What to do with my Car?

Beta Ray Bill

Hi Guys

I have a bit of a dilemma.
I own a Lancer Evolution V. Its a great car and I love it. never had a bit of trouble with it. Its mostly a weekend car and I put VERY few miles on it when I got it almost 2 year ago its had 63,000kms on the clock (It's in great condition, have had the rocker cover off and engine is is in excellent condition) it now has 76,000Kms (and I good bit of that was driving to Scotland and back!)

I have had some work done to it ViPec ECU, Cams, Fuel Pump etc. basically I spent a bit of money on it. (ECU alone stands me over €2000)

Anyway.
My insurance last year was €1560.00, Now I know I'm gonna get hammered in the New Year with all the premium increases I've read about. I'm expecting a quote of approx €2200.00 next year. And in my opinion, at that kind of money, it is just not worth it.

I have had the car up on carzone looking for a little over what the going rate was considering the work I put into it etc. was still making a huge loss, but I was unable to sell it. (most guys wanted to P/X, and I wasn't interested in that)

I know some of your guys will say shop around for insurance but the fact of the matter is 90% of insurance companies in Ireland will not insure High Performance Vehicles/Jap Imports

So as far as I can see I have 3 options
1: Take an even greater hit on the car and sell it for like €7,500 - €8000
2: Store the Car for maybe a year until the price of insurance comes back down again to somewhere close to €1200.00
3: Turn the Car into a track day car. for €2200 I could buy tax and insure a commercial 00/01 Izuzu Trooper and Trailer to tow the Evo to the track and back

What would you do?
I'm 26 Years Old. I have owned 3 cars Clio, Mondeo, Evo and 6 years driving experience and 5 years NCB and I have never in my 5 years of being on my own policy have had a premium under €860. and I'm fed up paying these greedy insurance companies.

I've only had my own policy for 5 years and they have gotten an approximate total of €7200 out of me!

Cheers
G

Vic_Mackey

Have you considered somewhere like xsdirect? The insurance will only be about a grand but the excess is 4000.

Henry Ford III

You've got to pay for your fun dude, and if €600 is the difference between affordability and otherwise, I'd say it's way too marginal.

techdiver

I'm kinda in the same boat. Looking at getting a TT or similar but most companies won't touch them and the ones that do are looking for ridiculous rates.

I've tried pretty much every site etc, and it seems 123.ie is the best of a bad lot as well as XSdirect, but as was mentioned previously the excess is a bit risky.

Are there any other sources of insurance for performance cars? OP who are you with currently?

Beta Ray Bill

Vic_Mackey wrote:

Have you considered somewhere like xsdirect? The insurance will only be about a grand but the excess is 4000.

XS Direct are a rip off! they are even worse than Quinn! And even if they were cheaper, I don't want a 4K XS on a car that is worth 9k

Henry Ford III wrote: »

You've got to pay for your fun dude, and if €600 is the difference between affordability and otherwise, I'd say it's way too marginal.

And yes, you are correct HF, you do have to pay for your fun. However €600 is not marginal for me mate, its quite a lot, hence the reason I'm driving an 11 year old Evo as opposed to a new one. and even at that there is car tax on top of that another €680 (If I pay upfront, I think. And I accept that we all have to pay that anyway).

I even think €1580 is to much. I don't even drive the car that much, but unfortunately for me that's just the way things are in this country. (and they ain't gonna change anytime soon! ) Therefore I need to make a decision on what to do.

and 1 last little thing about "fun". I cant have "Fun" in my car. The Roads around where I live are like Lego on Christmas morning (In Bits!) most of the time I'm dodging potholes or tar bumps from where the ESB decided to dig a trench and then fill it in poorly etc.

What would you do?
I'm SERIOUSLY thinking track car...

Henry Ford III

grahambo wrote: »

...And yes, you are correct HF, you do have to pay for your fun. However €600 is not marginal for me mate, its quite a lot, hence the reason I'm driving an 11 year old Evo as opposed to a new one. and even at that there is car tax on top of that another €680 (If I pay upfront, I think).

