Classic Car Insurance

[Louis Smith]

Mecum site.

http://www.mecum.com/mci/

They have tailored policies for the needs you want.
Could cost a lot more for people who want to drive more. You would have to get a quote from them.
They do have AGREED VALUE policies.
Roy

Good stuff.  I never heard of them, but a quick search of their websites, they seem to very worth while researching and getting a quote.  Interesting that they also hold National Car Auctions.  Seems like they want to make themselves a one stop shopping company for classic cars.

[R Schroeder]

Louis, I do have liability on my car too. It isn't just the car that is covered. The liability is the same as my regular insurance on my other cars.
Its the coverage for the car , that is different from , my other cars. All the rest is the same.
They also have different roadside assistance programs too.
Roy

[Bill Podany #19567]

I speak from personal experiance on several levels.  If you have a cherished vintage autmobile, I submitt the best company is Hagerty.  This insurance comany is the only one I trust, and I have several assets insured by the company.  I have had catastrophic accidents and an engin fire to my Cadillac's, including personal injury. Hagerty was cooperative, sincere, and committed to my satisfaction.  I am 67 years old, retired,  and have always distrusted my insurance comanies; this is not the case with Hagerty.  This is one fine credible organization.

Bill Podany
Knoxville, TN   

[Louis Smith]

The most important factor is selecting an insurance company, is to thoroughly find out what is covered and what isn't.  Read the fine print. ask questions of "what if".  Sure it can be tedious, but well worth it in the long run.

[Dan LeBlanc]

What about Grundy?

[R Schroeder]

Again Dan, you have to go to the site and see what you get for your money. All companies are not equal.
Roy

[Mike Shawgo]

Hi everyone,

I tried to just insure my 85 Eldorado convertible with Hagerty and list my 85 Seville (which is insured as a regular car by Geico, even though it is mint) as the "daily driver," but Hagerty refused and said the daily driver must be a 1993 or newer car.  I am at square one now.   I'm not that concerned about paying for body work if I'm in an accident, but I hate the idea that if the car is stolen or the storage facility burned, I would get basically nothing for it.

Mike Shawgo

[Louis Smith]

Hi everyone,

I tried to just insure my 85 Eldorado convertible with Hagerty and list my 85 Seville (which is insured as a regular car by Geico, even though it is mint) as the "daily driver," but Hagerty refused and said the daily driver must be a 1993 or newer car.  I am at square one now.   I'm not that concerned about paying for body work if I'm in an accident, but I hate the idea that if the car is stolen or the storage facility burned, I would get basically nothing for it.

Mike Shawgo

I am a little confused, as I usually am.  Am I to understand that Hagerty refused you insurance because your daily driver, your '85 Seville was older then 1993, EVEN THOUGH you had the insurance for it, with another company, Geico?  If this is the case, I don't see the point or logic.  What should Hagerty care about how you use, your other car, since you aren't insuring it with them.  I don't see what one thing has to do with the other.

[Mike Shawgo]

Louis,

Yes, that is correct.   They said something to the effect that if my Seville broke down and was in the shop, I would probably use the Eldorado as a "daily driver."   I guess their thinking is that an 85 Seville would be more prone to being in the shop than a newer car.

It's too bad they can't base this on mileage, since both cars are driven under 4,000 miles per year.  I already feel like I was going to be sacrificing the Seville to insure the Eldorado, but it appears I might have to insure both cars as just regular cars, and pray that no one steals one of them (especially the Eldo since it's probably worth more).   If I do that, it probably wouldn't even be worth it to have Collision and Comprehensive insurance on either one of them.   Very discouraging.   I also can't afford to go out and buy a new model beater, license it, insure it, and store it, just to say I have a "daily driver" (which I would never drive!).

Mike

[Louis Smith]

Louis,

Yes, that is correct.   They said something to the effect that if my Seville broke down and was in the shop, I would probably use the Eldorado as a "daily driver."   I guess their thinking is that an 85 Seville would be more prone to being in the shop than a newer car.

It's too bad they can't base this on mileage, since both cars are driven under 4,000 miles per year.  I already feel like I was going to be sacrificing the Seville to insure the Eldorado, but it appears I might have to insure both cars as just regular cars, and pray that no one steals one of them (especially the Eldo since it's probably worth more).   If I do that, it probably wouldn't even be worth it to have Collision and Comprehensive insurance on either one of them.   Very discouraging.   I also can't afford to go out and buy a new model beater, license it, insure it, and store it, just to say I have a "daily driver" (which I would never drive!).

Mike

Its like they say, you learn something new every day.  First time I ever heard of an insurance company turning someone down, because of what might happen, and what you might do.  Sounds like you can only get "regular" insurance on both of them.  Yes I would only get liability, and hope for the best.

[Mike Shawgo]

Actually, I just realized I have another problem--Illinois has two types of Antique Vehicle license plates; the regular AV plates which are for cars that are only driven to car shows, etc., and "Expanded-Use Antique," which allows unlimited driving between the months of April - October, but only driving to car shows during the winter.   I opted for the Expanded-Use Antique plates since I do not drive the Eldorado in the winter.   So I wonder if I can even get regular car insurance with my Antique plates.   It almost appears as if Illinois has created a class of vehicle which cannot be insured.

