TheSamba.com :: View topic - Where to get classic insurance. Except I dont have another car!

Thu Jun 26, 2025 12:03 pm

Bit of a rub, most of the classic insurance agencies Ive been calling REQUIRE me to have another vehicle that I daily drive in order to qualify for agreed value insurance.

The rub is that I live in a big city, and dont drive to commute. Ever. I just want a pleasure vehicle for the occasional beach trip or hike.

Does anyone know a company that will give me agreed value insurance without me having to have another policy?

Thu Jun 26, 2025 1:10 pm

If you have somewhere to park it, buy a beater for a few hundred, tell them that is your daily driver and get the bare minimum insurance coverage. If the required daily driver vehicle can be a motorcycle, all the better. Easier to stow away somewhere.

Fri Jun 27, 2025 6:08 am

Maybe...
If you have a nice friend or relative who'll let you put their car on the policy as your main vehicle? When I signed up for Hagerty it was the same thing, but we have daily cars.
What they didn't ask for was details of the daily car. Like VIN or registered owner address, Just what it was. Maybe its different now? Hagerty also didn't ask for odometer readings. Just make sure you state that it'll be driven less than 3K miles per year. Which equates to about 62mi per week. Its sort of the honor system I guess. These old cars roll over at 100k anyways and a lot don't work. Mine doesn't.

Just a suggestion.

Fri Jun 27, 2025 11:53 am

Good luck finding a company that will issue a stated value policy with you not having another insured vehicle. I do not think you will. If you do please let us know, as I would like to know this info. Thanks Bob

Fri Jun 27, 2025 4:04 pm

Get scooter. But they also want a garage for your classic as well. Scooter doesn’t even need to run.

Mon Jun 30, 2025 11:49 am

Several companies offer stated value. Ask your agent if you can have a stated value policy on your vehicle. I believe Progressive and/or Safeco offer that option. Good luck!

Mon Jun 30, 2025 12:30 pm

I just got off the phone with Justin at Open Road Insurance. They specialize in Classic cars. To insure my 69 Beetle for the minimum, $3500, with 100/300 liability was less the $150 a year. He said I can just call or email him photos as the value goes up and they will raise the value. He was SUPER nice and easy to deal with. He didn't need any proof of other car insurance. I'm all set up with a card and everything!

My State Farm agent wouldn't deal with stated value and it needs to be a mint restoration before they will consider it.

Scott

Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:07 pm

mercsim wrote: My State Farm agent wouldn't deal with stated value and it needs to be a mint restoration before they will consider it.
That seems strange. I'm also in Arizona and moved to State Farm last year. And Hagerty classic insurance is part of State Farm, so my rates with Hagerty went down routing through State Farm !

Mon Jun 30, 2025 2:19 pm

She told me they partner with them but won't add a car without it being mint. I questioned who defined mint and she said they would look at photos and assign a value. She said a rusty or non-restored one would not get coverage.

BTW, enjoyed following your 'resurrection'.

Scott

Mon Jun 30, 2025 4:21 pm

mercsim wrote: She told me they partner with them but won't add a car without it being mint. I questioned who defined mint and she said they would look at photos and assign a value. She said a rusty or non-restored one would not get coverage.

Scott
I have three vehicles with Hagerty; NONE are anywhere close to "mint" !!!
My 1971 Convertible has a 1978 Maaco paint job and its interior paint color is orange.

My 1970 sedan is patina

My 1988 Mazda truck looks decent for its age

Mon Jun 30, 2025 10:33 pm

State Farm Insurance is a brokerage, all are independent agents that pay to use the name State Farm.

My wife's agent basically rolled eyes when I asked about my bug. The one down the road was happy to give me a quote, actually doing the leg work. Disappointed I don't have a garage.
They said a storage unit might work.

Really should call them back ... stay safe

jinx

Tue Jul 01, 2025 3:56 am

I've been with State Farm for 50 years now. Moved from PA to NC 3 years ago. I found that each state can be a bit different to deal with even through the same company that you have a long track record with. In PA there was no issue getting specified value for my 69 even though I did not keep it in a garage (car port). Here in NC it was a major PIA although it did finallly happen. And I needed it to be garaged but I was temporarily storing it in a storage unit so that was acceptable as long as it was a secure facility. I was surprised that my daily cars were about 15% more expensive here in NC, but I think that has something to do with the "high risk" pool they have here (same deal in NJ when I lived there). I recently got a quote from Hagerty that was about 60% cheaper so contemplating switching to them in the near future. They all seem to have the same basic requirements....limits on miles driven, no commuting, secure storage etc. if you want to specify the value.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 4:39 am

Try JC Taylor, they hold my classic car insurance.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:21 am

I am in North Carolina and have had 2 cars, a 67 bug and a 71 bmw insured with haggerty on stated value policies. They required a regular insured vehicle and garage for each classic car. I had these same policies in effect in Long Island NY before moving here in 2007, and the requirements were the same. As a retired insurance claims appraiser/adjuster I understand the risk reasoning behind the requirement for the primary insured vehicle. Insurance companies like all companies are in business to make money. If statistics show that lack of a primary insured vehicle is a bad risk, they are not going to write the policy. Simple as that.

Wed Jul 02, 2025 10:36 am

I want everyone to make sure they have "AGREED" and not "STATED". It's a world of difference if something happens!

Wed Jul 02, 2025 1:54 pm

State farm got back to me today. She originally said Hagerty would not insure it because it wasn't Mint. Of course some friends here have Hagerty on non-mint cars. The quote I received today is with Hagerty. So my agent rep didn't know what she was talking about. Its a bit disappointing. It was similar to the Open Road quote I got but slightly higher.

Lesson:Don't take 'No' for an answer :)

Wed Jul 02, 2025 3:29 pm

mercsim wrote: State farm got back to me today. She originally said Hagerty would not insure it because it wasn't Mint. Of course some friends here have Hagerty on non-mint cars. The quote I received today is with Hagerty. So my agent rep didn't know what she was talking about. Its a bit disappointing. It was similar to the Open Road quote I got but slightly higher.

Lesson:Don't take 'No' for an answer :)
The quality of "customer service" is definitely lacking these days !!!

When was the last time you didn't hear the robotic message: "we are experiencing a higher than normal call volume right now" ????

Thu Jul 03, 2025 6:44 am

I have never received a quote from a middle man insurance company (Farmers, State Farm, whatever). I have dealt only with the insurers themselves like Hagerty, American Collectors, etc. Why broker it through someone else and get the runaround?

And, YES, make sure it is AGREED value and NOT stated value. You WILL get screwed if you file a claim with stated value.

Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:16 am

All good points by buggeroff. A market survey of sales of similar condition cars will get you an estimate for the value you are looking to insure it for. I am not sure if the value books like nada and Kelly Blue book go back that far now,(someone on this forum will know) but if they do you could also use that as a value to discuss with the insurer.

Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:42 am

If you are the one who restored or built the car. Hopefully you saved all your receipts?!
They want to argue with me if it comes time to make a claim? I’ve got everything on paper for what I put into it.

KBB and nada don’t really have a place for the value of classic cars.

Hagerty is kinda bogus in the fact they advertise they insure races cars but if you use the race car on a track they won’t cover it. How does that work?