I even think €1580 is to much. I don't even drive the car that much, but unfortunately for me that's just the way things are in this country. (and they ain't gonna change anytime soon! ) Therefore I need to make a decision on what to do.

What would you do?

Money worries in this economic climate are a pain in the rear.

The thing is though if your car needed new brakes, or an engine or transmission or suspension overhaul €600 would be small change unfortunately. Even a new set of tyres for one of those cars is pricey.

Is it a 2nd car? If so maybe garage and mothball it?

techdiver

grahambo wrote: »

XS Direct are a rip off! they are even worse than Quinn! And even if they were cheaper, I don't want a 4K XS on a car that is worth 9k

I've looked at XS Direct a bit closer and you can configure different excess levels. I got a half decent quote with a €1000 excess.

Beta Ray Bill

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Money worries in this economic climate are a pain in the rear.

The thing is though if your car needed new brakes, or an engine or transmission or suspension overhaul €600 would be small change unfortunately. Even a new set of tyres for one of those cars is pricey.

Is it a 2nd car? If so maybe garage and mothball it?

Its not a second car. I get public transport everywhere ya see! (which I pay another €1000 a year for DOH!)

But ya see If I had a track car I can just use baldy Tyres which I have confirm my local Tyre shop will sell to me for €20. I can service a the car myself.

There is not way I could mothball it. My mother would in no way allow a car to be dismantled in her garage and it would break my little heart to dismantle a car that I love! (i know that sounds pathetic but that's the way god made me)

ikillcopiers

grahambo wrote: »

XS Direct are a rip off!

I have XS Direct on my main car, 1999 Audi S8 4.2 Quattro,
with fully comp, glass and business use, open driving,
excess of €1000, and I paid €1100 for that last year.

Most crowds won't even quote me on that car.

If anything, that's a f*cking bargin.

Maybe you should pick up the phone and get a quote off them,
unlike most on here who just moan about their "4000" excess,
completely unaware it can be reduced to 1000.

Beta Ray Bill

ikillcopiers wrote: »

I have XS Direct on my main car, 1999 Audi S8 4.2 Quattro,
with fully comp, glass and business use, open driving,
excess of €1000, and I paid €1100 for that last year.

Most crowds won't even quote me on that car.

If anything, that's a f*cking bargin.

Maybe you should pick up the phone and get a quote off them,
unlike most on here who just moan about their "4000" excess,
completely unaware it can be reduced to 1000.

Hmm

Maybe

I'll give em a call. come renewal time
(which is approaching at rapid pace)

Trooper and trailer for €2200 you say ?
Regarding the car, €7200 over 5 years isn't bad, I paid Ir£2200 for a 1.4 with full license and 2 years ncb when I was 20 (9 years ago). I wouldn't go the track car route to be honest, that's not any saving really. And maintaining a track car is potentially expensive. Keep it and insure it or sell it and take the hit.

Beta Ray Bill

RoverJames wrote: »

Trooper and trailer for €2200 you say ?

Aye
A Friend of mine got a commercial 99 SWB for €1400 about 4 months back. you would pickup a 2nd hand trailer for €500

RoverJames wrote: »

maintaining a track car is potentially expensive.

True.
Brakes, Tyres, Oils

Brakes is gonna be the expensive one!

A car trailor for €500 is good value. I wouldn't touch a 3.0 Trooper though, if you do go the Trooper route try and get an old 3.1.

darragh o meara

You.ll need all the insurance you can get if your goin putting baldy tyres on an evo for track use! The bald looking tyres you see some of the track lads using are slick racing tyres and not tyres they got from a tyre depot for 20 quid! Theyre a specially designed tyre for racingm which when they heat u grip the track very well. Your evo would end up in a wall somewhere if you try using bald tyres....

As for the inssurance everyone is in the same boat me included! My insurance for me legacy has gone uo a lot this year too and no accidents or claims ever! Another ass raping in my eyes.

RichyX

Why not sell it and get a performance car that has lower insurance premiums?

A 1.8 Integra would cost you 6-700€ a year to insure and probably offers similar driving fun.