GC8WRX

How did you get insured on those cars, and were all mods declared?

All i could get insured on was a xr2i at 19!, and that cost 2000

fraser87uk

All mods declared on each car. At that level you have to. I just shopped around. Bell.co.uk came out trumps with me for the golf, and the silvia. Insurance for my impreza aint fun ill tell you.

Turbo2

We've all had the problem of age v. insurance. You spend all your childhood dreaming of supercars and when you get to 17 you're stuck with the choice of a shopping trolley that won't pull the skin off your porridge or taking the bus. I started with an immaculate Hillman Imp in 1987; probably a thumping 40bhp at the wheels, until I pepped it up with a pair of Stromberg carbs and a Peco pipe. Must have pushed it to at least 45bhp!

Thing is I adored it and spent every spare moment tinkering with it. You could eat your dinner off the engine. It was never fast, but definitely a bit different to all the Minis, Fiestas and Metros that everyone else had of my age.

Fortunately I got to drive a few other of our family cars as a named driver (TR6, Alfa GTV2000 Bertone, MGB, couple of Midgets), so it wasn't all slow-going during that period and I never bumped them either and still gained some usueful driving experience.

The important thing was that I was insured for the Imp and "on-the-ladder" for NCB. It may only have been 875cc, but so what? I still had fun (around the country lanes) and never dinged it and sold it 5 years later for a small profit. That clear no-claim history was how I managed to buy and insure my R5 Turbo 2 as a 24 year old.

Without any NCB, insurance can be pretty crazy for turbocharged Scoobies no matter how old you are. You can almost hear the person on the Insurer's telephone helpdesk sigh/snigger when you tell them what you're after!

Varboy

Nothing wrong with younger drivers having powerful cars, as long as they respect what they have.

Why don't you insist that he has some high performance driving lessons. Full days cost about £300 and are bound to benefit him safety wise.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I'm not usually negative, , (except about politicians), but on this, I have to be.

When I get asked a question like this, I remember the salesman who sold me mine saying, "If you have an 'off', it'll probably be a big 'un!".

And my next thoughts are of a friend who I watched, with his family, carry his son into the crematorium, with tears streaming down his face

Alcazar

willswrx

Everyone's different, anyone, at any age can crash and kill themselves\others. It doesn't really matter what car you're driving.

There are obviously exeptions, but I think most will agree on the fact that younger drivers are generally less experienced,and more likely to give in to the urge of putting their foot down, or having a bit of a race with their mates etc. Having a performance car is just less forgiving, and usually ends in more tears.

I too was involved with motorsport from a young age, but still think I was better off waiting a while before getting a quick road car. I always had a lot more safety equipment around me for a start when competing.

I work in the emergency services and see a lot of road accidents, a large proportion, and I'm not sayin all, are younger drivers. Bottom line is, if they're in a quick car the injuries are usually much worse if not fatal.Again, I know you can you can cause major damage in 1.0 saxo or similar, but in scooby turbo that has the ability to do silly speeds just about anywhere, (and we all love them for it) the opportunities come round so much more often.

He's your son and you know him best but honestly I'd probably have to say no.

Turbohot

General thoughts?

IMHO Don't encourage your son to buy a turbo at 19. No matter how much bhp a car has, it's illegal to drive above speed limits, as we all know. Young drivers are more prone (and known) to experiment the full throttle on public roads and make mistakes on designated tracks too, so please, bear this in mind.
There are many safer but nippy cars with small engines out there for him.
Just my opinion. I am sure you will do the right thing for your son

osborne

I've got mixed opinions, im 19 an have a wrx import. Had it since i was 18. its 260 at the wheels an ive never had a problem. No near misses that were my fault etc.

BUT, my brother had a bad crash in his m3, rolled it an died in hospital. Was very lucky to have been brought back in hospital. He came out with 2 broken legs. One of which as a shattered thigh. Serious legimant damage in his legs and still cant walk very well now.
Might never be able to run or play sports again.