Mike Shawgo

[R Schroeder]

Usually Antique plates are used with antique car insurance.
If you are doing regular insurance they probably require regular plates.
Hagerty required that I have Collector plates or something along that line , before they insured me.
You might be better off keeping the car you like the most, and selling the other one. Then just buy a newer car for the money.
Not having insurance on a car that possibly could be worth a lot of money is just going to be a loss.
Now a days a good size dent is a couple of thousand dollars. I know I could not afford to lose what I have in my car.
Just my 2 cents.
Roy

[Louis Smith]

Another mans opinions:  If it was me, I would get "regular" plates and insurance for both.  I say this because the situation seems to be much too confusing for me to have to deal with.  If you store the Eldo for the winter, you might be able to drop the insurance when its in storage, then reinstate it, when you start to use it again.  Sounds like you got a major "Catch-22" on your hands.  Just too much drama for me.   

[RyanBurman]

Anyone try Grundy Insurance yet? I've heard good things and they have no year or mileage limits. There are some guys on other forums that daily drive classics and are grundy insured and grundy knows the cars are daily drivers.

[R Schroeder]

I think you and these other guys should go to there site and check that out. They say unlimited miles for car related functions.
They have regular insurance too, but I don't think they will give you an Agreed Value if your using it as a daily driver.
To many people think they are covered for certain things, and never read the fine print, or called the company to check when and how they are covered.
Roy

[TJ Hopland]

Its interesting that someone mentioned that with Haggarty they had to have special plates.  Haggargty told me that since the special plate rules vary so much state to state that it really makes no difference to them what sort of plates the cars have.  They also told me that they usually don't go newer than 1970 ish.

I know a guy that got hit and injured by a person driving a 'muscle car'.  My friend was driving a fairly nice 20+ year old car that was his only car and daily driver that had regular liability insurance on it.  The other guy had some sort of classic car insurance and special plates.  His insurance did not pay for anything because the car was being 'misused'.   The plates were basically good for weekend car show sort of thing and the accident happened on a week day in a fast food parking lot on a day the owner was working so this meant that the car was not licensed for that use and apparently one of the lines in the insurance contract says the car has to be properly licensed.   This was over 10 years ago and as far as I know my friend never got anything.   Presumably if my friend was driving say a 5 year old car with typical full coverage his insurance would have paid to get him and his car fixed up and then went after the other company or guy to recoup their costs.   

[R Schroeder]

T.J.
My car is a 78. They had no problem insuring it.
They asked me what plate was on the car. I told them I have a Collector plate on the car.
Don't know for sure why they asked.
Rather than second guessing what company does what, it is better to call the insurance company and ask. That's what I did.
I do know that the car has to be , I believe , over 20 years old to get insurance on it.
They are all different.
It pays to ask questions .
roy

[cadillacmike68]

Its interesting that someone mentioned that with Haggarty they had to have special plates.  Haggargty told me that since the special plate rules vary so much state to state that it really makes no difference to them what sort of plates the cars have.  They also told me that they usually don't go newer than 1970 ish.

I know a guy that got hit and injured by a person driving a 'muscle car'.  My friend was driving a fairly nice 20+ year old car that was his only car and daily driver that had regular liability insurance on it.  The other guy had some sort of classic car insurance and special plates.  His insurance did not pay for anything because the car was being 'misused'.   The plates were basically good for weekend car show sort of thing and the accident happened on a week day in a fast food parking lot on a day the owner was working so this meant that the car was not licensed for that use and apparently one of the lines in the insurance contract says the car has to be properly licensed.   This was over 10 years ago and as far as I know my friend never got anything.   Presumably if my friend was driving say a 5 year old car with typical full coverage his insurance would have paid to get him and his car fixed up and then went after the other company or guy to recoup their costs. 

TJ there is a lot of unstated in between the lines stuff here.

1 I take it your friend had ONLY liability, not collision insurance.
2. If he was injured, why didn't his own insurance cover his injuries via PIP,, no-fault or whatever your state called it,  even if the other driver was "uninsured or under-insured".

Observations:
1. Even if  your friend had full coverage on that car or any other car, the limit the ins company will pursue is the "actual cash value", or ACV and for property damage, most ins companies will not pursue an individual with no insurance. they leave that to the states via driver license suspension, etc.
2. If your friend was seriously injured he should have considered litigation.
3. An after the fact citation could have been issued to the driver in most states for not having proper insurance, was this perused?
4. Remind me to stay away from that other insurance company.

[Blade]

Sorry guys I'm in a hurry and didn't read all the comments but does Hagery give us a discount as CLC members? I see they advertise on the club site.

Thanks!
Blade~

[R Schroeder]

I doubt it. They didn't ask me if I were a CLC member.

Price is based on the type of car ,and the amount of coverage.