Young Driver Insurance

[jjbradders]

Hi all

I'm just finishing restoring a 1979 Fiat X1/9 1.5, and as such am looking to insure it. Being 18 however is pretty terrible as you can probably imagine.

Does anyone know of any places that will give a reasonable quote?

Cheers

James

[TwigtheWonderkid]

I doubt it. I had one years ago, it's a tricky bugger in the wet even for mature and experienced drivers. I wouldn't want to be covering an 18 y/o on one. Sorry.

[Old Merc]

Sorry lad,insurance companies do not like young drivers.I don't think you will get any reasonable quotes from anyone.You should have started by restoting a Fiat 500.
Spend the next few years driving very responsibly,no claims or points,then you may get reasonable quotes on something exotic.

[Dermot O'Logical]

Even a year without a claim in something boring can make a big difference. My son just passed his test, but he's had his Seat Arosa 1.0 for a year and he's already finding sensible quotes for far more interesting cars, so he's soon going to be looking for a Suzuki Swift Sport.

For something like an X1/9 you might find a sympathetic specialist "Classic Car" broker.

[jjbradders]

Fortunately I've got a clean year.

I'll keep looking, they are getting better slowly, but maybe an Austin 7 would have been easier...

[untakenname]

Surely 1979 must qualify it for classic car insurance? They don't take ncb into account so are cheaper.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

untakenname said:

Surely 1979 must qualify it for classic car insurance? They don't take ncb into account so are cheaper.

Classic car policy for an 18 year old. Not sure such a thing exists.

[T-J-C]

I was looking at classic insurance quotes a few months ago. (I was 18, now 19).

Footman James said they do young drivers classic insurance, up to a 1.6 engine. (I wanted a quote on a 3.5, haha)
Adrian Flux said they never turn anyone down whatever car or age, but obviously the price is the deciding factor.

Hope this helps.

Tim

[mac96]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I doubt it. I had one years ago, it's a tricky bugger in the wet even for mature and experienced drivers. I wouldn't want to be covering an 18 y/o on one. Sorry.

I was on the verge of some smarta** reply along the lines of 'how could anyone be so stupid as to bin an X1/9 even in the wet'.

Then I remembered the scary view of trees revolving around MY X1/9 many years ago as it/I left the road backwards. Happily only pride was injured.

[jjbradders]

T-J-C said:

I was looking at classic insurance quotes a few months ago. (I was 18, now 19).

Footman James said they do young drivers classic insurance, up to a 1.6 engine. (I wanted a quote on a 3.5, haha)
Adrian Flux said they never turn anyone down whatever car or age, but obviously the price is the deciding factor.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Ooh, that sounds hopeful. I'll have to try FMJ, I think I've been through most of the others.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

mac96 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I doubt it. I had one years ago, it's a tricky bugger in the wet even for mature and experienced drivers. I wouldn't want to be covering an 18 y/o on one. Sorry.

I was on the verge of some smarta** reply along the lines of 'how could anyone be so stupid as to bin an X1/9 even in the wet'.

Then I remembered the scary view of trees revolving around MY X1/9 many years ago as it/I left the road backwards. Happily only pride was injured.

I recall the grip was quite good, but when it did let go, which was only in the wet, it was without warning and there was no recovering it (for an average Joe like me). It was just a matter of luck where you ended up, facing the right way looking like a boss or hitting a tree, exploding into a hideous fireball having to be identified by your dental records.

[Old Merc]

untakenname said:

Surely 1979 must qualify it for classic car insurance? They don't take ncb into account so are cheaper.

Most classic policies have restrictions on use.It is a "weekend car",always garaged etc AND you have another car that is your daily driver.

[Clivew]

Have you tried Norton Insurance? www.heritage-quote.co.uk

[mac96]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

mac96 said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I doubt it. I had one years ago, it's a tricky bugger in the wet even for mature and experienced drivers. I wouldn't want to be covering an 18 y/o on one. Sorry.

I was on the verge of some smarta** reply along the lines of 'how could anyone be so stupid as to bin an X1/9 even in the wet'.

