Insurance has become a joke

[LOGiK]

I'm 20 and have been driving since I was 17. I've always been insured with footman james. This year my renewal has been increased by £138.60 over last year's cost, partly because I switched my vehicle over from a 1970 Austin 1300 4 door to a 1968 Morris 1300 2 door. I still find this pretty absurd and I don't really have the money to pay for such a hike in premium.

Having contacted other brokers and being told either they wont insure under 21's or, because footman james do not give no claims, the premium will be something like 1500, it's coming to the point where I'm not going to be able to drive the car that has had so much work put into restoring it.

I also have two motorcycles, a Kawasaki Zephyr 550 and a ZX-9R, and I'm insured on both of these for around half what I'm facing paying with footman james thanks partially to 3 years no claims that no car insurance company will take into account.

My question is, does anyone know of a reasonable company I can deal with directly? I've never had an accident and I don't want to lose the use of my car, but paying £580 TPFT for a 1300 is just insanity even with my age.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[hal 1]

have you tried www.frankpickles.co.uk/
cut my (kit car) insurance premiums in half from a well known broker.

[aeropilot]

LOGiK said:

I'm 20 and have been driving since I was 17. I've always been insured with footman james. This year my renewal has been increased by £138.60 over last year's cost, partly because I switched my vehicle over from a 1970 Austin 1300 4 door to a 1968 Morris 1300 2 door. I still find this pretty absurd and I don't really have the money to pay for such a hike in premium.

Having contacted other brokers and being told either they wont insure under 21's or, because footman james do not give no claims, the premium will be something like 1500, it's coming to the point where I'm not going to be able to drive the car that has had so much work put into restoring it.

I also have two motorcycles, a Kawasaki Zephyr 550 and a ZX-9R, and I'm insured on both of these for around half what I'm facing paying with footman james thanks partially to 3 years no claims that no car insurance company will take into account.

My question is, does anyone know of a reasonable company I can deal with directly? I've never had an accident and I don't want to lose the use of my car, but paying £580 TPFT for a 1300 is just insanity even with my age.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Your problem is your age and trying to insure a classic car. You don't get no claims on agreed value classic car polices, this isn't just a Footman James thing. That's the point of classic car polices, it's a fixed fee premium based on a few factors and the value. That's also why most won't insure under 21's on a classic policy. You normally have to prove the classic isn't your daily driver....although the bikes could prove this for you I guess.
If you go away from a classic ploicy you will be paying higher premiums and as well as risking never getting the true value of the car as an ordinary policy won't pay the agreed value of a restored old car.

Catch 22 I'm afraid.

[neutral 3]

I realy sympathise with you , and yes your age unfortuneately is the problem , but how i wish i could turn the clock back to your age !!! In the past i have used Richardson Hosken and found them fairly effecient . But not sure if they would cover your age group . Give them a call , they are at Brentwood in Essex . Would like to name a few who are absolutely appalling and you should avoid at All costs inc one who insisted that my Very Common model of Land Rover , was only ever made as a Pick Up !!!!

[jith]

aeropilot said:

LOGiK said:

I'm 20 and have been driving since I was 17. I've always been insured with footman james. This year my renewal has been increased by £138.60 over last year's cost, partly because I switched my vehicle over from a 1970 Austin 1300 4 door to a 1968 Morris 1300 2 door. I still find this pretty absurd and I don't really have the money to pay for such a hike in premium.

Having contacted other brokers and being told either they wont insure under 21's or, because footman james do not give no claims, the premium will be something like 1500, it's coming to the point where I'm not going to be able to drive the car that has had so much work put into restoring it.

I also have two motorcycles, a Kawasaki Zephyr 550 and a ZX-9R, and I'm insured on both of these for around half what I'm facing paying with footman james thanks partially to 3 years no claims that no car insurance company will take into account.

My question is, does anyone know of a reasonable company I can deal with directly? I've never had an accident and I don't want to lose the use of my car, but paying £580 TPFT for a 1300 is just insanity even with my age.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Your problem is your age and trying to insure a classic car. You don't get no claims on agreed value classic car polices, this isn't just a Footman James thing. That's the point of classic car polices, it's a fixed fee premium based on a few factors and the value. That's also why most won't insure under 21's on a classic policy. You normally have to prove the classic isn't your daily driver....although the bikes could prove this for you I guess.
If you go away from a classic ploicy you will be paying higher premiums and as well as risking never getting the true value of the car as an ordinary policy won't pay the agreed value of a restored old car.

