Insurance & Breakdown ?

[Jessop]

Hi chaps

Im after some advice regarding breakdown cover for the trip from UK to france for lemans. As the cars an old renault 5 gt turbo, the 'book price' may not be high enough to cover the cost for them to bring it home, although the car is exceptionally immaculate.. i'd rather i be reassured i am covered to get back to the ferry then allow my uk roadside relay to take me home from dover...

What companies do you guys use for classic cars, or european break cover (that will take you & the car back to port) ?

[gt6]

If you have roadside cover already ask them for eurocover for those days.

RAC do a good cover (they have an agreement with ACO) and usually have some vehicles actually at Le Mans during the race.

[Jessop]

After speaking to the AA i was advised of a policy where if it costs more than X % of the value of the vehicle they will give you the value of the vehicle instead of towing you home with the car :s

hence why i was slightly concerned

[Vette_1978]

The Vette broke encountered u-joint issues enroute to the Classic08 and I'd got cover with the RAC. They assigned a recovery truck to Karting Nord and took the vehicle away for inspection, arranged a hire car for the time in France and then on the UK side to get me home. They then delivered the car to a garage in Norfolk for repairs about 2 weeks later.

Words of warning. If they believe that they could have repaired it in France at a cost cheaper than transporting they repair and you are liable. They thought it was a suspension and bearing problem so ordered about £1k of parts and reckoned they would have it repaired near Rouen - obviously didn't.

Also, the hire car you get check that they have an office to drop it off at in the port you are returning from. I had to dump the car in Lens outside a closed office with no letter box, squeeze everything into the other Vette and then dump the keys at the Eurotunnel. For all I know the car might still be there.

For about £60 cover I saved thousands compared to repatriating the car myself.

[SEE YA]

I have paid for insureandgo travel insurance, then for the car RAC already a member.
So it was just an upgrade.

[Nick M]

Jessop said:

What companies do you guys use for classic cars, or european break cover (that will take you & the car back to port) ?

ADAC - Europe wide cover for 12 months for any car - about €80.

Also means you have UK coverage and based on dad's recent experience where he had a small fender-bender (but which immobilised the car due to the radiator being damaged) they call out the AA and recovered the car home. Well, actually to the crash repair place in town which was even more helpful.

[fatboy18]

I'm an AA member, I have had the misfortune of having to use their services in 2005, Can honestly say was not over impressed. The car had a fire and had to be sent home separately to me, we had to get a hire car from Le mans to Calais then change cars and drop off the hire car at a local Hertz depot near home, there were hidden costings involved in this and I was not impressed. I will say though that the French recovery truck driver was very very good as the Cobra had been lowered more than others and he really made a great job of getting the car onto the recovery truck, and then took us back to the campsite.

[Jessop]

fatboy18 said:

I'm an AA member, I have had the misfortune of having to use their services in 2005, Can honestly say was not over impressed. The car had a fire and had to be sent home separately to me, we had to get a hire car from Le mans to Calais then change cars and drop off the hire car at a local Hertz depot near home, there were hidden costings involved in this and I was not impressed. I will say though that the French recovery truck driver was very very good as the Cobra had been lowered more than others and he really made a great job of getting the car onto the recovery truck, and then took us back to the campsite.

what hidden fee's ?

[fatboy18]

Jessop said:

fatboy18 said:

I'm an AA member, I have had the misfortune of having to use their services in 2005, Can honestly say was not over impressed. The car had a fire and had to be sent home separately to me, we had to get a hire car from Le mans to Calais then change cars and drop off the hire car at a local Hertz depot near home, there were hidden costings involved in this and I was not impressed. I will say though that the French recovery truck driver was very very good as the Cobra had been lowered more than others and he really made a great job of getting the car onto the recovery truck, and then took us back to the campsite.

what hidden fee's ?

Had to pay extra fees for Hire car? Never did get monies back + My Cobra rep was under 10yrs old but had an earlier numberplate on it, when I phoned the AA from france they were bloody rude, and told me they would not take the car home unless I paid them another £100 MY CAR WAS WELL UNDER 10YRS OLD, The Log Book said so! But when your stuck in france, feeling rather upset that the car you adored has just gone up in flames, I was Fukn distrort! They said if I did not pay the extra monies they would not get me a Hire Car or get my car home. I paid the extra monies and then thought I would be able to take it up with them after returning home. You try making a claim against this company, I gave up THEY WILL NEVER HAVE MY MONIES FOR EUROPEAN TRAVEL AGAIN

[lost in espace]

ADAC thumbs up from me. Covers you on the ring too.