I Hate Insurance :(

[minimemarkone]

If you are going to be the main driver I think its illegal to put someone else's name as the main driver and you as a named one. They had a big thing about it on the news a while back.

Try a few different insurance companies - I have always insured my Mini's with MINI Insurance and they have always been reasonable, it might be worth giving them a try. Also try and get an internet quote as they are usually way cheaper than a quote given over the phone.

[Lucky Dave]

Remember it's nice to have your insurance pay out if you ever need them to, insurance should not just be a tick in a box.

Some insurers may consider a discount if you have been claim free on another persons cover.

The bigger issue now is modifications, insurance companys now have wised up and anything that could of not been fitted from new will be considered a modification.

It's strange that you can spend 5k on options on a mini but the insurance don't care, they only seem to know chilli packs!

[Lucky Dave]

You should check out green light a TM sponsor I used to be insured with them before I swapped over to a trade policy.

[jack_p92]

Yehh after reading in a few places it just seems so inevitable that im going to have a crash which i really dont want to happen so if i were to have a crash i would hate it if they wouldn't pay out, expecially if it was a write off.
I think i tried green light a white ago and they didnt want anything to do with somone under 21 or 23 or somthing unfortunatly.
I think adrian flux seems like a good option so far with me as the policy holder. Im going to give them another ring tomorow and sort it out properly as the guy i spoke to was really pushy and not helpfull at all.
Another problem is i dont really no what they class as a modification, and how they can tell what is a modification and what isn't if you where to add OEM parts that were not speced as standard. Also would they call little things like halo sidelights? and Vinyl wraped door handles etc. a modification?

I think we all need to start up our own mini specialist insurers, just for members on TM

[rkde]

Well you can mod still and it will cost you nothing.

Your age you have to consider some things, there is a high chance you will crash as your inexperienced, you can't buy experience. You need your own policy becuase in a few years time you may want something faster and your going to tell the insurance you have 0 NCB of your own and a higher powered car will cost £XXXX to insure.

At 27 I have 9 years NCB I have 3 cars JCW mini cooper S, Cooper S, and a golf GTI all higher insurance but if I didn't have the experience and NCB it would cost a fortune so save some money in the long term and start collecting now.

If you do have a bump while fronting you will effect your sister for 3 to 5 years as she will have to pay more because of you.

With regards to mods, AF will be happy to allow you to change to other stock alloys if you tell them they are factory option "They must have been a factory option for your car" decals you will be ok with most but viper strips may make it look sporty and will cost you. Other OEM parts should not cost you providing they are not performance.

Exhausts, filters, maps, and engine mods are not going to suite you becuase you really want to be 25 as its going to cost you lots.

A modification is a change to the factory specification, basically the build paperwork for your car and what was fitted to it on the factory line. This sheet can be obtained by BMW and insurances can obtain it too, so if you have changed something they will know.

Take your time, while you may want everything now and life is too short, you have to earn and learn for a few years. I hears about your dash and your wrapping, I know you had trouble and I feel that maybe your are rushing things. Slow down and you will be able to paint the dash perfectly and wrap parts too. Try to learn the tricks of the trade and this will be with you always, seek advice and try to follow it. I take most the advice I can now because you know what, the people giving the advice usually have the experience...

PS my crash broke two ribs and I leart alot from that.

If you find that the mini is great but you need something to do with your time, consider building a track car, buy a cheap car and do it up for the track then you can join in on track days and just tow the car places. The insurance would be the same as every other track day and you would just keep the car off the road somewhere secure.

Maybe consider your pass plus and get some money off the insurance.

[jack_p92]

Thanks Richard It really is nice to have pople to ask on here that really no what there talking about. The thing that just really gets me is im not looking for some super fast car or anthing silly like that, Im quite happy with the performance of my car for the age i am, if i had anything faster i would have most likley has a serios crash buy now, i went to an all boys private school for years and have always heard stories about boys that have just passed there driving test and written off there cars (cooper s's, bmw's and an audi just to mention a few).
I just want a nice, slightly unique (no ridiculous bodykit or lambo doors) car thats different to the standard Mini you drive past a million times every day. But it just seems impossible as every insurance company assumes that as soon as you put some different wheels on, not even for performance just for looks, they think your going to be ragging it round town and racing people.
Also about painting my dash, I no its gone wrong, and i should have proably taken more time etc. but you can only learn from experience, Im always up for giving things a go and i am aware that there probably going to go wrong more often than not, but its fun i like abit of a chalenge.
I have concidered pass plus but i think for the £300 im going to pay to do it its not gonig to reduce my insurance that much, and alot of companies now ask "have you obtained pass plus in the past 2 years) so i guess the advantages of it wont last long.

Right now im just going to work on convincing my parents that i should be the policy holder as its the right, safest, most effective way of saving money in the long run.

Thanks again for your comments Hopefully one day I might be able to afford some cars like yours plus a GP

[rkde]

nah you don't want a GP its all hype

I like the way you have the have a go approach! Its a good way to learn, just keep things simple and insurance will be easy to deal with.

I agree with everything above, try to get your own policy because it will pay off in the long (fairly short term) run.

The reason your insurance goes up is because your making it stand out to the sort of people who will want to take it or the wheels. Its not about you its unfortunatly the odds thats someone will pinch something off it or at worst the car

[jack_p92]

But there soo nice Maybe just a JCW just for when i dont want to take the bugatti veyron out
Aahh yeh i didn't think about it that way to be honest. Hopefully there are far more desirable cars around me to steal rarther than mine

[mg1232]

Originally Posted by rkde

A modification is a change to the factory specification, basically the build paperwork for your car and what was fitted to it on the factory line. This sheet can be obtained by BMW and insurances can obtain it too, so if you have changed something they will know.

This is very helpful! Kind of what I suspected (and what is hinted at in the policy booklet), but always good to hear from a second source. Insurance companies should really clarify much better their position on 'modifications'...in particular factory fitted extras. Thanks rkde.

[Elphaba]

Originally Posted by jack_p92

My mum seems to think its fine that my sister is the policy holder and im just a named driver. They cant argue that i have been using the car as i am a named driver therefore there isnt a written limit on how much i can drive the car or a way of them telling if i have been driving it more than she has. And when my sister is not at uni she uses the car far more than me.

I am not disregarding any expertise your mum has in the field of motor insurance, but 'fronting' which is what you are doing is a major bugbear to insurance companies, they are constantly on the lookout for it when validating claims, and will be very stringent if they suspect you are the main driver of the car but insured as only a named driver. There IS a limit to how much a named driver can drive - you can't be the MAIN driver, ie more use than the current policy holder on the agreement.

However, if the car is registered to your sister at the same address, you do not need to change log book, you can just insure it with you as policy hokder and main driver, on a car of which you are not registered owner and keeper. As it is a family-owned car in same household, you will not usually be penalised on premium. For example, the car I just bought my girlfriend is in my name for finance agreement reasons, but insured by her with her as the policy-holder but not registered owner and keeper, for exactly the same premium as it would hav ebeen were the car registered in her name.