Young Drivers and Landies - Which One?

jamesmartin said:

i wouldnt try and talk them in to having a landy as a first car, you have to really want to drive an old landy as your daily transport

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This is true. You can pick up a 1 litre corsa or a rover 25 in good nick for a few hundred pounds. Cheap to insure and still have a bit of street cred with their mates. If they wreck a £500 car within their first year it's not the end of the world. Also the running costs are manageable for a young driver.

Col

dag019 said:

This may be a silly question but what do they want? If it is a car they want to drive they are more likely to look after it and drive sensibly. When I was 17 I got a twenty year old golf which I never really liked and promptly rolled it a couple of months after passing my test. However a couple of months after that I bought my 110 which other than not being a canvas top was the vehicle I had wanted since I was about 10 year old. Needless to say I was then far more careful and looked after it because it was what I had always wanted.
Other than that I would make sure it has power steering, whether that is a later model or and early one that has been retrofitted.

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Thanks Dag, because we have had ur SIII Lightweight since they were babies - they are quite keen on the idea of an old Landie... Son especially as I promised him the lightweight. I've just rang Footman James though and they won't touch anyone without 12 months of holding a license.. on any Landie.. Also been onto Compare the Meerkat and same thing - can't even add my 19 year old to a policy that I take out.

Seems insurance rules have tightened up considerably due to the risks of young drivers... Looking like the dream isn't realizable unless anyone knows different on here... ?

Colthebrummie said:

This is true. You can pick up a 1 litre corsa or a rover 25 in good nick for a few hundred pounds. Cheap to insure and still have a bit of street cred with their mates. If they wreck a £500 car within their first year it's not the end of the world. Also the running costs are manageable for a young driver.

Col

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Tis true... My two don't think Corsas are cool I'm afriad - they have the Landie bug - though read on, looks like Insurance isn't feasible...

Colthebrummie said:

This is true. You can pick up a 1 litre corsa or a rover 25 in good nick for a few hundred pounds. Cheap to insure and still have a bit of street cred with their mates. If they wreck a £500 car within their first year it's not the end of the world. Also the running costs are manageable for a young driver.

Col

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Rover 25 (£600) for the 19 year old with a Box fitted - £1,200 - £2k without a Box

BIG ouch....

Adrian Flux will (so far as i can tell) insure anything at all. You may need to re-mortgage your house to pay the bill, but they will (it seems) cover it.

That said, insurers work on statistics (and their desire to make as much money as possible!) - if they want to charge £3k to insure somthing, that may be a warning?



I used to work at a private school. One kid turned up with a Maserati as their first car. I cant remember what the insurance cost, but it was more than my annual salary.

I think it took him all of 8 weeks before he had crashed it. Which is all fair enough if its just a financial loss, but what if he had plowed into a bus que? Or maybe that's just a bit too "socialist"?

Series 111. Your youngsters are fit enough to cope with the heavy steering and have less to worry about bits going wrong. Also they will love the basic principle and be encouraged to look after and make the Landy their own.

I bought my stepson (17) a 1 litre corsa w reg. Cost £650 in good nick, insurance was £600 for him as a learner with me and his mum as named drivers. He passed his test and a year later insurance was £650. You need to shop around and consider options

Col

My partner was a late learner (in her 30s) -

I got her as a named driver (as a learner) on the disco, which was easy enough, but then, when she passed, the company that i was would not insure her (which was a real surprise!) so we had to swap policy to someone else.

Theyre all as crazy an each other. Which is frustrating, as, as mentioned, it really is just statistics, and it should be the same across the whole field.

bluebossa said:

Tis true... My two don't think Corsas are cool I'm afriad - they have the Landie bug - though read on, looks like Insurance isn't feasible...

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c1 and 2s are good first time cars and cheap as you can get for insurance as long as its small engine and 3 door,an old landy really isnt they are a hobby

saxavordian said:

Series 111. Your youngsters are fit enough to cope with the heavy steering and have less to worry about bits going wrong. Also they will love the basic principle and be encouraged to look after and make the Landy their own.

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Like that logic. Insurance seems to be a no go though on any Landie...

jamesmartin said:

c1 and 2s are good first time cars and cheap as you can get for insurance as long as its small engine and 3 door,an old landy really isnt they are a hobby

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Yeah you're right, though they don't make the Cool factor with my spoilt offspring! I've owned too many classics and Landies for C1 to even enter the mix I'm afraid. Just been looking at Herald 1200s had a few of them in my time too and 13/60s. Insurance is cheap too £700 to insure a 1200 Saloon.

My stepson didn't think the Corsa was cool either but it was a big improvement on catching the bus to work. After him driving it for 18 months, he has ruined it. There are little dents on every corner, a piece missing out of the back bumper, the number plate lamp has disappeared and the front spoiler is been broken off. The worse thing though is, old Corsas use a bit of oil, half a litre or more every 1000 miles is not uncommon. He didn't bother checking the oil level and even when the oil light came on, he ignored it till payday (2 weeks) so now the rings are knackered and its guzzling oil and blowing smoke. He is not mechanically minded but you think the least he would have done is say "what does this orange light mean" Oooh! I could spit

Col

My partner gets the "if it makes any sound that it does not normally" so often that i think / hope she is vigilant.
Ive even convinced her that looking underneath it when walking over to it is a good idea (i dont meen bending over, just keeping an eye out)

She came to pick my up one day, and said, in front of one of my workmates, "i think i need to top up the power steering fluid". Workmate was quite shocked that a female should know what power steering actually was, let alone the symptoms of low fluid, or how to top it up!

Oh the joys of driving old cars....

At one point i suggested a modern hatchback, and though she would jump on the idea, but i think she likes the "female driving a scruffy old disco in rural devon" angle more than she would like an automated rollerskate.

Ive still not got her to drive the 101 though.

julianf said:

My partner gets the "if it makes any sound that it does not normally" so often that i think / hope she is vigilant

She came to pick my up one day, and said, in front of one of my workmates, "i think i need to top up the power steering fluid". Workmate was quite shocked that a female should know what power steering actually was, let alone the symptoms of low fluid, or how to top it up!

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Nice one!

I've been trying to get my missus to fill up with fuel before the reserve light comes on for 13 years, no joy. The trouble is she knows I'll sort it if there is a problem. I'm my own worse enemy, even my old teachers at school used to say that, and, could do better.

Col

Mine gets a 10ltr jerry can in the back... : )

bluebossa said:

Yeah you're right, though they don't make the Cool factor with my spoilt offspring! I've owned too many classics and Landies for C1 to even enter the mix I'm afraid. Just been looking at Herald 1200s had a few of them in my time too and 13/60s. Insurance is cheap too £700 to insure a 1200 Saloon.

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i know what you mean as mine were the same but i thought about the reality simple cheap practical daily transport, my daughter has a c2 and the eldest lads is ready for his test, we have a number of series they are helping to restore for their future 2nd hobby car,

Colthebrummie said:

My stepson didn't think the Corsa was cool either but it was a big improvement on catching the bus

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Absolutely ! When someone else is paying for it beggars can't be choosers !

jamesmartin said:

i know what you mean as mine were the same but i thought about the reality simple cheap practical daily transport, my daughter has a c2 and the eldest lads is ready for his test, we have a number of series they are helping to restore for their future 2nd hobby car,

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Cool - sounds like you've got it right... need a bigger drive or a field first!