TheSamba.com :: View topic - Callin' Kafer Dave...and whoever else wants to chime in.

Tue Aug 05, 2003 1:04 pm

Dave,
I was talking with Odin, and he said you knew a little something bout insuring a beetle. I have a 1960 Beetle that I would like to purchase, but can't find a good insurance company that will carry me.
I am 16, and need a policy which allows me to drive it every day from home to school and to work(all less than 10 miles). I need my father to be the main policy holder, and I a secondary driver.
I have called JC Taylor, Geico, Nationwide, all the same results...3k per 6 months or they won't carry me at all. Any ideas/loopholes/suggestions?

Thanks!
:lol: :D

Tue Aug 05, 2003 2:01 pm

check progressive as well.

HTH

Tue Aug 05, 2003 2:36 pm

Granted I'm 32 but I have AAA and my bus is only $212.00 a year for liability.
It's your age .....

Tue Aug 05, 2003 3:13 pm

AAA has also been really good to my wife and i where insuring the air-cooled vw's is concerned. they actually did an appraisal of the 59 a few years ago and when we recently bought our oval and put it on they asked us what it was worth. i'm really comfortable having my cars insured with them. i can look up what it costs us per year for each of the cars if you want.

Tue Aug 05, 2003 5:35 pm

you are going to need to look in your local phonebook under insurance, you will not get a good policy without paying dearly because of age and location, but you should be able to get something that will let you legally drive.

Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:21 pm

Doesn't your father have a policy that he can just add you to?

Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:24 pm

Sorry - forgot to finish that post! If he doesn't have an existing policy that you can be added to, you might also check with Allstate. I've had them since I got my first car and they've always treated me right.

Tue Aug 05, 2003 6:38 pm

JDawg,
He is using AMEX right now. They won't cover a car over 40 years. I will check the local yellow pages and see what I can get. Thanks all for your help. :scatter:

Wed Aug 06, 2003 2:34 am

i am having the same problem as you, trying to find insurance.. i have been driving for 3 years, so i can hold my own policy without getting my knees broke over the bill.. my brother however, just got his permit, and decided that he would use all the money he saved up over the years to buy a jaguar (at least it's not a honda) ... but, because of his age and the age of the car, most places won't take him... so.. he just got our parents to co-sign as owners of the car, and had it put on their insurance. he pays the difference in their bill, but, it is registered as their car... and, like most policies, the insurance holder can give anyone the keys they want, and their insurance is still liable if anything happens.

sorry that was so long.. you should have your dad look into a multi-car discount at other insurance companies that would insure an old beetle, and just get them all in his name.. that way you can drive it.. without having to pay anything extra except the extra car.... just make sure you don't get yourself added to the policy, because you don't have to... it will save you alot of money to just pay your dad the difference for the car to be under his name

once again, sorry for the length of this, it is late and i can't sum things up... :D

Wed Aug 06, 2003 12:17 pm

Insurance is terrible the way it slams and penalizes young drivers. Here is some good advise.
drive slow!!!!
It's better to 'cruise' than do anything else, especially at these prices today.
Also any defensive driving course you can take is great, then send a copy to your insurance co, and ask for a break.
Better to look good and cruise, than to go fast and pay.
Buya bus a go slow................ :wink:
Shalom,
b

Wed Aug 06, 2003 3:19 pm

I just got the new HVW's and it has a whole article on insuring your VW. It shows a couple of quotes from a number of different agencies. Hope this helps.
Scooter, RD

Thu Aug 07, 2003 2:25 pm

I also had the frustration of trying to deal with the "specialty" insurance firms. We have three cars (including the '69 Bus) and 3 drivers. The 3rd driver is my 16 year old son. Anyway, we are with Wawanesa Insurance, and when I added the Bus I made my son the primary driver on it. The net increase in cost of adding the Bus: $55. This is full liability and comprehensive. No stupid mileage limitations. (Due to his age the collision would have been $290 more...on a $1000 Bus. I passed.) Keep trying!

Sun Aug 10, 2003 5:03 am

I'e had AMICA insur. since I got my license in '76, I started w/ a '69 Dodge Charger ( 383 w/400 heads, cam , posi ect. ) it was 500$ for the car 550$ for the insur. lol, try them out 1-800-24amica. we just put my daughter on with her '89 VW- 800$. good luck.
Tom

Sun Nov 09, 2003 2:26 pm

I got side tracked but I'm still looking. I don't have any clues where to go. I've got quotes for 3k per 6 months. I need liability and collision. Any hints? Thanks

Sun Nov 09, 2003 7:03 pm

OldVeeDubs wrote: I got side tracked but I'm still looking. I don't have any clues where to go. I've got quotes for 3k per 6 months. I need liability and collision. Any hints? Thanks

Try checking the phone book for an insurance broker. These guys work with a variety of insurers as opposed to an insurance agent who only represents one or two lines.

And remember to ask about good student discounts if your GPA is over 3.0 (I think that is still the cutoff for most places).

Sun Nov 09, 2003 10:47 pm

I've been with Allstate for over 20 years; they've treated me right the whole time. Just added my 16 year old daughter as primary on the beetle for $700/6 mo. I shopped it around and it's the best deal - even with multi-car, home owners, good driver, driver's ed, and defensive driving school discounts!

Age 16-25 - no breaks on insurance. Exception - get married and then you'll get a discount! :lol:

Good luck!

Mon Nov 10, 2003 4:58 pm

My 56 and 67 VWs are both insured with Safeco. Have your dad contact them through the agent that you will get through their website link. Have your dad set the whole policy up for everyone at once.

My rates are very reasonable. The company is good at insuring everyone but as a 16 year old male, you are in a very high risk group and you must expect to be charged accordingly.

Good luck.

Mon Nov 10, 2003 7:04 pm

I have State Farm and have had no problems with them.They have everything wrapped around my homeowners and they offer all the same discounts that any major company can give.

Tue Nov 11, 2003 12:38 pm

mrjoshm wrote: ...... you should have your dad look into a multi-car discount at other insurance companies that would insure an old beetle, and just get them all in his name.. that way you can drive it.. without having to pay anything extra except the extra car.... just make sure you don't get yourself added to the policy, because you don't have to... it will save you alot of money to just pay your dad the difference for the car to be under his name.......

I think most insurance companies require anyone in the household with a drivers license be listed on the policy. If not and there is a claim with a driver not listed, there could be problems. If you toss your keys to a licensed driver that does not reside in your household, the insurance companies have to cover any claim then.

Sun Nov 16, 2003 7:50 am

I didn't even see this thread until this morning, sorry.
I did the story in HVWs about insuring your Classic, or Custom, VW, and gave quotes from different companies, on two cars that I own, one, a 55 sunroof, stock as it can be, with 74,000 original miles, and a 57 sunroof with 2 liter, real Rader wheels, IDAs, disc brakes, and just about everything else you can imagine. I don't have the issue here in front of me, but I seem to recall the Bartlett Insurance Group ( aka B.I.G.) in the San Francisco Bay Area, had the best rates, and I remember when I was talking to the guy to get a quote and I started to tell him about the custom 57 sunroof, he said he (or maybe his son, I don't remember now) had a 62 ragtop with a 1914 with dual 40 Dells, polished 5 spokes, etc etc, and a friend of his has a 51 split that he is in the process of restoring, so the guy I talked to is "one of us"...