? for you festive fanatics..................

[Gomez]

my insurance for my 1991 festiva cost 828.00 per year or 69.00 per month thats for basic insurance which means pleasure driving not for work would be more with out good driving record witch gives 30 percent discount.1year insurance is almost what i paid for car.

WOW, you must be a youngin'. Mine usually runs less than 1/2 that

[legend123]

no 51 years old with perfect driving record with full merit discount other wise add another 30% on or 248.40 more

[1990new]

no 51 years old with perfect driving record with full merit discount other wise add another 30% on or 248.40 more

That rate does seem a bit steep.

I'm 70 with a perfect driving record and all 3 Festivas are insured without work related travel. I pay $634 per year total for all 3...so I have nothing to complain about.
Rates must be much higher in Canada.

[sketchman]

I'm 26 and I pay $44/month for mine. Bare minimum. 1 speeding ticket that didn't count as points on my record costs me about $3/month more than it used to be.

Allstate said age doesn't make a difference. Only time spent with them. Needless to say I don't spend time with them any more.

I've found State Farm is a joke. Even the employees at our local "branch" think so, and GEICO was OK when I had to have full coverage, but they couldn't touch Progressive for the bare min.

[mustang6984]

I was primarily a Mustang guy for years. (going back to street rods now) and faced this issue a couple of times. And will with two Mustangs I am still finishing up. One is a Saleen that due to a fluke in Saleen's construction phase became a "one only" car. To a standard insurance company, it is "just an '88 Mustang Convertible."
Eh...not so fast there Mr. Insurance man. First by virtue of being "specialty car" it is worth more. Then toss in that "one of one" thing...and it is truly worth more.
So...knowing as I did that insurance companies like to MAKE money, but necessarily PAY OUT money...I went to a professional appraiser with it. I bought the car in '01, and the standard '88 Mustang Convertible was worth about $7-8k at the time. The appraisal on this car came in at $20k and change. And at the time it needed---new paint (the old was dried out on one side from having sat next to window in storage for 10 years), a new top (same issue) and new interior (ditto). It had less than 22k miles on it though.
I have since done all of those things, although I did go to an all leather interior instead of the leather/vinyl combo it came from the factory with. (If I wanted to go back, I can.) I have not yet had it re-appraised, but then it doesn't get driven as much anymore either. I paid a touch over $17k for it, and have invested another $12-14k in it since with paint, interior, top and stripe kit.
My point is this...if you build something, and it is in YOUR opinion worth more than the base value....go to a PROFESSIONAL appraiser, take with you a list of ALL the work you have done or had done, with receipts, names of shops or individuals who performed the upgrades you may have farmed out and let him come up with a value. Prepare to pay between $150-200 for the appraisal.
Take this appraisal to your insurance agent. MOST large name-brand insurance companies will accept the appraised value of your car as gospel. (My insurance at the time was State Farm, and there was no questioning the value of the appraisal.) You can also go to companies like Hagerty...or other specialty companies. Keep in mind that classic car insurance companies have mileage limits for your driving time, generally around 5k per year, although I believe Hagerty has levels that vary for those who drive them more.
Mine is still insured with my primary carrier, and I am still operating off that old appraisal, which I should have long ago upgraded, and will be doing before it goes back on the road again. (am now with the Hartford)
My '57 Fords are the same issue...a basic '57 is worth market value today about $5k. (check Craig's list or E-Bay and see what they sell for unrestored! Oh my!) That $5k wouldn't buy the heads and Tri-power off the engine, let alone the entire car. You get the idea.
Bottom line...if you want to be sure that your vehicle is insured for the value of what YOU have put into it, then shop around, and you will find someone who will insure it for something better than the stock value. Good luck...and be patient...searching for insurance...NEVER fun!

let me start by stating I understand the way people get obsessivly connected
to things like they do. stamps, coins, cars, beanie babies (well not bb's, lol).

and they will justify spending what ever on what ever for their passion.


I'm not that passionate about any thing and maybe thats a curse or not.
I dunno. But when I see the shows where old people are trying to sell off
stuff they collected all their lives I think its more of a blessing. to me
things don't give you real pleasure but people do.

having said that...........

I do like cars mainly from the 50's and 60's but I do like the 80's G-body
GM cars like the cutlass and regal. its hard NOT to "get wood" when looking
at a well done or preserved Grand national, GNX, or Hurst Olds.

