Only 2 months to go
Discussion
Then finally I will be able to drive 
Booked an intensive driving course so hopefully I will have passed not long after my birthday. The ride? Hopefully a Saxo VTR (chavvy I know but fast(ish) and low insurance 
). I don't think it will be very long before the mod bug bites though, already done some research on turbo kits and cams (although it may have to wait for the insurance to drop a little first 
Dan
Booked an intensive driving course so hopefully I will have passed not long after my birthday. The ride? Hopefully a Saxo VTR (chavvy I know but fast(ish) and low insurance ). I don't think it will be very long before the mod bug bites though, already done some research on turbo kits and cams (although it may have to wait for the insurance to drop a little first Dan
Good luck Dan. I too did an intensive course but at 16 (Harrow Driving School had private roads) and then thanks to a cancellation I passed my test on my 17th birthday 
I then proceded to stuff my fathers Audi 80 into a lampost in the snow cos I thought I was Nigel Mansell.
Some honest advice from a grumpy old man - any fool can drive fast: drive slower safely now and be the king of the road with a few years of accident free motoring behind you.
I then proceded to stuff my fathers Audi 80 into a lampost in the snow cos I thought I was Nigel Mansell.
Some honest advice from a grumpy old man - any fool can drive fast: drive slower safely now and be the king of the road with a few years of accident free motoring behind you.
Dan_S V8 said:
Then finally I will be able to drive Booked an intensive driving course so hopefully I will have passed not long after my birthday. The ride? Hopefully a Saxo VTR (chavvy I know but fast(ish) and low insurance ). I don't think it will be very long before the mod bug bites though, already done some research on turbo kits and cams (although it may have to wait for the insurance to drop a little first
Dan
Booked an intensive driving course so hopefully I will have passed not long after my birthday. The ride? Hopefully a Saxo VTR (chavvy I know but fast(ish) and low insurance ). I don't think it will be very long before the mod bug bites though, already done some research on turbo kits and cams (although it may have to wait for the insurance to drop a little first Dan
Dare you to take your test in the Monaro! (Well after all, allegedly Tom Hartley junior took it in his dads Ferrari) Dude you'll have to wait a while for insurance to drop!!
it started at 17 in a crappy 1.3 golf with the dreams of a MK1 GTi,
" just wait son soon you'll be 21 and the insurance will be fairer" dad said. Then you gotta get to 25 till the quotes come anywhere near sensible.
unless of course you fancy paying the price of the car valve every year just to cover the insurance. I know loads of kids are paying well over a grand to insure old 205 GTi's that are bearly worth over £500 nuts I know. But dude work hard and chase the dream 
it started at 17 in a crappy 1.3 golf with the dreams of a MK1 GTi, " just wait son soon you'll be 21 and the insurance will be fairer" dad said. Then you gotta get to 25 till the quotes come anywhere near sensible. unless of course you fancy paying the price of the car valve every year just to cover the insurance. I know loads of kids are paying well over a grand to insure old 205 GTi's that are bearly worth over £500 nuts I know. But dude work hard and chase the dream If you want a quick car with cheap insurance get a Volvo T5, may sound old man ish but they are quick, safe, highly moddable and the most important thing peanuts to insure.
Went from an Astra 1.8 sport paying £1800 insurance when was 18 to a Volvo C70 T5 at the same age and insurance dropped to £1100, very cheap for the power it had and all fully comp.
Went from an Astra 1.8 sport paying £1800 insurance when was 18 to a Volvo C70 T5 at the same age and insurance dropped to £1100, very cheap for the power it had and all fully comp.
too true,
I've just collected my new car at the age of 22, was really hoping for something special, oldschool tivver or even a GTS, i've ended up getting a 1.8 astra coupe. Why? because it was 5 times cheaper for me to insure than a 2 litre turbo equivilent and 7 times cheaper than a GTS(on a very limited policy). That is with 4 years no claims and a SP50 recieved this year.
Coming from a cosmetically modified corsa insurance companies hate you even more, expect 10% premiums on things such as after market alloys and exhaust kits. Anything more substantial and you will find non specialist places won't touch you with a barge pole, while the specialist places will want some limbs as well as your money.
Good luck with the test. I'd advise you to look for something very french for your first car though, I remember looking for my first car and found that even the 1.6 306/307s were cheaper to insure than some of the small engined other make cars. Things may have changed since then though, as with insurance they seem to keep moving the goalposts.
