@ JTbo.....Wow that Cortina is gorgeous, you'd be the coolest guy in Finland with that, but they ain't cheap http://www.carandclassic.com/car/C29102?pt=pf

Just had a quick look at the UK Auto Trader site at the prices of 240's, Only 7 in the whole country and the price's are quite a spread http://search.autotrader.co.uk ... -4294966791/search.actionCan't imagine what it'd be like to drive one of those with 300bhp and massive turbo lag

And FYI auto's are soooooo boring, i definitely wouldn't recommend one unless there's no other option.

And, if you find you're getting older but want to keep your toys, here's a Top Gear Top Tip. Propose to your lass, and make some miniature JTbo's it's the best excuse us oldies have for still buying toys at our age, plus it keeps the missus happy, and quiet, which can only be a good thing

Quote from mcgas001 :

I highly reccommend you DONT get your dad to teach you to drive

Depends on how good of a driver your dad is. He didn't teach me how to DRIVE a car, but I had to endure almost a year of him sitting in the passenger seat and YELLING at me for EVERY FREAKING THING I did wrong. Even simple stuff on the highway like, "You're not staying in the CENTER of the lane. You're bouncing off the lines," when I was only going back and forth by maybe 5 inches. EVERY LITTLE TINY THING I'd get my ass yelled off at. It was SO FRUSTRATING because he was the only dad who did that from what my friends told me.

The benefit to all that was that I can say without doubt that I am one of the best drivers of my age. He drilled so many little things into my head. Now it's natural for me to stay DEAD center in my lane, even in twisty roads, or to always look left and right when the light turns green JUST in case someone runs the light, or to keep an eye in the rear view mirror when I have to brake on the highway and be ready to avoid the person who might hit me from behind. And it's mostly thanks to him because that kind of stuff they never teach you in the US. In fact, it was HE who got me into the habit of staying all the way to the right, while the rest of NJ hangs in the left lane. When I did my 6 hours behind-the-wheel to GET my permit, my instructor told me and my dad that I was the best driver he'd ever had. But after my dad got through with me, I can tell you I'm a ten-fold better driver than that. I've learned a lot through his yelling and screaming.

They also have about 20+ years of bad habits picked up.

Quote from The General Lee :

They also have about 20+ years of bad habits picked up.

Again, as I said, it depends. My dad has lots of bad driving habits. However, he knows what they are, and when I was driving, he never taught me any of those things...

...which is great - it gives me many opportunities to yell at HIM when he does something wrong!

Quote from Mazz4200 :

I've got a 2004 Focus now, you calling my car crap ? :mad:

Yes. Had to rent one to go to my brothers funeral (Vauxhall reliability for you), and it wasn't a car, it was a chunk of granite with wheels bolted onto it. Horrible ride, the only redeeming feature was the engine was so snappy it was fun to drive when being an arse around the roads on a farm (made my own rally course), but once it was back to driving around roads at normal speeds I needed a spine transplant because it was ground into dust.

[edit: just noticed it was a 06 Focus, not 04, ignore that.)

Quote from mcgas001 :

I highly reccommend you DONT get your dad to teach you to drive, my brother passed a few years ago and tried to help me. Trouble is im 4th lesson in and ive realised the test standards have changed a LOT now. When doing a turn in the road, did you know you have to pull up to the side of the road, stop. Look all around the car, Get the clutch biting relase the handbrake and full lock right untill you shoulder blade is level with the middle of the road then swing left. Then you have to stop (without hittting the curb) put the handbrake on, look all around select reverse, get clutch biting and move off, and so on, so fourth.... driving has changed a lot just lately..

How else would you perform a safe turn in the road? Just go along at 30, the whack the handbrake on and hoped you ended up facing the other direction having hit nobody? It's hardly new, just common sense. Granted a lot of the driving style you learn for the test is nonsense, but some things do make sense.

My dad didn't exactly teach me to drive, as I had lessons as well, but going out in the car every evening with him for an hour or so certainly allowed me to pass quicker, took me about 8 weeks from when I first got behind the wheel IIRC.

Lol Psychoman, slightly too used to the overly 'comfy' ride of the Omega are we? :P

Why are you guys using the handbrake? Sounds weird to me

Quote from pb32000 :

Lol Psychoman, slightly too used to the overly 'comfy' ride of the Omega are we? :P

Yeah, I'm an old man before my time.

If I want my bones clattered about then I'll want it to be in a sports car, not a shopping trolley.

1.2 Corsa Spin from 1995 - £1,485 a year cheapest quote (!)

Next most expensive was £1,525.11 fully comp, but with a £750 excess...

Somehow my friends claim to have got £400 quotes on old cars (one of them has got a Spitfire...), no idea how or if their even telling the truth.

Any other car thats cheaper to insure than a car that should be group 1?

Must...resist....urge...to...say.... NOVA!!!!!


Oooops...

Do your bike test, you know it makes sense.

Cheaper, faster, and you get to nod at all the other bikers.

Quote from Jakg :

1.2 Corsa Spin from 1995 - £1,485 a year cheapest quote (!)

Next most expensive was £1,525.11 fully comp, but with a £750 excess...

