Anyone here run a 20+ y/o car as their only car?

tc20

Hi all,

I'm curious to know if anyone amongst us is running a 20+ y/o car, not only as their daily but as their only car?
If so, what have you got, and have you experienced any issues with your ins co at your most recent renewal?

cheers

tuxy

Yes 1997 Toyota Starlet. Insurance is about €150 a year more expensive than a more modern car but it's so cheap to run and maintain that I'm happy for now.

pablo128

The auld lad has been driving his 99 Toyota Picnic the last 16 years. 300k miles and still going strong. Their mortgage is just up actually, and he was talking about getting a newer yoke, but the auld wan has someone coming out to quote for new windows in the house. Lol. He'll have the Picnic another while yet!:pac:

clement

94 nissan sunny. Can't get a quote anywhere only the crowd I'm with and it's gone up 100% in two years. First ireland won't insure it as a classic. Pain in the ass but cheap and ultra reliable.

tc20

clement wrote: »

94 nissan sunny. Can't get a quote anywhere only the crowd I'm with and it's gone up 100% in two years. First ireland won't insure it as a classic. Pain in the ass but cheap and ultra reliable.

do you mind me asking what ins co & how much your premium is?
I know most ins co's treat Japanese cars (and not just the high-end stuff with a sh1tty stick)

tuxy

tc20 wrote: »

do you mind me asking what ins co & how much your premium is?
I know most ins co's treat Japanese cars (and not just the high-end stuff with a sh1tty stick)

Isn't that Jap imports you're thinking of?

tc20

tuxy wrote: »

Isn't that Jap imports you're thinking of?

not necessarily, no.
I'm with AIG (through First Ireland) and asked them about the '91 Accord in the link below, which is an Irish car from new, and it was no dice.
It may not be the case with all ins co's though.

https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/honda-accord/14347233

duskyjoe

G wagen

gitzy16v

96 Honda Civic(Rover shape)2 owner since new,Im 3rd,1.5 econo-v-tec :pac:....less than 100k miles..there is absolutley NOTHING wrong with it.
Flies the test every time,only costs me general maintenance and fuel,ins,tax.

Muckie

Had a 95 Subaru Impreza for 11 years.

Station wagon version, once it was serviced regularly, it ran like clockwork.

Tzar Chasm

Had a similar problem, 98 E36, couldnt get a reasonable quote for it

tc20

Thanks for the replies folks.
I have had classic ins before, and am looking at getting back into the fray again, but encountered an issue with my ins co regarding new criteria (I've another thread on this) so am looking at a few different options.
Of course, i'll be looking at other ins co's too when I have a chance to site down with the phone for a couple of hours!!

@Tzar Chasm - what would you call 'reasonable' ?

cheers

Silvera

tc20 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies folks.
I have had classic ins before, and am looking at getting back into the fray again, but encountered an issue with my ins co regarding new criteria (I've another thread on this) so am looking at a few different options.
Of course, i'll be looking at other ins co's too when I have a chance to site down with the phone for a couple of hours!!

@Tzar Chasm - what would you call 'reasonable' ?

cheers

You mention 'new criteria'...this being the requirement to have an NCT or engineers report on your chosen classic? Is this such a bad thing?
It's a legal requirement to have an NCT on a post-1979 car anyway!

tc20

Silvera wrote: »

You mention 'new criteria'...this being the requirement to have an NCT or engineers report on your chosen classic? Is this such a bad thing?
It's a legal requirement to have an NCT on a post-1979 car anyway!

@ Silvera - sorry, I think that's the other thread that's generating a lot of traffic in the Classics forum - my other thread is regarding the issue I encountered trying to have my wife insured on a classic as a named driver -
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057692792

On the subject of youngtimers or classics having an NCT or engineers report as the case may be, no issues here with that.

InTheTrees

1988 Porsche 944. Only car used most days for 10+ years.

I'm in Washington though. where vehicles over 20 years old (oddly) get an exemption from any testing.

SmileyPaul

91 Golf MkII as my only car and used daily

was kept in incredible shape by the original and very low miles.


Are you able to getting classic car insurance if it's you're only car? I'm afraid the price of mine is gonna go up extortionately this year

tc20

SmileyPaul wrote: »

91 Golf MkII as my only car and used daily

was kept in incredible shape by the original and very low miles.


Are you able to getting classic car insurance if it's you're only car? I'm afraid the price of mine is gonna go up extortionately this year

nice car, had a couple back in the day :cool:

I last had a classic (MB190) about 15 months ago. We had a 'normal' daily driver, and the 190 was insured as a classic. I was principal driver, with my wife as named driver on both. I'm on the look for another youngtimer, and again want my wife to be a named driver. AIG's new stance is that for her to be insured, she will have to have her own private/normal car ie the household will have to have 2no 'normal' cars in order for both of us to be insured on a classic.
Another avenue I'm thinking of is ditching the normal car, and just having the youngtimer in the household, hence the thread.