I have owned a 64 dodge dart, 57 and 66 fairlanes, 70 eliminator, 75 442,
84 H/O, 57 dodge hemi, 70 dodge polara coupe, 64 & 74 novas, 68 impala,
79 malibu, etc, and trust me, ETC., lol.


I like my little 89 festiva to the point of spending between 3 and 3500 on it
restoring it to near perfect stock mechanical condition and putting in a nice
sound system and tint. imo those were a necessity because I drive 3-400 miles
a week and in SC you need the tint come summer. The only non essential
things I did to it was to put 13" toyota wheels on it but I consider that an
upgrade, and I bought a deck spoiler for a great price ($125).

to me, thats the only thing I've done to it just to improve the "looks".
and the wheel upgrade was basically free. got the wheels for $0 and the
car was needing tires and I found a set of like new 13's on CL for $60.
heck, I saved money going with the 13's. the 12's were gonna be over
$200. (ever tried finding a set of those on CL?, not likely)

my ?

since my insurance co won't give me more that about 6-700 for it should
it get totaled why spend that kind of coin on it in the first place? I mean
other than the peace of mind knowing I won't be on the side of the road
due to to the mechanical rebuild why drop $ into it to make into whatever,
be it a hot rod or a custom truck? I GET THE LOVE OF IT.

so what would you guys who have dropped serious time and coin into these cars do
should you get into a wreck and your car actually does get totaled?

the reason I bring it up is because my daughter got hit by someone and drove
the car home. only damage was to RF (bumper, hood fender).
Ins. co. totals the car at $600 bucks. we paid 15 a year earlier.
Car was a nice 91 metro with low miles, ac, 5sp, and hardly a scratch on it.
gas was over 3 a g and that car got 45mpgs.

how do you get (or can you get) any more out of it if the "true value" is way
off from being the book value?

this is the reason I'm selling my bp car and going with a car that I can get
classic car insurance on. It's cheap and you will get a big % of your $ back
if totaled. I know I'll have more money in a classic but I'll get more out of
it when I sell it or if I wreck it.

not only that but a classic if bought right will appreciate whereas I never see
any stock festiva being worth more than 1500-2500 unless someone pulls out
a garaged and loaded LX with 5k miles on it and then 3500 or 4 would be about it.

here are some of what I'm looking to get in the coming year;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/391058992521?_trksid=p2060778.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

this stock regal is nice;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buick-Regal-Regal-Limited-1987-buick-regal-limited-v-8-1-owner-39-k-miles-garage-kept-must-see-/321668508640?forcerrptr=true&hash=item4ae4efebe0&item=321668508640&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

but this one is ba;

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buick-Regal-Grand-National-Turbo-1987-grand-national-turbo-used-turbo-3-8-l-v-6-12-v-automatic-rear-/311305742515?forcerrptr=true&hash=item487b44a8b3&item=311305742515&pt=US_Cars_Trucks

I like these if I can find one with t-tops;

https://www.google.com/search?q=1983...F&ved=0CB0QsAQ

[1990new]

I use Progressive as well... Had Nationwide before (have homeowners with them) but it was much higher for the same auto coverage even with multi coverage discounts. They went up a hundred a year on my home owners after I switched my autos to Progressive, but I still come out much better overall after switching autos to Progressive. (On the other hand, my homeowners rates are a killer since I live on a barrier island within about 2 miles of the Atlantic.)

[mustang6984]

We had Progressive for years. I insure 5 vehicles all for full coverage. One day was bored, went comparison shopping, and found The Hartford. After talking to a guy, we went to them. All was done on line and phone. Same policy for same number of cars...cost us a touch more than %100 a month LESS than what we were paying with Progressive. And that was even with my son on the policy who had some...uh...well...shall we say...uh..problems on his record. (one of those problems was he TOTALED my red Festiva!!!) His last two issues will drop off by this September, so I expect the rates will drop again after that.

I use Progressive as well... Had Nationwide before (have homeowners with them) but it was much higher for the same auto coverage even with multi coverage discounts. They went up a hundred a year on my home owners after I switched my autos to Progressive, but I still come out much better overall after switching autos to Progressive. (On the other hand, my homeowners rates are a killer since I live on a barrier island within about 2 miles of the Atlantic.)

[sketchman]

^Hmm, so they pay you to have their insurance. I gotta get some of that. LOL

Kidding obviously. I'll look into it.