First Car?

Author
Discussion

8vFTW

415 posts

154 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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Kiltox said:
If you can find an insurer that will give you a classic car policy then you could find the older stuff a lot cheaper to insure than you imagine too, aparrently. I'm currently trying to find a classic car insurer that will cover me at 20 and it's not proving particularly easy, though.
It's a good point on classic policy's I'm 24 and couldn't find anyone that would write me one up. They all want you to be at least 25. bds.

Wedg1e said:
I wouldn't worry: most 80s/90s 'hot hatches' will soon be rarer than those 'classic Brits' by virtue of the fact that generation after generation of young people that aren't dead on the inside are busy wrapping them around the scenery.
Young driver = bad driver? A generlisation on PH? Surely not. Still plenty of them about anyway, at least they didn't all rot away into nothing and were actually built properly in the first place rolleyes

Kiltox

14,621 posts

159 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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Keep an eye on my thread re: classic policies 8vFTW - I'll be updating it once I've phoned around

cheesyblob

370 posts

176 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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8vFTW said:
Kiltox said:
If you can find an insurer that will give you a classic car policy then you could find the older stuff a lot cheaper to insure than you imagine too, aparrently. I'm currently trying to find a classic car insurer that will cover me at 20 and it's not proving particularly easy, though.
It's a good point on classic policy's I'm 24 and couldn't find anyone that would write me one up. They all want you to be at least 25. bds.

Wedg1e said:
I wouldn't worry: most 80s/90s 'hot hatches' will soon be rarer than those 'classic Brits' by virtue of the fact that generation after generation of young people that aren't dead on the inside are busy wrapping them around the scenery.
Young driver = bad driver? A generlisation on PH? Surely not. Still plenty of them about anyway, at least they didn't all rot away into nothing and were actually built properly in the first place rolleyes
Just face it, a 105HP 600KG RWD car (Lotus Elan) will be much faster than a 110HP >800KG FWD Old Golf. Classic British sports cars have never had particular rust problems and are much more interesting. I'm not even old enough to drive yet and I agree; Young drivers are much more likely to be bad drivers.

OP, for insurers, try Adrian Flux, Footman James and Peter James for quotes. They will probably not give you a quote online but try ringing them as that normally works.

pixienoporsche

5,993 posts

216 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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Join a club smile


8vFTW

415 posts

154 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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cheesyblob said:
Just face it, a 105HP 600KG RWD car (Lotus Elan) will be much faster than a 110HP >800KG FWD Old Golf. Classic British sports cars have never had particular rust problems and are much more interesting. I'm not even old enough to drive yet and I agree; Young drivers are much more likely to be bad drivers.

OP, for insurers, try Adrian Flux, Footman James and Peter James for quotes. They will probably not give you a quote online but try ringing them as that normally works.
I guess you must really know what you are talking about then.rolleyes Not all young drivers are bad drivers. I've driven since 17, on my third car some 7 years later and not hand a single accident.

I'm not sure why you are quoting figures for a stock 8v GTi either.

Edited by 8vFTW on Monday 8th August 12:43

cheesyblob

370 posts

176 months

Monday 8th August 2011
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8vFTW said:
cheesyblob said:
Just face it, a 105HP 600KG RWD car (Lotus Elan) will be much faster than a 110HP >800KG FWD Old Golf. Classic British sports cars have never had particular rust problems and are much more interesting. I'm not even old enough to drive yet and I agree; Young drivers are much more likely to be bad drivers.

OP, for insurers, try Adrian Flux, Footman James and Peter James for quotes. They will probably not give you a quote online but try ringing them as that normally works.
I guess you must really know what you are talking about then.rolleyes Not all young drivers are bad drivers. I've driven since 17, on my third car some 7 years later and not hand a single accident.

I'm not sure why you are quoting figures for a stock 8v GTi either.

Edited by 8vFTW on Monday 8th August 12:43
I don't understand what you mean, I hear more stories about young people crashing than older people. I said younger people are more likely to be bad drivers, not young drivers are always bad drivers, and good for you if your a good driver. I'm quoting figures for a standard 8V GTI as I am refering to a standard Elan, It is pretty much imposssible to insure a modified car as a first car, and your username and your garage in your profile suggests thats what you own.

