Cheap Old Cars Blog

With gas prices being the way they have people all over the country have started to get creative with their finances and the costs associated with auto travel.

Prices vary from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Get at least four to five price quotes. You will find that there are several websites out there that can save you the time from doing this the slow and hard way as they will often get you quotes from up to a dozen companies all at once. You can call companies directly or access information on the Internet. Your state insurance department may also provide comparisons of prices charged by major insurers. And no, companies like Progressive that claim they will compare other companies, but they are an insurance company, so they are not to be trusted. They only have one interest, and that is to promote their own business.

Bigger is not always better. There are several low cost automobile insurance companies offering competitive rates in relation to the big names out there. This makes it possible to save a bundle on this expense. Many people seem to ignore this cost and tend to accept the burden of expensive insurance even when monthly payments almost match a car payment.

One of the best ways to get cheap car insurance is simply to use a service that forces insurance agents and brokers to compete against one another. As soon as you finish your online quote request, multiple agents will contact you. But it is important to NOT sign up with any one of them immediately-Instead, let them know that you are awaiting calls from other local insurance providers. After 5 or so of these people have contacted you, you should have a good idea of what sort of range you might expect to pay.

Then, if you really want to get the cheapest car insurance possible, simply tell the agents that you are ready to buy within the next 24 hours with whichever company offers you the lowest insurance rates. This really puts the fire under them, and is sure to create the most optimal pricing for you. Of course, be sure to carry through on your promise.

If it makes sense, you may want to consider getting a bundle package. Basically, see what it might cost to insure not only your car for sale, but also your home, property, health and life insurance. This can save a person around 10% - 30% depending on the company you go with; and it does make paying your bills easier as well.

One more tip, remember that the more info you provide upfront, the more accurate your quotes will be, and the more likely the insurance companies will be responsive to your inquiry. This is especially true when filling out a quote from multiple companies.

Often the cost of replacing an antique car is difficult to put into figures but nevertheless, it will still need to be insured. Although you might think it hard to obtain, it is surprising how many companies can actually supply classic car insurance. Of course, with so many classic car insurers available, an owner should not have a problem insuring their prized possession and probably won’t have to pay over the odds for the service.

Not to be outdone, your everyday commercial auto insurers have designed policies to meet the needs of antique car owners. Although the policies may seem the same as regular auto cover provides, they are not and the agent will require exact details of the car to be insured before a full quotation can be supplied. Of course just what level of protection you will decide upon will be down to your budget and how much they set the deductible at.

Large insurers may not specialize in antique car cover but they are usually old and trusted with a large customer base which is important when you are insuring your precious possession. If you purchase a car policy through one of these large commercial insurers then the chances are you will also be able to insure your regular car with them, sometimes on the same policy. Antique car insurance with larger companies that do not specialize in this type of policy may be more expensive but this is often worth the extra as they are well established.

While cost is an issue you may find the specialist auto insurers that exist may be less expensive and be able to provide a superior service as they know more about these types of car, but they are not likely to insure any other car you own. There are even companies that will only insure a particular type of classic car which might make it difficult finding an insurer for your own vehicle.

When choosing an independent insurance company to provide car insurance for an antique car, be sure that the company is a reputable one. The fear for people using a small independent car insurer is when they may need them to pay out for a claim and get a rejection or find they are filing for bankruptcy.

Locating an antique car insurance company is not as straightforward as finding a regular auto insurance provider but if you want to know your precious car is protected, it must be done. Even lowly classic cars from times gone by are worth many thousands of dollars which means that protecting them is not an option.

Myth 1: Classic cars are expensive.
The honest response here is that they do not need to be expensive - and classic car ownership is all about how much you can afford to spend.

No-one can expect to pick up a classic Aston Martin for small change, but at the same time some great examples of much less rare cars can be picked up, literally, for just hundreds of pounds. In the same vein, a decrepit old wreck of a Ford Anglia will be much cheaper than a fully-restored, roadworthy version.