He wasnt speeding but the back went out in the wet an he couldnt recover it. He admits he must have been going to fast for the conditions but wasnt going over the speed limit.
Road side witnesses also said this.

So all in all i say no.

Tidgy

260bhp at the wheels at 18? **** me how much was the insurance?

osborne

2000-3000 is all im saying lol

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Did you miss a zero off there?? If not, that's an awesome quote considering? Fully comp?

osborne

Yeah i've never been anything besides fully comp.
I shopped around ALOT to get it lol.
Suprisingly the company i went with was about 5000 at first but they put it down alot when a bloke chatted to me about random stuff.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I think i can see how that conversation went:

Insurance co. "That'll be 5k mate."

You: "F**k, can't afford that"

Insurance co: "Oh well, how long you been into performance cars for then? weather's nice at the moment, my nan is at the doctors at the moment..........
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
by the way, how do you feel about buggery??

You: "What the ****?!?!"

Insurance: " just making small talk, nothing to do with bringing the quote down....

You: Oh, well I really can't afford 5k, so will bring the KY, don't tell anyone and you've got a deal!

Ns04

ScoobLou

iTrader: (21)

Agreed

danfranklin1

Have to agree with others on here.. wait a couple of years to build up NCD in a shopping runaround then go for a proper turbo, not a modded Sport - bad idea. 19 is too young to be driving an Impreza IMO - only speaking from my own experience, but I was an idiot at that age - had a big smash in my first car (Yugo! it deserved it!) but of course people are all different... still, had I been in a Scoob I would have been going a lot quicker and probably wouldn't be here writing this at the ripe old age of 30.

mattL1983

i'm only 24 now, but when I was 18/19 my dad (a mechanic) was dead against me getting a fiesta rs turbo, for many reasons inc being a right money pit if it hadnt been looked after. Eventually he gave in, but I scrimped and saved to make sure I got a right minter and after a few months he loved it as much as I did. it was close to running 200bhp when i sold in 2005 for my P1. As above, i could have never afforded a turbo impreza at 18/19 + you have more fun starting off it something a bit smaller. just my 10pence worth

osborne

It was close enough lol,
I must admit i had some rather silly quotes!
The 5k was one of the better ones but i was feeling abit confident an thought i'd go for a spot of haggaling. Still expencive but i love my car so i'm willing to pay

GlesgaKiss

PMSL!!

fpan

iTrader: (11)

+1

Better safe than sorry.
Experience comes with age and driving more and more miles. I have gone through this stage so I know a 19 year old teenager should not be trusted with a powerful car.

GlesgaKiss

I'm 20 by the way, and as others have said, I have been involved with motorsports since an early age...basically anything to do with wheels and an engine. Really started with trials bikes, then motocross, karting etc and I would say that obviously had an effect on the way I could drive a car, as you just learn so much about control when you start young and I would say I'm very "down to earth" in the way I think about driving.

Regardless of age there are alot of people out there that have no comprehention of speed or feel when it comes to driving a car, and a good few that still like to drive very quickly in spite of this. They are the ones that crash in most cases. Saying that though, theres always going to be great drivers that crash because they have just pushed too hard.

I hardly ever drive quickly on the roads now, due to it just not exciting me anymore, and being honest its definetly not worth it...theres just too many things on the road that you cant predict yourself. It is probably a good thing too, because I believe if I had an impreza at 18(which is a time when I was pushing to the absolute limit on the road) I would have pushed that as hard as it would go, and having a crash at the speed an impreza can achieve flat out just doesnt bare thinking about . I would wait...even a few years.

Also going back to my first point I was passed last winter whilst doing roughly 40 mph in seriously heavy rain with lying water. The car was a saab and the driver was a big fat 50 yr old businessman that must have been doing about 80. I passed him further down the road in a field(which is something I had a feeling i'd be seeing )!