I've just collected my new car at the age of 22, was really hoping for something special, oldschool tivver or even a GTS, i've ended up getting a 1.8 astra coupe. Why? because it was 5 times cheaper for me to insure than a 2 litre turbo equivilent and 7 times cheaper than a GTS(on a very limited policy). That is with 4 years no claims and a SP50 recieved this year.
Coming from a cosmetically modified corsa insurance companies hate you even more, expect 10% premiums on things such as after market alloys and exhaust kits. Anything more substantial and you will find non specialist places won't touch you with a barge pole, while the specialist places will want some limbs as well as your money.
Good luck with the test. I'd advise you to look for something very french for your first car though, I remember looking for my first car and found that even the 1.6 306/307s were cheaper to insure than some of the small engined other make cars. Things may have changed since then though, as with insurance they seem to keep moving the goalposts.
VXR_Daz said:
I remember (many) years ago when I was 18 wanting to get an Astra GTE for £3,000. I had my heart set on it but unfortunately the cheapest quote I could get was £4,500. I was gutted 
From what I hear insurance is even worse now for youngsters
From what I hear insurance is even worse now for youngsters
That's exactly what I wanted Daz, I think the GTE's are cracking looking cars but as you say, Group 14 insurance soon put paid to any hopes I had of getting one!
The cheapest quote I've got so far on a VTR has been £1200 fully comp. if I go on my mums insurance or £800 TPFT. That was from Quinn-Direct who are good for young drivers but you are not allowed to do any performance enhancing mods, however you are allowed to make cosmetic changes (alloys etc.) at no cost which is rather good I think for my first year anyway.
Dan_S V8 . said:
That's exactly what I wanted Daz, I think the GTE's are cracking looking cars but as you say, Group 14 insurance soon put paid to any hopes I had of getting one!
The cheapest quote I've got so far on a VTR has been £1200 fully comp. if I go on my mums insurance or £800 TPFT. That was from Quinn-Direct who are good for young drivers but you are not allowed to do any performance enhancing mods, however you are allowed to make cosmetic changes (alloys etc.) at no cost which is rather good I think for my first year anyway.
The cheapest quote I've got so far on a VTR has been £1200 fully comp. if I go on my mums insurance or £800 TPFT. That was from Quinn-Direct who are good for young drivers but you are not allowed to do any performance enhancing mods, however you are allowed to make cosmetic changes (alloys etc.) at no cost which is rather good I think for my first year anyway.
If you want my advice (being only 22 myself) is start on your own insurance. That way when you decide you want (and can afford) a beast of a car, you will have hopefully racked up your own NCB thus reducing the price of insurance for the big one! (I should know because thats exactly what I've done, although it hurt my pocket initally, I am now driving my dream car with the insurance only 200 quid more than my old car!)
Dan, you're a V8 fan aren't ya?
Instead of a chavvy old Saxo, how about something like this
That's my old TransAM GTA 5.7 LT1 engined lump.
Classic American insurance (cost me about £150 a year so, since I am as old as methusala, it'd be bit more for you but not much) and these cars can be had for £3500 easy and in nice nick for that cash too.
Instead of a chavvy old Saxo, how about something like this
That's my old TransAM GTA 5.7 LT1 engined lump.
Classic American insurance (cost me about £150 a year so, since I am as old as methusala, it'd be bit more for you but not much) and these cars can be had for £3500 easy and in nice nick for that cash too.
redbarron84 said:
Dan_S V8 . said:
That's exactly what I wanted Daz, I think the GTE's are cracking looking cars but as you say, Group 14 insurance soon put paid to any hopes I had of getting one!
The cheapest quote I've got so far on a VTR has been £1200 fully comp. if I go on my mums insurance or £800 TPFT. That was from Quinn-Direct who are good for young drivers but you are not allowed to do any performance enhancing mods, however you are allowed to make cosmetic changes (alloys etc.) at no cost which is rather good I think for my first year anyway.
The cheapest quote I've got so far on a VTR has been £1200 fully comp. if I go on my mums insurance or £800 TPFT. That was from Quinn-Direct who are good for young drivers but you are not allowed to do any performance enhancing mods, however you are allowed to make cosmetic changes (alloys etc.) at no cost which is rather good I think for my first year anyway.
If you want my advice (being only 22 myself) is start on your own insurance. That way when you decide you want (and can afford) a beast of a car, you will have hopefully racked up your own NCB thus reducing the price of insurance for the big one! (I should know because thats exactly what I've done, although it hurt my pocket initally, I am now driving my dream car with the insurance only 200 quid more than my old car!)