As a general rule of thumb though, classic saloon cars (ie family motors) are priced much more competitively than sports versions. Classic Triumph ownership is a great example - a neat and tidy Herald saloon could be bought for well under £1,000 but its sports equivalent, the Spitfire, could easily be double the price.

To be honest, it’s much like buying a new modern car - where top quality sports models cost much less than affordable family cars. But with classic cars you get much more fun and definitely more admiring glances. New Daewoo car or old MGB? Hmmm, let me see now…

Myth 3: The insurance premiums are high.
There is no reason to believe that classic car insurance is any more expensive than normal car insurance, although you do have a better chance of getting competitive quotes if you use a specialist classic car insurer like Sureterm Direct.

Rather than add your classic to existing insurance policies, or sell something that doesn’t quite suit your vehicle, specialists understand all about classic car ownership and are able to tailor unique insurance packages to match your vehicle and needs exactly.

The very best thing to do is make sure you speak to a classic car insurance specialist operator, rather than relying purely on online application forms. This way, you can cover every single aspect of what you need your policy to cover.

And if you are a member of a classic car club, companies like Sureterm Direct offer you extra discount in your classic car insurance premium.

Volvo’s ‘king of safety’ reputation started in the 1950’s and it took a while for other manufacturers to catch up, but a good quality classic is still a safe motor so long as it’s in good condition. Generally speaking, older cars are made more substantially (ie heavier and stronger) than more modern vehicles. And while they don’t fold and absorb crash impact energy like modern cars, the bodywork is certainly a lot tougher.

The sensible classic car owner has, in the forefront of their mind, the fact that while the car may be tougher - the stress and strain on the driver/passenger in a heavy shunt is a lot more uncomfortable than with a car of today. So, to compensate, they drive much more safely - leaving appropriate stopping distances, appreciating weather conditions, and respecting speed limits and road signs.

For many people, classic cars top the list of desirable transportation due to the styling and character that you just don’t find in today’s vehicles. Classic cars for sale are often a huge object of pride for the owner, and a huge object of desire for would-be car thieves. Maintaining a classic car is no easy task and with the world turning more unpredictable by the day, it makes good sense indeed to protect your much-loved car with classic car insurance. These insurance plans provide an umbrella of coverage for your classic car and aid you in proper hassle-free running of your much-loved classic car.

Before explore classic car insurance in depth, let us understand what exactly constitutes a classic car and how it is different from a vintage car. A classic automobile is usually defined by its age with the minimum cap of 15 years. However, the accepted age for a classic car varies from twenty to forty years while vintage cars are those cars which are at least 60 years old at the time of insurance.

Maintaining a classic car is no piece of cake and often requires a lot of repairs and money before it can strut its stuff out on the roads. With so much put on the line, investing in a classic car insurance policy is a must. Regardless of the age of your classic vehicle, most car insurance companies require certain prerequisites to be fulfilled before you can avail a cheap classic car insurance quote.

One of the major requirements is that the vehicle should be in good or at least restored condition and should be kept in a fully enclosed facility. Furthermore, the driver should not be younger than 19 years old and the vehicle itself should be used primarily for exhibitions and club activities. Although an occasional drive here and there is permitted, most car insurance companies make sure that the car is not used primary means of transport.

Collector auto insurance is generally inexpensive owing to the fact that the car is to be used sparingly. However, the coverage offered is very car-specific and is highly dependent on the company and state policies. Some of the primary options available include garaging location, spare part replacement, comprehensive classic car insurance, and value coverage which reimburses the amount equivalent to the vehicle’s true market value.

One aspect that should be kept in mind when purchasing a classic car insurance policy is that most companies keep tabs on the total number of miles that you travel. This may vary from state to state but generally ranges from 1000 to about 5000 miles per year.

Keeping in mind the time and expense associated with having a collector car, a classic car insurance policy is probably just as important as any other aspect of owning such a vehicle. Since most classic car insurance coverage is relatively cheap and is highly specific, special care should be taken to obtain insurance quotes that fit your unique situation and classic car.