Then I remembered the scary view of trees revolving around MY X1/9 many years ago as it/I left the road backwards. Happily only pride was injured.

I recall the grip was quite good, but when it did let go, which was only in the wet, it was without warning and there was no recovering it (for an average Joe like me). It was just a matter of luck where you ended up, facing the right way looking like a boss or hitting a tree, exploding into a hideous fireball having to be identified by your dental records.

Absolutely- grip was fine , until it wasn't, usually as a result (at least in my case) of bottling out and taking foot off accelerator as slight understeer changed to oversteer. I managed to end up facing the right way, but only after a complete revolution and with a lot of damage, so not much of a boss.

To OP though- it was one of the most fun cars I have ever owned certainly on a smiles per BHP basis; don't be put off, just be careful with it. IIRC it was only 85 bhp but it felt more- and people even used to get out of the way, because it looked faster in a rear view mirror than it was! Tended to get mistaken for a Lotus. Obviously not by car nuts. Enjoy!

[Gareth79]

jjbradders said:

T-J-C said:

I was looking at classic insurance quotes a few months ago. (I was 18, now 19).

Footman James said they do young drivers classic insurance, up to a 1.6 engine. (I wanted a quote on a 3.5, haha)
Adrian Flux said they never turn anyone down whatever car or age, but obviously the price is the deciding factor.

Hope this helps.

Tim

Ooh, that sounds hopeful. I'll have to try FMJ, I think I've been through most of the others.

I'd recommend spending a weekday morning or afternoon calling around as many specialists as you can find. If one of them offer to speak to an underwriter it's probably worth asking which one, so you don't get the same guy being called several times about the same thing!

[Who me ?]

Raising an old carrot ( or is it turnip or Swede - but that's veering into the realm of England football managers), and I note that no one has mentioned one way to get cash off a quote- find an old person/relative who has a good driving record, and possibly a bit of NCB, to back it up. Then get a quote with them on policy. Always makes me ask WHY ,since the aged person might never drive the car, or any other form of transport other than a bath chair .But it saved my daughter a few hundred quid/ my SIL a bit of cash and I've told my son when he passes his test and gets his low group car on the road to add me to policy. IMHO, there's no better insurance diet for young drivers than adding a geriatric relative/friend to your policy .(Makes the pounds £ roll off a policy).

[Jarcy]

Admiral do a classic policy.
Phone the normal number, but ask to refer to their classic policy. They will need to separately contact their underwriter and come back to you with a quote.
My son got cover for his MGBGT this way at aged 18. Premium under £500! (3 yrs ago, but he's still with them and also has a TVR wedge 3.5 V8 now, doing multicar).

[Thanoj]

Ooh, try Direct Line. I recommended it to my friend, and he got the lowest quote he has ever got when compared to price comparison sites, even without a black box! I tried it too, and it is very cheap for me too.

[BertBert]

I make quite a lot of money selling my details for people to put on their insurance as a named driver. I take half the saving!
Bert

[quote=Who me ?]Raising an old carrot ( or is it turnip or Swede - but that's veering into the realm of England football managers), and I note that no one has mentioned one way to get cash off a quote- find an old person/relative who has a good driving record, and possibly a bit of NCB, to back it up. Then get a quote with them on policy. Always makes me ask WHY ,since the aged person might never drive the car, or any other form of transport other than a bath chair .But it saved my daughter a few hundred quid/ my SIL a bit of cash and I've told my son when he passes his test and gets his low group car on the road to add me to policy. IMHO, there's no better insurance diet for young drivers than adding a geriatric relative/friend to your policy .(Makes the pounds £ roll off a policy).
[/quote]

PS no I don't, sorry nasty cross thread fertilisation going on there. But defs give it a go as 'who me' says!

[Tom_C76]

I had a classic at 19 insured with Footman James, but things may have changed in the last 20 years I guess.

Other very helpful people to try would be MSM Insurance. They specialise in non-standard stuff and insure many of my group for Caterhams, Westfields etc.