Alan

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

not going to be a popular view but here goes if you can afford it then go for it i wish scoobs were out when i was that age but they wernt at 19 which for me was 22yrs ago i was a complete **** on the road but there wernt anywhere near as many cars on the road then as there are now first car was a cortina 20l s which in its day was a decent tool considering the tyre and brake technology of the time i was 17 and had numerious incidents mostly of my own making as we all have im sure by 19 i had an audi gt which was the nuts and the only thing that ever pulled away from me was a new rs turbo but only on the straights had that for five yrs then got company cars so moved to bikes for my kicks! lets face it at 19 your gona be a *** on the road no matter what you drive ive had minis fiat pandas austin maxis ford capris and too many others to mention id buy any thing with an engine and wheels and its all an experience and thats what life is supposed to be about if your son is going to die young it will happen no matter what he drives let him enjoy while hes alive and if he dosent die then he will thank you for not spoiling his fun after all rich kids drive porshes at that age and if paris hilton can have a merclaren mercedes its open season as far as im concerned!

scoobyverysoon

iTrader: (1)

I did the same when I had my astra 1.2 put the full GTE kit on it and it was far cheaper then insuring a propper GTE

A year later I bought a propper 2.0 GTE as I wanted the power


IMO I would just buy the turbo and just take the hit on the insurance - I bought mine when I was 21 and I would of payed upto £3k but in the end my insurance was £1400 with tesco - end of the day I dont smoke also dont really drink so IMO its money well spent

wrighty338

iTrader: (33)

insurance is a biggy at our sort of age, but imo its worth it

just depends if your son is going to respect the car and not go mad

iv already cheated death in a car accident and its simply not worth it i tell thee...biggest mistake i ever made

cster

It might sound flippant, but my question would be how many sons do you have?
I come from a family of nine, and no one really gave a sh*t what I got up to.
But these days people tend to have smaller families, and so seem to be a bit more careful.
Maybe if you only have a small family and the means, it would be better to invest in a cheap track car.

scoobyjac

I would of settled for any car at 19 fast or not, i would try and get your son to settle for an impreza sport for a while build up the no claims and he can get a track turbo version for the weekends with the cash you save on insuring a high powered car...oh what fun!!!!!!

djmisio85

I think what were all forgetting is what the main use of a car is.....

Getting from A to B........

As above, i was happy to have any car at 19. If your sons got the cash, its his decision and could be his own mistake if anything happens.

Im only 23, drive my car like a grandad, dead slow, cos even though I could afford it if something went wrong (got a job) i treat my car with respect. Only on special occasions do i let it rip. But afterall its my only car, so I need it to get to work. If I rag it about everyday, im gona be dishing out a lot of money for either petrol, or worst case, repairs.

If ur son waits, he'll probably appreciate the car even more

Dan W

a 17 year old brother of a guy I used to ride BMX's with was bought an astra GTE back in the 80's. his experiment with speed resulted in him slamming into the back wheels of the trailer of an articulated truck and being decapitated at chest level.

Everyone was amazed that it happened in such an unlikely place.

Teens are prone to speed. not all though I admit. but the stats are not good.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Mate, if you're going to be pro young uns getting performance cars, you REALLY have to change your username!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

If you value your sons life, buy him some performance car training first. Stick him in a few kart races, the wetter the track the better!
It's how I learnt car control when I was 14/15. Carried that on into my late teens when I spent a week at the silverstone racing school where we learnt the art of racing in formula fords.

Only then was I ready for a road going performance car, where you are responcible for other peoples lives, not just your own.

When I was 21 I had saved up enough to get my first scooby. It was a quick one too, an sti 4. 4 years later, here I am still alive, clean license and not an accident to my name.

Please don't assume he is ready. Make him prove it first.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

YEP AND HOW DO YOU THINK I GOT THE NAME COS IVE WOUND UP IN A DITCH 4 TIMES TWICE ON BIKES AND TWICE IN A CAR ONCE ON THE ROOF YOU LIVE AND LEARN OR NOT AS IN MY CASE BUT IF YOU DONT FALL OFF YOUR NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH!!!