Any question answered...

Is MAX not the mega thin fancy stuff?

It's fairly thin walled, but similar to 853 ProTeam. The fat tubes are designed for big riders.

Sproglet son is 17 in April and wants a classic as his first car. The questions:
Has anyone any experience of the cost and embuggerance of such a scenario?
How much did the insurance cost?
Which insurance company did you go for?
I did contact Footman James but they would only insure him as a learner in a classic if he was also insured in his own right with a modern car.
Adrian Flux annual learner policy (F.C) is £870 for a Wolseley 16/60. I assume the policy on passing will be cheaper.
I am leaving it up to him to sort it all out which means it will be a sudden rush with 24 hours to go. I just thought forewarned is forearmed if anyone knows the facts.

I doubt you will find any classic policy that will cover someone with a fresh licence, (which is why I'm currently paying for 'normal' insurance for the Merc). They usually demand 2 years experience at least. Most have a minimum age too. You might get round this by being the main driver, but if he's the one that really is then you can't get away with that sort of thing any more.
Quite a lot require a garage. Most also require it to be your second vehicle, but even a scooter or moped is enough to count as your main one.

So assuming you're stuck with normal insurance, it;s all going to be pricey, but not many teenagers have accidents in big old barges. I'd definitely steer him towards a nice solidly built saloon. The Farina saloon is a tough old tank. I'm sure the brakes and handling are marginal, but it won't go very fast. Other safe old tanks might be the Rover P5, P6 or SD1, a Jaguar XJ6 or a Mercedes W123. He might spend more time fixing the Jag or Rover than he will driving it, but he can't crash into anyone while doing that, and he can 'enjoy' classic motoring with his spanners.

A whole year of learner insurance for a shiny new provisional licence holder with Adrian Flux for a Wolsely 16/60 is £870. It would seem.

Learner policies are usually about 2/3rds the price of the policy on a full license. As someone who's 18yrs old you're looking at paying a minimum of £1000. He'd be better off in something like a Citroen C1 or a Chevrolet Matiz. Newer cars tend to be cheaper to insure due to the increased safety measures.

A car I bought for £100 costs me £800 to insure with 2yrs no claims.

Did you check that car had an engine in?

merkins

http://erikatanithphotography.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/cover-design.jpg

Learner policies are usually about 2/3rds the price of the policy on a full license. As someone who's 18yrs old you're looking at paying a minimum of £1000. He'd be better off in something like a Citroen C1 or a Chevrolet Matiz. Newer cars tend to be cheaper to insure due to the increased safety measures.

A car I bought for £100 costs me £800 to insure with 2yrs no claims.

The good Mrs Savage has a Peugeot 107 he will be insured for but he wants to spend his money on an old banger and he won't be swayed at the moment. We'll see.

Mini, best car ever.

Euro NCAP 5 star car.

Oh, wait..

Safety is shit, like wearing a helmet and high vis, you're far more likely to crash. Fact.

Ultegra Hollowtech bottom bracket used to go in a throw the chain between the ring and the derailleur in a nearly stuck for good way on a ride and I then had to take the train or wobble home depending on distance.

Now after 10k/pa I have found a slight wobble cleaning the chain. Is it possible to give any predictions how this might last on the weekend?

Threw the chain of the big ring today. So to answer my question I would say it did about 300 miles. I get a new one tomorrow.

Safety is shit, like wearing a helmet and high vis, you're far more likely to crash. Fact.

Incentive not to crash.

http://erikatanithphotography.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/cover-design.jpg

'merkins, not merkins.

Mini, best car ever.

Errr no.

By far.

Mini, best car ever.

Great cars. The biggest go-cart ever made but they were phased out for a reason.

The footwells are the crumple zones in the event of an accident. The brakes don't work properly either.

A pity. I had a lovely Mini Clubman that had a 1400cc Morris Minor engine in the front when I was 18.

Accelerated like a angel but braked like a devil.

I was on an exchange in France once and one of my classmates was already about 6'6" at the time. As we were being picked up by our host families, we kept guessing which car was for whom. Naturally, when his turn came he was picked up in a Mini. Seeing him trying to fold himself into the back seat was hilarious.

Otherwise, Minis are only for shortarses.

whistles innocently waiting for NurseHolliday to turn up

By far.

No that is the range rover

Great cars. The biggest go-cart ever made but they were phased out for a reason.

The footwells are the crumple zones in the event of an accident. The brakes don't work properly either.

A pity. I had a lovely Mini Clubman that had a 1400cc Morris Minor engine in the front when I was 18.

Accelerated like a angel but braked like a devil.

How did a minor engine fit in a mini? The engines are different. Minor engines were the same as midget and marina engines as they had separate gearboxes unlike the mini/austin 1100 that was integral.

You can squeeze a bunch of honda engines in a mini.

Not all in the same one, they need a mini each.

You can squeeze a bunch of honda engines in a mini.

Some can be done with out making the flipper front end.

Seen the vtec, red top vauxhall, k series, odd ford engines..or dropped a micra turbo engine in. Drove a friends mini 30 anniversary that had a metro turbo engine in it. Didn't drive it for long...or ever go in it again.

Not all in the same one, they need a mini each.

Or one at each end.

Seen the vtec, red top vauxhall, k series, odd ford engines..or dropped a micra turbo engine in. Drove a friends mini 30 anniversary that had a metro turbo engine in it. Didn't drive it for long...or ever go in it again.

csb

Re: classic cars... I grew up with them (Rover P4's, mainly) and wouldn't recommend as a car for a 17 year old. They're expensive to insure (I never looked into getting insured on the P4 but insurance for a Landrover series 2 is silly expensive), expensive to run, always needing maintenance, not really that much fun to drive... Landrovers are more fun to drive, easier to maintain, almost impossible to dent (protip: crash one into another, that will dent them both). If your kid really REALLY wants something old then I'd go for something like that, though really it would be much better to wait a few years until the insurance is less absurd.