Catch 22 I'm afraid.

I have no full no claims on the classic policy for my Mercedes. I switched companies this year and the new company have actually asked for proof of my no claims from, the old policy.

Logik, I would wait until your 21st and it will make things so much easier for you: use the bikes 'til then.

[KierenGG]

If I cant insure my MGB when I pass my test, I'm going to kill someone

[LOGiK]

KierenGG said:

If I cant insure my MGB when I pass my test, I'm going to kill someone

You're gonna have a problem, I can tell you that now - when my stepbrother was 19 he found it hard to get insured on an 1100 Herald because insurance companies considered it "sporty"...

If the car is in parents name/insured under parents name it will be cheaper though. (as long as they can't show you're using it more than they are IE don't commute with it)

Thanks for the recommendations of insurance companies, will call them tomorrow

Edited by LOGiK on Wednesday 10th March 23:58

[KierenGG]

I'll find a way....

and top advertising:

[Nolar Dog]

LOGiK said:

I'm 20 and have been driving since I was 17. I've always been insured with footman james. This year my renewal has been increased by £138.60 over last year's cost, partly because I switched my vehicle over from a 1970 Austin 1300 4 door to a 1968 Morris 1300 2 door. I still find this pretty absurd and I don't really have the money to pay for such a hike in premium.

Did you not check the premium before you bought the car?

[LOGiK]

Nolar Dog said:

Did you not check the premium before you bought the car?

I bought the car 2 years ago, I've been restoring it since while driving the 4door austin. I didn't figure there would be any hike in insurance for the switchover and if there was it would be minimal. It's the same damn car in effect; same engine, same body, only difference is the age (this being 2 years older) and being less 2 doors.

Edit:

I don't have any pictures of how bad it was when I started, this is the earliest I have:

from that to

through

and now

and just for the point of the differences being absolutely minimal

Edited by LOGiK on Thursday 11th March 00:53

[Mr E Driver]

I used the no claims on my bike ins to halve the premium and if you can get you mum or dad on as named driver that might reduce it as well.

[Nolar Dog]

LOGiK said:

Nolar Dog said:

Did you not check the premium before you bought the car?

I bought the car 2 years ago, I've been restoring it since while driving the 4door austin. I didn't figure there would be any hike in insurance for the switchover and if there was it would be minimal.

Ah I see. I can see why you're peeved then.
Nice work on the car btw.

[LOGiK]

Mr E Driver said:

I used the no claims on my bike ins to halve the premium and if you can get you mum or dad on as named driver that might reduce it as well.

they are insured on the policy and nowhere I've contacted will count my motorcycle no claims on my car policy

Nolar Dog said:

Ah I see. I can see why you're peeved then.
Nice work on the car btw.

yeah and thanks, though I must give a lot (most!) of it to my stepdad.

Edited by LOGiK on Thursday 11th March 02:27

[BMWChris]

When I insured my current car (which was a substantial step in performance from its immediate predecessor) Premium Choice were very helpful. I didn't speak to him directly but there was quite clearly a real person making an informed decision (or at least sucking his teeth and pretending to), asking questions about car history before agreeing that, since I had owned powerful rear drive cars before without crashing it should be ok to knock a bit off. Might be worth giving them a try.

When I was 20 and insuring old cars a company called, I think, Firebrand had people who knew about insurance rather than just following the instructions of the computer. But that was fifteen years ago.

Also, try schemes through owners' clubs. I built up no claims, with FJ as it happens, on my various Triumphs through the TSSC scheme from 17 onwards. But that was even longer ago!

[//j17]

Try giving Peter D James a call (http://www.peterjamesinsurance.co.uk/).

PD James was the James in Footman James until they sold the company Aon and started going down hill.

[Jefftav]

Try rhclasicinsurance.co.uk but phone them on 01277 206911 as they insure my Morris 1000 and have always been cheaper than FJ. Try joining a classic car club also(if you can) agree to a limited mileage policy and keep it in a locked garage as insurance companies seem to like these factors.

[bigblock]

Interesting choice of cars for a guy your age, well done.

My only association with the 1300s when I was your age was to take the chrome handbrakes and door handles out of them in scrapyards for my Mini. I also put the engine out of a 1300GT in my Mini but that did'nt end very well.

Good luck with the insurance. Joining the owners club usualy helps to lower the premium.