OzKo

Original Poster:

48 posts

154 months

Sunday 14th August 2011
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Thank you for all the suggestions, I'm still looking, I'll definately be looking at the cars you all have mentioned!

I can't really contribute to the latest debate - young drivers, as I am soon to be one myself. All I know is that I certainly will not be racing round the roads like some young drivers do. My Dad's a policemen, and the stories of dreadful accidents he has urged me to be extremely careful.

This would definitely be apparent if I have a classic car. It's survived up to now - I certainly don't want be the one to kill it! But yes, either way, I'm going to be very careful.

But anyway, we seem to be getting a little off subject smile

Polariz

867 posts

156 months

Sunday 14th August 2011
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I took a bit of a different route when I had my first car. I had a GTM Coupe kit car which got me on to the "insurance ladder", while allowing me to have some fun at the same time.

At the time, I was charged £550ish pa for insurance on a 1275cc rear wheel drive, mid-engine laugh-mobile. Or I could have paid £1200pa for insurance on a 1200cc Fiat Punto. I also got to play the cook a flap-jack on your inlet manifold game when attending owners club meetings. smile

Don't get me wrong; the kit-car broke - badly. But at least I learnt a lot about putting cars together after my third engine change haha. I only spent £1700 on the car though, so £6000 should get something more reliable...

Edited by Polariz on Sunday 14th August 21:43

white_goodman

4,042 posts

192 months

Monday 15th August 2011
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OzKo said:
Thank you for all that advice, I've shown Dad several of the cars you've mentioned, and he approves!
I have heard several horror stories about the Jimny, about the ride / soft top / crosswinds / being economical, so I'll have to think long and hard about the Jimny!
However, if you fancy something like a Jimny. Consider a Suzuki Vitara/Grand Vitara, Toyota RAV4 or Freelander (but avoid petrol Freelanders). These all drive much better than a Jimny on the road and are just as good off it (although I'm not sure how good the RAV4 is off road).

OzKo

Original Poster:

48 posts

154 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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white_goodman said:
OzKo said:
Thank you for all that advice, I've shown Dad several of the cars you've mentioned, and he approves!
I have heard several horror stories about the Jimny, about the ride / soft top / crosswinds / being economical, so I'll have to think long and hard about the Jimny!
However, if you fancy something like a Jimny. Consider a Suzuki Vitara/Grand Vitara, Toyota RAV4 or Freelander (but avoid petrol Freelanders). These all drive much better than a Jimny on the road and are just as good off it (although I'm not sure how good the RAV4 is off road).
Funny you mentioned that - I have been looking at those too! Especially the RAV4.
It's not so much off-roading ability that matters too much, although I would love to have a go at off-roading.. maybe not until I'm more experienced - although I do sometimes think that a car that can chug through snow would be good. The most part why I would want a jeep-type vehicle would be because, frankly, I'm used to being higher up, (Mum has a Discovery), and it would make me feel safer, especially with how 6th Formers drive at school! At least I'd know that they'd come off worse.

blearyeyedboy

6,310 posts

180 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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OzKo said:
Funny you mentioned that - I have been looking at those too! Especially the RAV4.
It's not so much off-roading ability that matters too much, although I would love to have a go at off-roading.. maybe not until I'm more experienced - although I do sometimes think that a car that can chug through snow would be good. The most part why I would want a jeep-type vehicle would be because, frankly, I'm used to being higher up, (Mum has a Discovery), and it would make me feel safer, especially with how 6th Formers drive at school! At least I'd know that they'd come off worse.
It might make you feel safer (and being higher up *does* help if you crash into something in front of you). But the balance is that you're (a) more likely to turn it over and (b) it'll steer/stop less well than an equivalent "normal" car, so you're more likely to crash in the first place.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but the "jeep-type vehicles are safer" argument isn't as clear cut as you'd think.

TomCooper

547 posts

170 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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Great list of cars to possibly be getting! I'm 17 and have had my lisence for over 6 months but I haven't been able to get decent insurance quotes at all! Cheapest I've got so far on a modern car is around £3000 and that on something like a 1.0 corsa! Dread to imagine what sort of quote (if any) I would get on some of the cars you've listed! Aha
You should give Footman James a ring if you are getting a classic car and it's below insurance group three. I got a quote on a 1.3 spitfire for around £1000 fully comp. Unfortunately they aren't practical enough for me else I would of got one!
Good luck and hope you find something you want!

