240 General: Poll - should I use my car when I am 17?

[dodgyken]

Just drive it each day - look after it - it is not as if Volvos have problems with mileage!!! Insurance might be a problem, but get your Dad on the policy and bite the bullet. It will be your only big cost - and your Dad is likely to prefer you surrounded in sold Swedish steel then in a tin car!!

[Hezi]

Hi Steve
For what its worth i think Thor is heading into classic car terrirtory and as much cared for as such, if you do she will last another 20 years no probs .As a daily runabout i doubt she will fair so well.

My C70 only comes out in the dry i use the V70 for everything else. In a hope that in 20 years it will be a classic.

Cheers

Steve

[Sam Glover]

I used my father's traders' policy when I was 17 with the car registered in him name. It was a few years ago, and the car was a lowly Datsun 120Y, but it cost something like £150 per year - a tenth of what I had been quoted by some brokers for a policy in my own right!

Cars like Thor are only as lovely as they are today because they have not been used daily on drizzly, salty English roads. However, such vehicles are there to be enjoyed - there's no point owning a classic if you're going to wrap it up in cotton wool and never take it out of the garage.

It's also worth remembering that cars can be restored... if you use Thor every day for ten years and put 100k more miles on the clock, you'll still be able to return it to its current glory for less than the price of new Ford Focus. Just be sure to stay away from lampposts...

Sam

[Citizen.Agfa]

Originally Posted by huck280

Cars are for using. No-one goes to work in a car factory hoping that their designs/workmanship will never be driven - apart from anyone working for Leyland, c. 74-90.

Drive it, fix it. Drive it, fix it. Drive it, fix it....

Geddit!?

;-)

Exactamundo. I second that emulsion!

Regards, C.A.

[Steve and his 244]

I think that the best thing to do would be to use it as my first car, hopefully on my Dads trader policy.

I will probably be at college and uni until way after im 17 so the likelyhood is that the car will only be used on weekends anyway.

My Grandad never saw it as a classic car and if he needed to use it - he wouldnt think twice, he would just use it.

On weekends when I wanted to use it, if it was really rainy weather or the roads were freshly salted, I would have to be brave and get the bus or a lift off parents or friends etc.

Keep the comments comin'!

Steve

[Paul240480]

244Fan (as you now are!) You do have a knack of starting threads that just keeeeeeeeeep going LOL.
I reckon you should use it, after all that is what it is for. Both of my cars 19yr old 240 & 16 yr old 480 (leaky) are used daily, they live outside all year, they keep going and going (looks quickly for wood!). And with a regular 'spit & polish' STILL turn heads.

PS You MAY be able to get the insurance cost down a tad if you were to have limited mileage....... once at uni you would, perhaps only be driving at weekends & hols?

[Steve and his 244]

Originally Posted by Paul Clark

244Fan (as you now are!) You do have a knack of starting threads that just keeeeeeeeeep going LOL................once at uni you would, perhaps only be driving at weekends & hols?

yep! Im good at it arent i lol!

Yeh, and when im at college I would be getting the bus there (if you think Thor is staying in car parks like that all day then youve got another thing coming lol)

probably wouldnt get much chance to use it after school either with the amount of work I will have either lol.

So, yes, while I am stuck with the 'can only afford to run one car' dilemma - I would only be driving weekends and holidays.

Steve

[brens-s80]

hi steve,

my tuppence worth coming up " DRIVE IT" . cars are meant to be driven full stop and anyways it keeps the Volvo flag flying as to their sturdiness and reliability .

If your careful ,which I guess you will be, there's no reason not to drive it. With regular tlc and washing you'll keep it going and others will get to enjoy your efforts ( light - bushell and all that ) .

I'am out and about all the time in my 88 glt and the amount of looks the car gets surprises me ( mind you I wish I was getting as many looks but thats another thread ) from young and old alike.

take care and drive it.

brendan.

[Steve and his 244]

Thanks very much! Thats what I was thinking for a very long time and then my Dad went and said that I ought to not use it as my first everyday car.

My Dad has this nasty habit though of anything he suggests ends up happening whether I like it or not! lol

Hes just told me that theres no chance I can afford to drive a car when im 17......ill show him lol

[DarrenK]

Straight up, drive it. I'm with the majority that believes a car is for driving, no matter how good it is. At the end of the day, classic cars now have a cult following so it is not like you'll ever find yourself in a position were you are unable to allocate parts or trades men to service, fix mechanics, repair bodywork etc. It is a lot easier to keep a classic car now-a-days, although you may find you have to put up with grievances from local youths that can't keep their mucky paws off your pride and joy, where-ever you go.

I've found a car that gets driven and cared for regularly causes less hassle than a car that only tastes the road every now and again. Driving your pride and joy is a lot more deserving than having a shiny concourse award sitting on the mantelpiece.

BUT, I think you need to be realistic if you were going to drive it as your daily driver ;

What about insurance? Insurance for 17 year olds on small engines is hard enough, but when you start aiming towards two litre petrol, never mind more, you'll be receiving a lot of unsuccessful quotes. Look into the traders insurance your Dad has, but don't get your hopes up. Traders insurance can be expensive and the policy can be quite strict. As somebody else pointed out, many traders insurance are upwards of 25 years old, some businesses are 21 years old depending on use.

If you follow the classic insurance route most insurers have a 21 years and older rule. Some require you to already have an insurance policy on another vehicle. Not forgetting the policy limitations, such as mileage, which obviously isn't ideal for daily use.

Lastly, what about fueling the damn thing!? Lets face it, these old tanks aren’t exceptionally economical so you will find yourself forking out a lot of money for petrol. Remember, super unleaded as well, not unleaded! And to top it off, £180 tax! It is a lot to take on whilst working through school / college and preparing for University.

At the same time though, if you bought a cheap run-around, it would need to be just that; a cheap run-around, because you’ll still be forking out trying to keep two vehicles on the road at your age!

You should sit back and relax, save some pennies and worry about it when the time comes – sometimes planning a few years in advance isn’t always the best way – a lot can happen in that time!