Holy Jesus you are driving a VXR 'Ro at 22!
Awesome! Yeah I've been looking at doing that, if I did that I would definitely go TPFT as the cost of going fully comp. is way higher than the value of the car!BigNige said:
Dan, you're a V8 fan aren't ya?
Instead of a chavvy old Saxo, how about something like this
That's my old TransAM GTA 5.7 LT1 engined lump.
Classic American insurance (cost me about £150 a year so, since I am as old as methusala, it'd be bit more for you but not much) and these cars can be had for £3500 easy and in nice nick for that cash too.
Instead of a chavvy old Saxo, how about something like this
That's my old TransAM GTA 5.7 LT1 engined lump.
Classic American insurance (cost me about £150 a year so, since I am as old as methusala, it'd be bit more for you but not much) and these cars can be had for £3500 easy and in nice nick for that cash too.
WOW
How much do you think the insurance would be (ish) Nige? And yes I love V8's If I can afford the insurance then a V8 for my first car would be insane! I would guess at less than £1000, somewhere around £600 or so I reckon.
Join this mob and then get your ins through Adrian Flux
www.american-auto-club.co.uk/
Mine was an 89 GTA and they put out about 280ish bhp as stock through a 4 speed auto box which has a lovely lovely low 1st ratio...if you get my...drift
Join this mob and then get your ins through Adrian Flux
www.american-auto-club.co.uk/
Mine was an 89 GTA and they put out about 280ish bhp as stock through a 4 speed auto box which has a lovely lovely low 1st ratio...if you get my...drift
Edited by BigNige on Saturday 6th January 21:36
redbarron84 said:
If you want my advice (being only 22 myself) is start on your own insurance. That way when you decide you want (and can afford) a beast of a car, you will have hopefully racked up your own NCB thus reducing the price of insurance for the big one! (I should know because thats exactly what I've done, although it hurt my pocket initally, I am now driving my dream car with the insurance only 200 quid more than my old car!)
This is excellent advice.
I did a similar little 'trick' when looking at insurance as it was ridiculous at 17. Knowing that I would not be able to insure anything decent I did the following plan for insuring something with credability two years down the line:
I visited a local scrap yeard, found an old Honda moped which was more or less stripped bare. I bought the bike for £10 and took the number plate then I insured both vehicles (my first car which was an Austin 1300 Countryman
) and the ped on the least cover I could find - which was 'act only' (not to sure if they do this still, but it was less than fire and theft). This cost me then, less than £200, with the ped costing £46 of that. My father questioned the reasons why and I told him I was going to rebuild the ped as a project to learn about engineering and then ride it. After the first year I had a years no-claims bonus on both the car and the bike which was now built but had never seen the road. I changed the car for a slightly sportier Opel Manta and had to pay £10 extra because the no-claims bonus had ballanced it out, and the Manta was a much higher group. At the end of the next year I had two years ncb on both and I bought a brand new sports bike - a Honda NS125. The insurance for me was £128 fully comp and my mate who also bought the same one was from the same shop at the same time paid £300! I ran the Manta for another year then sold it and bought my first 'mans' car - a mint Daimler Double Six (V12 5.2 litre!!) and It was my twentieth birthday when I insured it. The cost for the Daimler? £385. One year later I sold it to my mate who's insurance was over £800 In conclusion; I bought my no claims bonus for far cheaper than I could have done if I had insured a decent vehicle at the time. It was like 'banking' your ncb. I understand the desire to buy a Saxo VTR because they are cool and sporty, but given what I know now, I would actually buy a boring base model even a deisel, and run that for a year. The chances are with a sporty car it will encourage you to drive faster and you really will increase the risk of stuffing your first car - I stuffed my father car but was lucky as it didn't result in a claim from the insurance.
Going on your parents insurance may save you a few pound now, but will cost you dearly when your mates all have sportier cars
Another case of slow in - fast out SS HSV, that is what I had fully intended to do and quite sensible it is too, however the price difference between a 1997, group 2 Ford Ka and a group 7 VTR was only £250! Basically if you are a new driver nowadays you are going to be fleeced and if I am going to be fleeced I would rather be driving something I want to drive and will enjoy driving. In all honesty the VTR isn't really that quick at all, only 90bhp lol (the VTS was the hot one) but for my first car that is perfect I think as I already have some experience of fast cars, and slow ones too that I have driven as well, as well as the fact that having listened so much to my dad who is an *ahem* expereienced driver lol, I recognise the very real dangers of driving on the road.
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