OMNIO

1,256 posts

167 months

cheesyblob

370 posts

176 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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blearyeyedboy said:
OzKo said:
Funny you mentioned that - I have been looking at those too! Especially the RAV4.
It's not so much off-roading ability that matters too much, although I would love to have a go at off-roading.. maybe not until I'm more experienced - although I do sometimes think that a car that can chug through snow would be good. The most part why I would want a jeep-type vehicle would be because, frankly, I'm used to being higher up, (Mum has a Discovery), and it would make me feel safer, especially with how 6th Formers drive at school! At least I'd know that they'd come off worse.
It might make you feel safer (and being higher up *does* help if you crash into something in front of you). But the balance is that you're (a) more likely to turn it over and (b) it'll steer/stop less well than an equivalent "normal" car, so you're more likely to crash in the first place.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but the "jeep-type vehicles are safer" argument isn't as clear cut as you'd think.
yes Completely the opposite to the original Mini. I believe Issigonis once said something along the lines of "Yes it is very dangerous to crash the Mini. But if you drove in such a way so you would crash a Mini, you deserve to lose your legs."

escortcosworth12

1,837 posts

153 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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blearyeyedboy

6,310 posts

180 months

Wednesday 17th August 2011
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cheesyblob said:
yes Completely the opposite to the original Mini. I believe Issigonis once said something along the lines of "Yes it is very dangerous to crash the Mini. But if you drove in such a way so you would crash a Mini, you deserve to lose your legs."
That's true, but also a bit too extreme in the other direction. Not every crash is the driver's fault.

And younger drivers mess up. I'd like to consider myself a reasonably responsible driver these days, but I'm also sure I'd be missing more than legs if I drove a Mini in my early 20's.

(Sadly, that means I've admitted to being a less than perfect driver on PH, and I shall hand back my goatee on my way out.) getmecoat

OzKo

Original Poster:

48 posts

154 months

Thursday 18th August 2011
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TomCooper said:
Great list of cars to possibly be getting! I'm 17 and have had my lisence for over 6 months but I haven't been able to get decent insurance quotes at all! Cheapest I've got so far on a modern car is around £3000 and that on something like a 1.0 corsa! Dread to imagine what sort of quote (if any) I would get on some of the cars you've listed! Aha
You should give Footman James a ring if you are getting a classic car and it's below insurance group three. I got a quote on a 1.3 spitfire for around £1000 fully comp. Unfortunately they aren't practical enough for me else I would of got one!
Good luck and hope you find something you want!
yeah, I've been asking for insurance quotes on gocompare, and the cheapest I've found was around £1000. Dad did then come up with the brainwave that if he was the main driver and owner of the car, it would be cheaper - bingo! Insurance of a MG Midget was then around £600. This was fully comp. Much better!

OMNIO said:
Haha, I'm not sure the school would be very happy with me turning up in that! It would be eye-catching though, lol

escortcosworth12 said:
That is great! Love minis.. I email the link to Dad at work.. see what he thinks..

blearyeyedboy said:
It might make you feel safer (and being higher up *does* help if you crash into something in front of you). But the balance is that you're (a) more likely to turn it over and (b) it'll steer/stop less well than an equivalent "normal" car, so you're more likely to crash in the first place.

Not saying it's a bad idea, but the "jeep-type vehicles are safer" argument isn't as clear cut as you'd think.
Ahh right, ok then. I've just assumed that! If I looked at a series III and a MG Midget, the series III would look safer, but it never occurred to me about the handling etc!


Haha, Dad's just sent me a link to two Austin Champs for sale. Machine guns and all! Imagine that...
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C244193

escortcosworth12

1,837 posts

153 months

Thursday 18th August 2011
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OzKo said:
Haha, Dad's just sent me a link to two Austin Champs for sale. Machine guns and all! Imagine that...
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C244193
haha that would be brilliant!

escortcosworth12

1,837 posts

153 months

Thursday 18th August 2011
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Sorry, just had another idea, what about an Austin Gypsy?

OzKo

Original Poster:

48 posts

154 months

Friday 19th August 2011
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haha, they look fun! Similar to a Land Rover?