New car for this year's shoestring tour!

[NigelDonnelly]

Long-term fans of PC may well remember that last year, Mrs D and I headed off to Croatia in our budget car and caravan.

This year, we are not heading anywhere quite so exotic for our annual May jaunt. This year it is a gentle saunter around the Irish Republic but we still needed a suitably shoestring outfit. The van was easy; Doug King has just finished the damp work on our Project Elddis, so I am just making it more comfortable with new flooring and a few other tweaks. And last night, I sorted out an executive express to to tow us there.

I was really impressed with the dogged determination of our old Volvo last year, so when looking for a car this year, it was hard to look past another Swede. Fate played a part here, because a mate of mine had a car with a lapsed MOT and he offered it to me free of charge if I took it away quickly. He's owned the car for years, so I know it well and seeing as the price was right, I decided to take a chance.

I dropped it off for an MOT today but the tax runs out at the end of March and the insurance has set me back £520. So it was not free for long. I didn't realise that it sits in insurance group 32, shoulder to shoulder with the Audi TT, Volkswagen Scirocco R and Mini Cooper S so I suppose it was a little too much to expect cheap cover. It's still cheap. At the moment. Fingers crossed that a towbar and the MOT don't cost too much.
/sites/practicalcaravan.com/files/images/Photo%2026-03-2012%2019%2004%2021.jpg
The picture shows it moving under its own steam after a jump start from PC's Peugeot 3008 last night. I'll keep you posted on the MOT results over the next day or two...

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[Martin24]

Was sure I replied yesterday but......???? oh well! Looks very good for the age and if it passes just sorting out that scuff on the bumper would make all the difference!!

 

[Surfer]

At £520 for car insurance how many points do you have on your driving licence? Seems awfully high for a car of that age? My Dad has an S reg S40 1800cc and his insurance is about £300 and he is 86 years old!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Surfer,
The policy applicants job is taken into account, and the policy is weighted accordingly. If you want to see your premium rocket, just mention you are involved in entertainment, journalism, or football, and the sky's the limit.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

The scuff on the bumper is not as bad as it looks - the big grey mark is actually the gunk from the trade plate adhesive which has now been scraped off. The big scuff is a big scuff however and if the MOT goes well, I may treat the paint to a bit of a spoodle to tidy it up.

In terms of insurance, I have a clean licence and 12yrs NCB...on another vehicle. I spent 40 mins on the phone to get an introductory discount equivalent to 3yrs NCB. The reason it is so expensive to insure is because it is a T4 model - 1.9ltr turbo petrol producing (in 1997) 200bhp / 221lb.ft torque. To buy a diesel one would cost me a £1000 so I chose to accept this freebie and spend my money on insurance (and Super unleaded) instead...

 

[Dustydog]

The scuff on the bumper is not as bad as it looks - the big grey mark is actually the gunk from the trade plate adhesive which has now been scraped off. The big scuff is a big scuff however and if the MOT goes well, I may treat the paint to a bit of a spoodle to tidy it up.

In terms of insurance, I have a clean licence and 12yrs NCB...on another vehicle. I spent 40 mins on the phone to get an introductory discount equivalent to 3yrs NCB. The reason it is so expensive to insure is because it is a T4 model - 1.9ltr turbo petrol producing (in 1997) 200bhp / 221lb.ft torque. To buy a diesel one would cost me a £1000 so I chose to accept this freebie and spend my money on insurance (and Super unleaded) instead...

Nigel
Did you try the Caravan Club Insurance scheme? They came out tops for me last year with a "beat any price " promise.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Must confess that I did not try the Club for car insurance. Don't tell them...

Update on the Volvo - MOT failed this afternoon, but happily not on anything major. Two wiper blades and a rear number plate bulb are not too bad. Non-functioning horn and a rear brake pipe 'corroded to excess' are a little more troubling, but nothing that a couple of hours of spanner twirling can't sort out...

 

[Francis_374353316]

It looks like a decent car. I look forward to reading about your adventures with the outfit in upcoming magazines.

 

[RayS]

I guess the insurance premium is also related to home address area - not something you can change easily ! If, Nigel, you or a relative have ever been a Civil Servant - postie or whatever - try CSMA and their LV= policy. A combination of a rural address and CSMA give me a premium for a fairly new MB 220 cdi well less than half of your quoted figure,

But it could be worse - you could be a musician or a firewood merchant - both higher rated than a journalist !

 

[emmerson]

Nigel, does the Volvo have traction control? My dog van, aka Volvo 850 estate, doesn't have TC, and spins its wheels on level damp grass! Great road car though.

 

[NigelDonnelly]

Emmerson

It does! DSA is Swedish for traction control apparently and I have a big button in front of the gear lever with this written on it. Car is now MOT'd, taxed and I'll put an update up shortly. Bought a new towbar in a box, unused for £56 on eBay yesterday too. Now I just have to fit it...