 2CVGB. I think they're a bit wary of covering just one car, so the best solution is to own several. My current policy has the Sirion insured as a modern, but it still gets all of the classic benefits. The only difference is that for some reason, the Sirion gets home start breakdown cover, the others don't.

[Hertz]

I keep recommending Classicline as they are the cheapest time and time again for me. I even had total success when needing to claim after almost writing off my old Alpine A610 (£7k of damage) so it's good to know they will step up to the plate if required.

[spike60]

also,nearly all the classic insurers have gone for the same shitty blueprint of " cant be your only car,can only do a stupidly low mileage,has to be garaged,have to be a club member,cant use it to go to work etc etc

I had a classic policy with Adrian Flux until last year and the only restrictions were mileage, the more you want the more you pay, and periodic photographic proof of condition. It was kept on a drive overnight but no restrictions for use except the Nurburgring and weddings!

[Mr Livered]

also,nearly all the classic insurers have gone for the same shitty blueprint of " cant be your only car,can only do a stupidly low mileage,has to be garaged,have to be a club member,cant use it to go to work etc etc

It just goes to show how different the policies of different companies can be: Dollywobbler says that the above "doesn't seem to be the case at all", yet I've found this to be very much true. I suppose the lesson must be to shop around, not only on price but on other things like the definition of "classic", mileage limitations, need for a modern car, etc etc.

 

The other thing I've found is a little bit of snobbery about what constitutes a classic, in addition to its age. When I acquired a Renault 5 Campus recently, Peter Best told me that if it had been a Turbo of the same age they would cover it under a classic policy, whereas a bog-standard Campus could only go on a standard policy at twice the price. This is the kind of thing that could work against us shiters, because of our preference for the overlooked underdog.

[plasticvandan]

This doesn't seem to be the case at all. Sorry. I've got unlimited mileage and three cars on one policy, all of which can be used for commuting (not that I do any seeing as I work from home). I've got a garage, but they're all declared as on the driveway. I am a club member, but the club benefits apply to the Disco too, even though I've only declared being in 2CVGB. I think they're a bit wary of covering just one car, so the best solution is to own several. My current policy has the Sirion insured as a modern, but it still gets all of the classic benefits. The only difference is that for some reason, the Sirion gets home start breakdown cover, the others don't.

Sirion= modern car. upon looking at getting a Reliant Kitten,FJ wouldnt insure as it would be my only car,Peter James would only insure up to 5000 miles,Lancaster wanted it to be on a driveway as a minimum etc etc.having rung up nearly all the specialists just before xmas this is what the result i had,either wouldnt insure or would have been more than the car is worth.I also have no no claims having previously always had classic insurance(god how that has bummed me now!)

[Lankytim]

What about having "access" to another car, i.e the other halfs? That's always worked for me, I think it's as good as having another modern car for daily duties.

[Ratdat]

I have My Renault 16, Datsun Bluey estate, Prairie, Pony pickup and MX5 covered fully comp, unlimited mileage with legal and windscreen (and roadrage!) cover as well as European breakdown cover for £500 with Footman James. It costs next to bugger all to add a car to it as well. When I added the Pony, I had ten months left to run on the policy and it cost £17. The admin fee cost more!

 

They don't seem to have any problem with the age or shiteyness of the cars. The only thing they wouldn't add to it was my Vanette, because they don't do commercials.

[HMC]

I had that FJ multicar a few cars back. Similar costs and number of vehicles as Ratdat. It was so easy and cheap to add extra cars I ended the policy as it was starting to cause trouble with SWMBO

 

I did have 8 cars on the drive and she may have had a point

[Angrydicky]

This doesn't seem to be the case at all. Sorry. I've got unlimited mileage and three cars on one policy, all of which can be used for commuting (not that I do any seeing as I work from home). I've got a garage, but they're all declared as on the driveway. I am a club member, but the club benefits apply to the Disco too, even though I've only declared being in 2CVGB. I think they're a bit wary of covering just one car, so the best solution is to own several. My current policy has the Sirion insured as a modern, but it still gets all of the classic benefits. The only difference is that for some reason, the Sirion gets home start breakdown cover, the others don't.

 

also,nearly all the classic insurers have gone for the same shitty blueprint of " cant be your only car,can only do a stupidly low mileage,has to be garaged,have to be a club member,cant use it to go to work etc etc

I think you're about the same age as me Dan, early 20's? Peter James told me they only cover under 30's on MG's and Triumphs now, which makes no sense to me but there you go. Realistically, if you don't have access to another, main car, the only options are to go with Adrian Flux or put it on a non-classic policy. I have my A35 insured as the 'modern' with Admiral and the others on a classic policy with RH. It'll be interesting to see if they give me a realistic quote on the Maestro, fingers crossed.

 

I don't know about Peter James for older folk, but a chap I know who uses his Austin A30 as his everyday car, recently fell foul of these crappy new rules. He's in his 50's, and had been with FJ for years, until they refused to offer him renewal due to not having a modern. He says he tried them all without success before ending up with Adrian Flux. 

[plasticvandan]

I have passed the magic 25 yr old barrier just,in the end I did get a good quote with peter best,188 fully comp,unlim miles,only car,no garage,full breakdown,but had to use the "but my mates with you on those terms" trick to get them to do it,originally it was a 5000 mile Max option.deal on the car didn't go thru in the end,but least I have a hopeful option should I magically have enough cash to a.buy shite and b.put fuel in it

[beko1987]

Well thanks for all your ponderings chaps!

 

It all looks like it could work. I have access to a modern, have little miles on the xm as it is...

 

but the dates are wrong. Was thinking of it earlier. We have both been paid, and r skint. To do new policies would be at least £120 of first payment each. This would have to happen the 2nd week of Feb it seems as our policy runs out on the 18th. I thought it was at the end of the month - ie payday.

 

So, we are sticking with Aviva because we are too poor not to. To be fair, it's £160 a month for the pair. About £35 more than the best I could get going seperate. It also only went up as we moved from a HP postcode to an SL one temporarily (was £126 pcm). We are planning on moving back to HP, or even OX soon so the OMGBUMRAPE insurance postcode tax will hopefully work in our favour and reduce the policy.

 

Ho hum, maybe next year if I remember and put some money aside to do it! On the plus side I have to do zero work on it now, and it's gone down £30 already on what we pay now so not all bad.

 

Thanks anyway!