Amusing car insurance experience





O.k., so I suppose I should clarify this. If you look at the photo below, you'll notice a little badge on the car. Most of you who know me in Ireland will be aware that I drive this little pocket rocket (- although I'm fairly certain that most of ye haven't been for a drive with me in it!
I'll clarify why I purchased it however. Back when I was a young lad (doesn't that make me sound old :), i.e. 16, I took up scuba diving. I used to get a lift out to Naas swimming pool for the training sessions with a neighbour in what was a Volvo V40 T4. Think wolf in a sheep's clothing, or a performance car for a crude description. But the guy who drove it was in his mid-40's and his logic for it was that while o.k., it went fast, he didn't particularly care about that but he liked the additional safety features that came with performance cars: better brakes, tyres, ABS, extra airbags, etc. It didn't make sense to me at the time until a deer ran out in front of us in Wicklow and I felt like someone had hit me with a sledgehammer. It wasn't us hitting the deer but all the fancy gizmos stopping us and slamming me against the seatbelt. Those memories always stuck with me.

So, when I got the oppurtunity to buy my own car, I went out with the same attitude. Only needed a small car, good mileage as I cover about 48,000km a year, some decent power for overtaking on bad country roads, and whopping brakes.
And ended up with this.
I'll be honest however, I do love to drive also. Not very fast in straight line, but I do take the odd blast through Wicklow to get to Dublin. Good stress reliever if you ask me!

The point of this ramble? Firstly, I'm getting back to writing more this year after a quiet couple of months. Secondly, I went to get this re-insured yesterday. 27 years of age with no accidents, etc. Basically a perfect record. Blah blah blah.
And.......only two companies will even consider insuring me.
Yep, rang them all yesterday and only two companies in Ireland will cover me. I'm not sure if that's a compliment or that I should be offended that I'm being branded as a dangerous driver because of my car.....sigh. Welcome to the Irish insurance industry eh? :)

Note: Since I'm sure people will ask (or at least wondering :), I have properly gone for it on two occasions (on an empty motorway so that it'll only be me affected if it all goes pear-shaped), mainly out of curiosity after reading an article about the car. All I'll say is, I broke into the 2nd round of three figures in km/hr and it was still pushing hard. And yes, it got scary so I chickened out :)

2nd Note: This was taken this morning in Kildare before it started snowing again for the past hour again. First bit of snow I've seen in a while, although I don't think I'll be taking my snowboard out in it ;)

Comments

  1. I'm jealous of the GTI version. Got a 1.1 XL Independence(which got some extras like having to enter a code before the engine can start up, central locking, power steering, sun roof) and its a great car and it hasn't given me any trouble really(with around 20k miles with me behind the wheel). I wish it had ABS for days like this morning...
    Not encouraging with insurance for me as I want to buy slightly bigger/more powerful car in the near future(something like Golf GTI or maybe Focus RS). But since I'm 20 I might have even more trouble insuring it :( and a hefty price tag :(.

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  2. Howdy Sarunas :)
    Good to see your comments!

    Don't worry, I've been through the experience of younger insurance premiums so I know what you feel.
    Although by the time I got the Gti, insurance levels had dropped to sensible levels......
    As for those other cars, the Golf Gti and Focus RS don't get categorised the same as the 106 version as they're slightly more sensible :) It seems I'm driving a but of a lunatic car. I just don't drive it that way so never really realised it......

    I didn't even get a sun roof in mine though. Jealous now ;)

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  3. I am still curious about the speed

    1. At what point did you chicken out at?
    2. And what do people figure it will do?

    I once broke the 100mph in my old 106 (i.e. The Legendary Guastáin Bán); it has to be one of the scariest things I have ever done. It took a considerable amount of effort to do (tail wind required ;) ) and the 1.1 litre was screaming at me by the end of it, in addition to that I did it on Kerry roads and normal small car suspension was not built for that type of speed and I think if I could have gone any faster I would have bounced off the road. How and ever I was younger and slightly more foolish.

    I won't be doing anything so foolish in my current wagon.

    E

    ps I would expect to be taken for a damn good burn once you're motoring again. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very interested blog. Thanks Autoversicherung

    ReplyDelete
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