Skatedude

Yep, i was driving my 93 bmw 740 for years as my daily and only car, changed to a 97 bmw 840 and still covered under same policy .
Only condition is that i'm limited to 6k millage a year

Agricola

Had a 1994 E36 on the road up to 2015. Was just told by every company it's only insurable as a limited mile classic now, so was forced to declare it off the road.

w124man

I have an E200 W124 as a daily driver with her indoors on it as a named driver with AXA. I have a classic policy for 4 cars with them as well as the house etc. Her indoors is a named driver on the classic policy too

tuxy

Skatedude wrote: »

Yep, i was driving my 93 bmw 740 for years as my daily and only car, changed to a 97 bmw 840 and still covered under same policy .
Only condition is that i'm limited to 6k millage a year

How do they check how far you drive? Do they take a odometer reading? Or is it just based on good faith?

tc20

w124man wrote: »

I have an E200 W124 as a daily driver with her indoors on it as a named driver with AXA. I have a classic policy for 4 cars with them as well as the house etc. Her indoors is a named driver on the classic policy too

Just to confirm, is the W124 the main car on the policy? (ie its at least 21 y/o)

Wibbs

Not quite 20 years, but a 98 Honda Integra since 05. Had one before that too, a 94 and ran it from 98. So driving pretty much the same model(both 1.8 Vtecs) for nearly twenty years and over 300,000 kms. :eek::D It's near instinctive driving at this stage.

The only problems I had were a radiator leak, a dicky relay, a replacement catalytic convertor(secondhand), a rebuilt alternator(which turned out wasn't required) a new dizzy cap and coil and a couple of bushings. Oh that's across both cars BTW. Very much daily driving too, I've used the current one as a "van" more than once. Driven easy I get good petrol consumption which is a bonus. Insurance has been the biggest sting TBH.

Agricola wrote:

Had a 1994 E36 on the road up to 2015. Was just told by every company it's only insurable as a limited mile classic now, so was forced to declare it off the road.

This BS really grinds my gears. :mad: For all the guff about the environment keeping that E36 going would have been far better for same compared to a new car. And how pray tell can they justify any extra risk when a car survives that long, especially with the same owner? Surely the risk is lesser with such a well looked after and clearly cherished car? Daft.

Skatedude

tuxy wrote: »

How do they check how far you drive? Do they take a odometer reading? Or is it just based on good faith?

You sign a declaration with your current millage on renewal but if you were in an accident then they could check millage based on previous nct certs to ensure you weren't exceeding the limit.

Not an issue as I don't get close to 6k a year.

Tzar Chasm

Unreasonable in my book is when the insurance quote jumps from around 500 to 1800 euros, most other companies wouldn't even quote me because the car was 'too old' and was 'likely' to be used in insurance fraud

tc20

@ Wibbs - I read your posts in the Insurance forum (tbh I didn't know it was there until the other day!) re your woes with the Integra.
It is shocking the way 15+ y/o cars are viewed by the ins co's, but I won't derail this thread here.
I'm wondering if going with an older only car is the way to go with a new insurance co - it sounds like its nigh impossible if I were to approach AXA or Aviva (for example) as a new client, rather than trying to stick with my current insurer (AIG through First Ireland)
I'll be making contact with a few co's as soon as I have the time to see what they propose and will keep ye posted on my findings.

BTW my annual mileage would be 10000km at most so a limited mileage policy would suit in my case.

Agricola

Wibbs wrote: »

This BS really grinds my gears. :mad: For all the guff about the environment keeping that E36 going would have been far better for same compared to a new car. And how pray tell can they justify any extra risk when a car survives that long, especially with the same owner? Surely the risk is lesser with such a well looked after and clearly cherished car? Daft.

Had that very conversation with a couple of their agents on the phone and the company line that they're all towing seems to be that underwriters are just opting out of having 15 year old + cars on their books. No exceptions.
NCT is required by law, yet said NCT is meaningless to insurance companies on an old car when it comes to getting a quote! It's just ridiculous.

w124man

tc20 wrote: »

Just to confirm, is the W124 the main car on the policy? (ie its at least 21 y/o)

Yes the E200 is a 1995 car and is the main car and the classics are 2 x 1992, 1 x 1991 and 1 x 1990

MrRolex

Not quite 20, but getting closer.
My daily is a 17 year old Polo 1.0 litre.
Slow but ecconomical. I bought it for the cheaper insurance and tax really.
My plan is to keep running it past 20 if it keeps passing the NCT's without any major work needed.
Its a one previous owner car, and still going strong with 130,000 miles on the clock.
I had trouble getting insurance on it as its over 10 years old though.
I am with AXA and it didn't seem to be a problem.
I think if I just keep renewing with them they will keep insuring it when its older.

FiftyNine

I drive a 97 Merc C180, my recent renewal with Axa saw an increase of about 35%, given the cars age and the fact that all insurance seemed to be rising by about that amount and more in some cases I did not do a lot of searching around. I will wait for next renewal before doing that. I do not want to buy an inferior policy with an insurance company who are difficult when you make a claim.

MrRolex

Well my 17 year old Polo just passed its NCT.
Shame it was backdated to September last though.
The only thing I changed on it since its last service was as set of HT leads to cure a misfire.
My sister is sickened as her BMW 520d just failed its first NCT on drop links!
Should have bought a proper 400 Euro car like mine I told her.