A mate is going over next month to pick up a 56 Chevy in Seattle and will drive it to L.A.
Contacts with specialist companies here have proved fruitless and he has been getting a bit of a run around with US companies.
Has anyone here successfully gained short term insurance in the USA for an old car? If so, can you please let me know how it was arranged, what hurdles were jumped etc etc.
Thanks, Des
Old car insurance in USA
-
nomadawhat
- Posts: 280
- Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:08 pm
- Location: Langwarrin Victoria
-
johnonetrillion
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:44 pm
- Location: Brunswick Victoria
Re: Old car insurance in USA
Thanks, Des.
Companies like Hagerty will do a classic car policy, but it can only be secondary to an existing policy – so it's like an add-on. That's how they can do them so cheap. Of course, I have no such primary policy, so that's a closed door. Cost would have been $190 USD p/a. And it's an administrative nightmare because you must get details of all drivers at the nominated address and get them on the policy, regardless if they will be drivers of your car, and also nominate one of the household cars as your daily driver – then get insurance certificates to all back this up.
But Progressive will do a custom policy for any pre-1981 car by phone – you just need to call and they will assign you to a local agent. It needs to be done with some sort of local address. Cost is high when comprehensive – they are quoting about $330 USD pcm with an agreed value of $13.5K USD. (If the car is post-1981 it can be done online – and probably by a while lot more agencies or brokers.)
The other possible way around this is to have the car added to the policy of a friend/relative if that avenue is open to anyone.
Companies like Hagerty will do a classic car policy, but it can only be secondary to an existing policy – so it's like an add-on. That's how they can do them so cheap. Of course, I have no such primary policy, so that's a closed door. Cost would have been $190 USD p/a. And it's an administrative nightmare because you must get details of all drivers at the nominated address and get them on the policy, regardless if they will be drivers of your car, and also nominate one of the household cars as your daily driver – then get insurance certificates to all back this up.
But Progressive will do a custom policy for any pre-1981 car by phone – you just need to call and they will assign you to a local agent. It needs to be done with some sort of local address. Cost is high when comprehensive – they are quoting about $330 USD pcm with an agreed value of $13.5K USD. (If the car is post-1981 it can be done online – and probably by a while lot more agencies or brokers.)
The other possible way around this is to have the car added to the policy of a friend/relative if that avenue is open to anyone.
-
smee
- Posts: 256
- Joined: Wed Aug 01, 2007 2:14 pm
- Location: greenwood west australia
Re: Old car insurance in USA
you will need a local address, and I think the title transferred to your name. I did it a few years ago and the title transfer was a problem because they take your title from you and post the new one to you.
-
johnonetrillion
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:44 pm
- Location: Brunswick Victoria
Re: Old car insurance in USA
It's very tricky.
There used to policies for exactly this/our purpose, but no longer.
And you need to decide on why you want the policy: To just cover off the legal requirement (for police) or to be effective in the event of accident/theft/etc. (It's possible to get a shitty policy that only covers off the first.)
The easiest way to do it is have a local take a policy in their name, and associate it with the current insurance – assuming that the vehicle in question is pre-1981. Then you may have to be loitered on that policy as a driver.
What the US really wants is (1) a local address and (2) proof that the car in question is not a primary vehicle ... so the lower premium will assume most of the driver risk is with another car.
Now ... to get around this:
Go through an agent, possibly local to the state you are visiting – they will work around some of the questions in the standard applications that are otherwise dead ends ... and do this by phone, not online.
The only possibility I came across that enable a completely independent policy, for comprehensive cover that included all the 'uninsured' options was Progressive ... and I did this via a local agent referred to me via their main number. (They are good to deal with, and are 24/7.) The actual policies they write for this purpose are from Hagerty. Cost for 6 months cover for agreed value of $13.5K is about $1800.00. This can be paid monthly and cancelled at any time with any unused portion refunded, without any other cancellation fees – it's expensive, but good. It also covers roadside assistance and towing.
It's possible to go direct to Hagerty of you can associate the policy with a local.
Grundy offer the same proposition as Hagerty for about $200 p.a.
None of the companies/agents I spoke to needed to see the title in my name, but some did want it sighted. One wanted to see photos of the car in the nominated place of residence/storage.
Hope this helps.
And on similar matters:
AAA recognises the standard level of roadside assistance from RACV, NRMA etc. as a reciprocal deal.
Registration can take place via temporary trip passes ... most states are not so troubled by rego the way Australia is.
There used to policies for exactly this/our purpose, but no longer.
And you need to decide on why you want the policy: To just cover off the legal requirement (for police) or to be effective in the event of accident/theft/etc. (It's possible to get a shitty policy that only covers off the first.)
The easiest way to do it is have a local take a policy in their name, and associate it with the current insurance – assuming that the vehicle in question is pre-1981. Then you may have to be loitered on that policy as a driver.
What the US really wants is (1) a local address and (2) proof that the car in question is not a primary vehicle ... so the lower premium will assume most of the driver risk is with another car.
Now ... to get around this:
Go through an agent, possibly local to the state you are visiting – they will work around some of the questions in the standard applications that are otherwise dead ends ... and do this by phone, not online.
The only possibility I came across that enable a completely independent policy, for comprehensive cover that included all the 'uninsured' options was Progressive ... and I did this via a local agent referred to me via their main number. (They are good to deal with, and are 24/7.) The actual policies they write for this purpose are from Hagerty. Cost for 6 months cover for agreed value of $13.5K is about $1800.00. This can be paid monthly and cancelled at any time with any unused portion refunded, without any other cancellation fees – it's expensive, but good. It also covers roadside assistance and towing.
It's possible to go direct to Hagerty of you can associate the policy with a local.
Grundy offer the same proposition as Hagerty for about $200 p.a.
None of the companies/agents I spoke to needed to see the title in my name, but some did want it sighted. One wanted to see photos of the car in the nominated place of residence/storage.
Hope this helps.
And on similar matters:
AAA recognises the standard level of roadside assistance from RACV, NRMA etc. as a reciprocal deal.
Registration can take place via temporary trip passes ... most states are not so troubled by rego the way Australia is.