Somehow my friends claim to have got £400 quotes on old cars (one of them has got a Spitfire...), no idea how or if their even telling the truth.

Any other car thats cheaper to insure than a car that should be group 1?

I suspect that they are quoting prices of being a named driver on a policy in their parents name. I'm old, have full NCB and pay about £350 on the 106.

Do you really need fully comp ?
For the value of the car, and the excess you would be hit with in the event of a claim, I don't think it's worth paying the extra.

Quote from mcgas001 :

Must...resist....urge...to...say.... NOVA!!!!!


Oooops...

Must.. re.. ah crap car!

Quote from mcgas001 :

Must...resist....urge...to...say.... NOVA!!!!!


Oooops...

Didn't they have to rename the Nova for the Spanish market?
Something about 'Nova' translating to 'Doesn't go'

Quote from Bean0 :

Didn't they have to rename the Nova for the Spanish market?
Something about 'Nova' translating to 'Doesn't go'

Something about that was on Top gear, "Nova" means "Wont go" in spanish or something, but i cant agree, ive NEVER had a problem with mine and also all the people i know who have them. They drive like nut case's and the engines start fine on the dot every day

Edit: in europe i belive its known as the Corsa A? ....

Quote from mcgas001 :

Something about that was on Top gear, "Nova" means "Wont go" in spanish or something, but i cant agree, ive NEVER had a problem with mine and also all the people i know who have them. They drive like nut case's and the engines start fine on the dot every day

Edit: in europe i belive its known as the Corsa A? ....

Yea, over here it's a corsa. I always used to wonder what a Nova was... But once I saw the model.. It's a corsa

Quote from beefyman666 :

Do your bike test, you know it makes sense.

Cheaper, faster, and you get to nod at all the other bikers.

Can it transport two people? Is it good in the cold?

And i already get to do the "biker nod". I just have to pretend i'm cruising rather than going flat out when it's a 600 super-sports bike!

I dont need fully comp as i have no plan on claiming, but for less than £100 more i just wondered if it was worth it.

Quote from Jakg :

Can it transport two people? Is it good in the cold?

And i already get to do the "biker nod". I just have to pretend i'm cruising rather than going flat out when it's a 600 super-sports bike!

I dont need fully comp as i have no plan on claiming, but for less than £100 more i just wondered if it was worth it.

A bike can take a pillion, and it's good in the cold. Just don't be a fairy about it.

LOL at the trying to cruise on a twist n grovel. Been there and done that. 50cc, constantly screaming it's tits off to do a modest speed. Theres no two ways about it, you might be sitting bolt upright 'cruising' but yourgoing flat out.

Your other option is, take bike test, get a shit but decent bike (huh?) and do your car test and get insurance on your parents car.

Just out of interest, if you tell the insurance that your are doing 5k, and they look at your mile counter when you crash and its over that, is the policy void straight away?

Quote from DeKo :

Just out of interest, if you tell the insurance that your are doing 5k, and they look at your mile counter when you crash and its over that, is the policy void straight away?

Would probably depend on how much over said 'limit' was. a few thousand over and it would more than likely be void, less than a hundred, you might get away with.

Quote from Bean0 :

Didn't they have to rename the Nova for the Spanish market?
Something about 'Nova' translating to 'Doesn't go'

No go is what it translated as. No is still no, and va is go.

Quote from DeKo :

Just out of interest, if you tell the insurance that your are doing 5k, and they look at your mile counter when you crash and its over that, is the policy void straight away?

How would they know? Unless you'd made a claim within a year of making another claim.

I'm fairly sure you don't disclose the cars mileage upon insuring it. However I guess if you do a massive mileage and don't insure for that, then you start to run into issues.

Also if you insure a car at home for example, but then keep it away from home for a few months say and have to claim, does that void your insurance due to it not being kept at home? Tbh I have never read the smallprint so I dont know, would be interested to find out though as I may need to do that soon.

Quote from pb32000 :

How would they know? Unless you'd made a claim within a year of making another claim.

I'm fairly sure you don't disclose the cars mileage upon insuring it. However I guess if you do a massive mileage and don't insure for that, then you start to run into issues.

Also if you insure a car at home for example, but then keep it away from home for a few months say and have to claim, does that void your insurance due to it not being kept at home? Tbh I have never read the smallprint so I dont know, would be interested to find out though as I may need to do that soon.

For policies with limited miles, I have known insurers request a copy of the MOT certificate (which states mileage). With the new computerised MOT system, they most likely have access to the data.

Quote from pb32000 :

How would they know? Unless you'd made a claim within a year of making another claim.

I'm fairly sure you don't disclose the cars mileage upon insuring it. However I guess if you do a massive mileage and don't insure for that, then you start to run into issues.

Also if you insure a car at home for example, but then keep it away from home for a few months say and have to claim, does that void your insurance due to it not being kept at home? Tbh I have never read the smallprint so I dont know, would be interested to find out though as I may need to do that soon.

I think you'd have to tell the insurer if you store it somewhere else for a long time, so if I insured my car at home as it is cheaper than if I insured it in Salford because crime rate is supposedly higher here, but I keep it here for university that might void my insurance policy, even though it is off street parking here.

Though really you'd have to ask them.

They ask you were you keep in parked during the day.