|
Parking and storage.Your parking and storage decisions may well be out of your hands, as many insurers now dictate their own specific parking requirements in order for you to qualify for insurance. It could be that your insurer will require that your car be stored in a secure garage, while some insurers will ask that your car is simply stored off the street during certain hours. Ideally you want to be storing your vintage car in a locked garage. Fitting an alarm to your garage and installing exterior security lighting will both work as deterrents against potential thieves. Storing your car in a garage isn’t just beneficial in security terms, but it will help to protect your car from the elements too. If you’re not lucky enough to own your own garage, or can’t afford to rent a garage space, then a driveway is the next best thing. This way your car is still off the road and is better protected from accidental damage. If you do park your car in a driveway, installing security lighting and a secure gate is advantageous. You might also want to consider fitting a removable security post.AlarmsBecause the locks on vintage cars tend to be weaker than those found on modern models, it’s a good idea to have an alarm installed. Some adaptation might be required as many 50’s models and older machines will be fitted with six volt electrics. Another thing to check out before installing an alarm is the polarity of your vehicle, with some vintage models being positive earth. You don’t want any nasty shocks, so it’s a good idea to have a professional check this out for you if you’re unfamiliar with alarm fittings.Car contentsCar security means making your car look as unappealing as possible, or at least making breaking into your car as tricky and time consuming as possible. As with any vehicle, make sure that you never store valuables in your car, or keep them out of sight or in a locked glove compartment whenever possible. Something that’s often overlooked by vintage car owners is the tax disc. Depending on the age of your vehicle, and whether or not it’s used on the roads regularly, the value of your tax disc can vary. Even with a relatively low value, the hassle involved in replacing it means that you want to avoid thieves getting their grubby mitts on it. Motorcycle-style tax disc holders are a great idea, as these make the disc far trickier to remove. Anything that’s as time-consuming as this will deter thieves, so consider switching your tax disc holder, particularly if you’re parking your car in the driveway.BenefitsAll of these car security measures will not only help to deter thieves and give you greater peace of mind while your pride and joy is out their on the mean streets all alone, but it could also mean that you benefit from a car insurance discount. Most car insurers, from specialist car insurance brokers to mainstream insurers , look favourably on responsible owners who put in the effort to secure their vehicles and offer money off their insurance premiums in return. If you have an existing insurance policy in place, just be sure to check your which security products your own particular insurer offers discounts for before you invest your time and money into installing new security measures. Choosing an insurance companyAt the last executive council meeting we discussed looking around for better and cheaper insurance. This has brought some interesting changes to the way some companies are looking at classic cars. It is worth us all questioning our brokers and insurance companies on ways of reducing our insurance bills. Most of us buy insurance for many things, from home to contents to life to medical to dental to travel to breakdown to modern car and then finally think about our classic car. Some of us are lucky to have a fleet of classic cars so deals may be around that can reduce the overall insurance bill. On your next renewal for any insurance why not try all the companies and see what they say? You may already be with this company for another insurance so see what they can do for you. One problem I have is that renewal dates for the dozen or so insurances I have are all on different dates. How do the companies handle that one? You may buy or sell cars and so the insurance policy has to change. How much do they charge for such changes? Jack was recently going to be charged an exorbitant amount just to change his address. Same can happen with changes to drivers or values. All these details can have a significant effect for some people at some times. Tailoring insurance to your needs is important and can save you a lot. Age can make a big difference to what you are quoted, so shop around. Classic car insurance is particularly difficult for the under thirties. This is not a recommendation of this particular company, but by us asking each insurance company what they can do they may get wise to the potential market out here. Let us know how you get on, insurance is very competitive, so you should get some good deals.
|
||
A vintage car security guide
Website Policy
Jowett.org
Home
Help
Old Website