Car Insurance Tip for Youngsters

pinkteapot

Read this with interest:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/9223942/Austin-Metro-a-love-story.html

You can see why his parents love him driving it – there's precious little chance of him getting into any races on the road, and the insurance premium, normally more than £2,000 for men aged 17-24, is just £900.

My first car was an Austin Metro in 1998.

I guess finding a 1980s Metro in decent condition would be the hardest part for other people!

mikey72

My kid's got an 80's mini. Good insurance on that as well.

Lum

Classic cars have been suggested a few times on this forum as a cheap insurance option for youngsters.

Only problem is, if everyone starts doing it, then accidents and premiums will rise and we'll have the exact same situation you get currently with the supposedly cheap small engined Corsas etc. being hideously expensive to insure.

I'm amused about the number of people in that article who refuse to drive it due to no power steering. How on earth did people used to manage?
Reminded me of my mother borrowing my old 1987 Escort during the fuel protests, because I'd filled it full of 4-star, and then abandoning it half way around the first corner, blocking the road, because she couldn't steer it.

pinkteapot

My Metro had choke. I'd like to see a 17 year old get in and try to start it.

Lum

My old Escort had one, or as I used to call it: The don't stall at the lights lever.

motorguy

mikey72 wrote: »

My kid's got an 80's mini. Good insurance on that as well.

Not so good in an accident. :eek:

devizes18193

How do you find a classic car and how old would it have to be .

TrickyWicky

pgilc1 wrote: »

Not so good in an accident. :eek:

Not good on main roads either so ideal for youing folks who only drive around town.

iolanthe07

I had a metro in the 80's. Every time it rained the engine was liable to pack up - IIRC it was still basically the old long stroke BMC 'A' engine, which was OK in 1946.... Power steering was only for luxury cars. What a lot of wimps we are these days.

Lum

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Not good on main roads either so ideal for youing folks who only drive around town.

Assuming they do only drive around town. I know I got my first car to replace the bus/train/bus commute of my first job, so instead it was a motorway blat along the Mersey estuary with a huge sidewind, then the Wallasey tunnel, then an urban dual carriageway.

Wasn't long before I was doing long trips to go to internet forum meetups and suchlike. I'm sure these things are increasingly common now that everybody and their dog are on the internet.

Maybe go for the compromise option, get them an 80s rear wheel drive Volvo. Safe enough in a crash, still quite reliable, simple enough to learn how to work on it yourself and RWD means they'll actually learn about car control, and even if they do end up in a ditch those old Volvos are solid enough that you could just drag it out and carry on driving!

mikey72

pinkteapot wrote: »

My Metro had choke. I'd like to see a 17 year old get in and try to start it.

How old were you when you had it? They're not difficult, (although I do remember the joke about women using it to keep their handbags on)