One Call Insurance......

[Keith Myath]

I now know why they are called \"one call insurance\", because after ringing for a quote you won't be ringing back.

I though i'd give em a try, might even get a discount being a season ticket holder...... it would need to be a 60% discount if they did.

Anyone else found them exteremly uncompetitive?

[MrFrost]

I drive a Ford Mondeo with 3 years no claims bonus and three points. My premium for this year was £530 with Direct Line.

I rang these clowns who wanted over two grand.

The Mrs has a Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. She pays £900 a year. One Call wanted £5000!!!!!!!

Crazy!

[Keith Myath]

MrFrost wrote:

I drive a Ford Mondeo with 3 years no claims bonus and three points. My premium for this year was £530 with Direct Line.

I rang these clowns who wanted over two grand.

The Mrs has a Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. She pays £900 a year. One Call wanted £5000!!!!!!!

Crazy!

'kin ell, thought mine was bad.

£350 is what im getting from moneysupermarket, One call wanted £670

At those prices i can only think they exist for money laundering purposes  B)

[MrFrost]

I did ask why the premiums were so high.
Apparently I am high risk due to having a speeding conviction and travelling to numerous places of work (Direct Line charge no extra for business use)

The Mrs has a \"high performance\" car and she is under 25.

Apparently our post code area is of \"extreme risk\" aswell.

[muff licker]

Keith Myath wrote:

MrFrost wrote:

I drive a Ford Mondeo with 3 years no claims bonus and three points. My premium for this year was £530 with Direct Line.

I rang these clowns who wanted over two grand.

The Mrs has a Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. She pays £900 a year. One Call wanted £5000!!!!!!!

Crazy!

'kin ell, thought mine was bad.

£350 is what im getting from moneysupermarket, One call wanted £670

At those prices i can only think they exist for money laundering purposes  B)

They have to get their DRFC sponsors money back somehow i suppose    :cheer:

On a serious note try Tesco's motor insurance, you may be pleasently suprised.

[muff licker]

Keith Myath wrote:

MrFrost wrote:

I drive a Ford Mondeo with 3 years no claims bonus and three points. My premium for this year was £530 with Direct Line.

I rang these clowns who wanted over two grand.

The Mrs has a Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. She pays £900 a year. One Call wanted £5000!!!!!!!

Crazy!

'kin ell, thought mine was bad.

£350 is what im getting from moneysupermarket, One call wanted £670

At those prices i can only think they exist for money laundering purposes  B)

[vaya]

MrFrost wrote:

I drive a Ford Mondeo with 3 years no claims bonus and three points. My premium for this year was £530 with Direct Line.

I rang these clowns who wanted over two grand.

The Mrs has a Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6. She pays £900 a year. One Call wanted £5000!!!!!!!

Crazy!

£65.23 fully comp with free Roadside service/recovery.

[MrFrost]

Jesus, what are you driving?

[vaya]

1982 1.6 Cortina.

One of the many advantages of driving an old car - peanuts to run and insure.

[BobG]

SwiftCover do my Alfa fully comp with protected NCB etc etc for £240 a year. Only me covered though.

BobG

[MrFrost]

BobG wrote:

SwiftCover do my Alfa fully comp with protected NCB etc etc for £240 a year. Only me covered though.

BobG

What Alfa do you have Bob? I'm looking at them for next year when I'll be finally changing my car for something a bit newer. Are the horror stories correct?

[BobG]

I've had Alfa's for years and years Mr Frost - going back to the mid 70's. Old Alfa's, pre their takeover by Fiat were good cars to drive with good bodywork (but see below!) and simply great handling if you're into testing your car out a bit. They all had rubbish synchromesh on second gear so you had to take that a bit steady, but nice cars. In the late 70's the Italian Govt, who owned Alfa and Lancia at the time, had a balance of payments problem. They forced both companies to use a frightening amount of re-cycled steel in the the production of their new cars.  That did for the Alfasud (and the Lancis Beta - both nice cars that vanished before your eyes). Since then both companies have worked real hard at overcoming the terrible reputation they then got. Alfa were bought out by Fiat 10 or 15 years ago now. So, personally, whilst the build quality is better, the gear box works properly and the whole package is fit for the 21st century, I'm not all that keen. They're all upper class Fiats to me these days. I've got a GTV. It goes well, its stops well (though I do always put fluted discs on my Alfas in preference to their standard ones) and it's handling is good. But it's got power steering which gives zero information about the amount of grip you've got left, it's front wheel drive which for a bloke brought up on sliding out the tail is bloody awful and, worst of all, there's so much sound proofing that I can't hear the lovely engine rasp and the clatter of the valves any more. I hate that. But, if you're looking for a quick car that's not badly built (they're not BMW's but they do try), is nowhere near as pricey as a BMW, is reliable (honestly!), and where there's a brilliant guy who offers brand new spares at half the price that the garages do, then an Alfa is fine.

As to what to get, depends what you need. I don't like the 156 or the 156 Sportwagon. Suspension is too soft - but I do go for rock hard suspensions though. Like driving a drunken cow I reckon so God knows what I'd think of any of the more common cars on the roads. The GTV is a good car (within the limits above) and quite cheap these days as they're srrating to age. The Brera is the one I'll buy next - if I decide I can't afford the DB9 A fabulously beautiful car that. The GT is quick, the new Guilietta, out soon, is supposed to be shit hot but I haven't seen even a picture yet. I'd avoid the Mito though: a toy car. The 147's are nice. Small, but well equipped and even the 1600 goes some. My then g/f had one for a while so I drove one quite a bit. The 2 litre 147 is quick. And you can get second hand 147's for a decent price.

Ask around for insurance though. Some companies hear the word 'Alfa' and instinctively add several 0's on the end. There are some specialists about who aren't bad. Ask if you need some phone numbers.

Still, the best car I have ever driven is the old Alfetta GTV and its bigger brother the Alfetta GTV6. For road holding, balance, poise, feedback to the driver (and in that the Alfetta GTV was positively uncanny - John Watson the old McLaren driver had one for years - he always said it was the best car he'd ever driven for feedback about how the car was performing on the road) and sheer fun at a price you could just stretch to, they are unbeatable. I wish I still had one.

BobG

[vaya]

\"Like driving a drunken cow\" - welcome to my world!

GTV/GTV6: the joys of a great chassis and a transaxle.