slinky

I'm looking into getting this type of insurance and would like some opinions and/or recommendations.

Anyone have experience with Leland West, American Collectors Insurance or any other collector car insurance company?

I have a 1987 944 Turbo and I'm 27. Some of the companies (Hagerty) require that the car be at least 19 years old and that the driver be at least 27, so those won't work for me. Leland West requires PCA membership, which I don't have but would consider getting it in order to take advantage of the insurance discount.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Tom R.

PCA membersip is a whopping $42. Almost alll collector insurance policies require membership. Learn the restrictions before you go into it. Failing to adhere to the terms of the policy allow them to deem it null and void if you have a claim against you, or put in a claim. more importantly is the claim against you part because you weren't using the car per the terms.

slinky

Tom,

Do you have an insurance policy through one of these companies?

I know how much PCA membership costs. And I know that some of the insurance companies require membership to be eligible for their services. I have done some initial research into what the terms and conditions are.

I'm asking for specific experiences with these types of insurance companies. I want to know whether getting such a policy is worth it. I only drive the car a few hundred miles a year. It seems ridiculous to pay the cost of a regular insurance policy, especially when the coverage is supposedly not as good as what these Collector Car Insurance companies offer.

2+2

I Had Leland. Least restrictive in that they let you go to a restaurant to eat and to church (better be a nice restaurant--no Burger Kings). Its cheap too...mine was about $300/yr IIRC.

I changed to my primary carrier Geico because I can hardly drive with those restrictions. Due to my work schedule and lack of time in general, I really could only drive it to work on nice days, or to do errands...both activities not being covered by Leland. If you get in a fender bender in a shopping center...good luck. Thus, the car sat and sat and sat.

I just decided I would be better off to take the risk of Geico not paying me for the full value of my car if it was stolen or totalled than to have Leland tell me that my use of the car was not covered....at least I got to drive it. If I had to get collectors, go Leland. Others are even more restrictive from my limited research.

Good luck

2+2

BTW, "comprehensive" coverage for my 951 is about $750/yr so more than double Leland. Also, some companies can't insure 951 or operate in certain states.....

Tom R.

i have jc taylor on my firebird, about $150 a year for 300/500 and 14k value. problem is the car has to be in my sight if it isnt in the garage.

so far no claims so i dont know any more.

UDPride

I have American Collector on both. Cars must be garaged. I dont know if you need to be a PCA member or not. I already was so maybe I checked a box I dont remember.

2500miles year - pleasure only (no trips to work)
300/300K

$320/yr 951 @$16K agreed value
$550?/yr 930 @$33K agreed value

I must admit I occasionally drive them to get an ice cream cone or something. I drive both to the university on Sundays to watch soccer games or a trip to Grammas house. I damn well consider those pleasure trips. I dont know the exact verbage American Collector uses to define their driving parameters. Maybe I should look. Never had to use them as a claim thankfully. Hope I never do.

alpenweissisnice

I too use American Collectors, with an agreed value of 16K...Like UD Pride, I too use the car for pleasure trips - those by my own defintion, admittedly. That said, I'm 42, and pay like 270 per year with a 5000 mile per year limit...I looked at coverage through my regular insurer, and they 1) wouldn't agree to agreed-upon value and 2) go by the KBB for coverage. Moreover, they were STILL like $700 bucks/year...

BruceWard

Im with Geico, my wife has a VW Jetta 1.8 and I have a 968 Cab. When I bought the 968 in May and added it to the policy our cost only went up about $20 a month. Im 26 with no claims, she is 25. Both cars are garaged, hers is driven a lot to and from work / school, I work from home and have it insured for <5k miles per year.

slinky

I'm not sure if I understand the term "pleasure trips". Is this by your or the insurance company's definition? If you are in an accident and make a claim, will they deny the claim because where you were driving doesn't fit their definition of "pleasure trip"?

Do they allow you to use the car to drive to work in emergency situations? I normally keep my car garaged and only drive it on sunny weekends for pleasure, but I have had to drive the car to work a few times when my other car was in the shop. If I was in an accident in that type of situation would they deny the claim?

If the rules are that strict, is it worth the risk of having them deny a claim? What's the point of paying for insurance that doesn't cover anything?

Matt H

Out of curiosity, how in the world would they know what kind of trip it was? Most insurance companies wont cover accidents if you are using your car for work (say you need to deliver papers across town), unless it is registered for commericial use. I think I might just not tell them, or if you prefer, I love my job so every trip there is a pleasure trip :>)
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slinky

Good one, Matt!

2+2

Slinky, yes to your questions....they will deny claim if you drive it to work, do errands, go shopping, are on a track, etc....their definition, not yours.

"How will they know?"...Not sure about that but if you are involved with another car, they are not likely to agreee to report that the accident happened on the street versus a parking lot of Best Buy... If the police are involved, forget it.

UDPride

For American Collector I had to give them the details on my daily driver - -possibly the VIN to prove I had daily transportation. Im not even sure you can use the Porsche as a backup in emergency situations.

I have on occasion gone to Best Buy or something in the car, but my feeling is, on the way there, I consider it pleasure, and on the way from, I consider it pleasure. So unless I get hit actually in the parking lot, whos to say Im not just driving around town. 99% of the time I really am.

Now I go up to the university on Sundays all the time to watch sports. If thats not pleasure, then nothing in. There has to be places you can go and park the car. Obviously work isnt one of them. But if they bonked at every place you could go and park, then why bother insuring vehicles with doors or door locks then if all you can do is driving it from the home, around town, then back home again and turn off the ignition. You need to fill up with gas too every now and then.

I think as long as you arent going to work you should be okay. If you cant take a pleasure car and go get an ice cream cone or pick up a movie at Blockbuster on a Sunday evening after a spirited drive in the country on your way home, then the insurance is worthless in my opinion.

GOBOGIE

I have Leland West and pay $430/yr for an agreed value of $18.5

I feel that you get what you pay for so I just hope I don't have to file a claim :-)