Archive for
July, 2009
July 31st, 2009

Time determines the essence of all things.
Timelessness is a virtue that is greatly venerated from time immemorial. The same thing goes for cars. Classic cars are greatly appreciated wherever they may be. This is why many people are going crazy dreaming about getting one of their own classic cars. One of the best ways of getting quality classic cars is at an auction.
Classic cars are seen in different ways by different people. Some people see classic cars as investments, since timeless pieces such as classic cars appreciate in value especially if it is well maintained. Some people see classic cars as time machines which take them back to the good-old-days when these cars ruled the streets of the cities.
Whatever the motivation people may have in buying classic cars, one thing is certain classic cars are great things to have.
Getting classic cars at auctions is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways of getting your dream classic cars. Auctions are not for the weak-hearted, especially classic car auctions.
There are a few things that one has to take into heart when going to these classic car auctions, and this article tries to give wonderful tips about the subject.
Nature of Classic Car Auctions
First of all, let us look at how auctions are held for classic cars. Classic car auctions are held at a relatively moderate pace if you compare it with regular car auctions.
In regular car auctions, there are hundreds or even thousands of cars that are being exchanged during a single event. Since there are not too many classic cars out there in the market, there aren’t too many classic cars at auctions either.
So the auctioneer takes a more delicate approach in auctioning these cars off.
Some classic car auctioneers employ the English way of auctioning. This is perhaps the most popular form of auctioning where people try to outbid each other for a certain piece. The highest bidder will win.
This is the complete opposite of a Dutch auction where the auctioneer starts from a high price and goes lower and lower, the first person who is willing to take the price wins the bidding. The Dutch method is not usually employed in classic car auctions so try not to strategize based on this.
For the more rare classic cars, perhaps a sealed-first-price kind of auction is employed. Bidders make their bids secretly and write them down and seal them in envelopes, the highest bidder wins.
Strategy
Knowing the basics of how classic car auctions will give one a comparative advantage over the other bidders on how to properly get his dream classic car at a relatively good price. Getting into auctions is like playing a game, a mind game that is.
To properly go through a classic car auction and to successfully purchase a dream classic car in such an event, one needs to take the following tips below seriously.
1) Know your dream car
Classic car auctions are usually held in fall. So make sure that you do proper research before the said time of the year.
The auctions are usually publicly announced through official announcements in newspapers and through advertising mechanisms that the auctioneer employs. Getting your hands into their forms and list of cars is one of the must-do things. With the list on hand, one can do research about the cars.
The Internet is a great way of looking at the different qualities and features of each car together with the advantages and disadvantages. A blue book is also necessary for appraising the value of the car.
2) Price, price, price
At the end of the day, the true measure of one’s success in participating in auctions is not only in terms of bringing something home, but buying something at a price that he is willing to pay that is substantially lower than the existing market price.
Once one has finished doing research regarding his dream classic car, he should set a realistic price (that he can afford, obviously) and stick with it. If another outbids you, perhaps it is just not worth it.
3) Enjoy the show
Not everyone will bring home a classic car in every classic car auction. Therefore, one should enjoy the whole scenario and meet lots of people. It is always a great learning experience and perhaps the lessons can be employed for the next auction.
A classic car is always timeless. Auctions are one of the best ways to get these babies home at lowered prices. Go now and build that dream of yours and strategize!
Continue...
July 30th, 2009

With gas prices being the way they have people all over the country have started to get creative with their finances and the costs associated with auto travel.
Prices vary from company to company, so it pays to shop around. Get at least four to five price quotes. You will find that there are several websites out there that can save you the time from doing this the slow and hard way as they will often get you quotes from up to a dozen companies all at once. You can call companies directly or access information on the Internet. Your state insurance department may also provide comparisons of prices charged by major insurers. And no, companies like Progressive that claim they will compare other companies, but they are an insurance company, so they are not to be trusted. They only have one interest, and that is to promote their own business.
Bigger is not always better. There are several low cost automobile insurance companies offering competitive rates in relation to the big names out there. This makes it possible to save a bundle on this expense. Many people seem to ignore this cost and tend to accept the burden of expensive insurance even when monthly payments almost match a car payment. In one case, I lowered my car insurance rates by about 50% when I found a good local company (I had switched from a really big name company).
One of the best ways to get cheap car insurance is simply to use a service that forces insurance agents and brokers to compete against one another. At the end of this article is one example of such a site. As soon as you finish your online quote request, multiple agents will contact you. But it is important to NOT sign up with any one of them immediately-Instead, let them know that you are awaiting calls from other local insurance providers. After 5 or so of these people have contacted you, you should have a good idea of what sort of range you might expect to pay.
Then, if you really want to get the cheapest car insurance possible, simply tell the agents that you are ready to buy within the next 24 hours with whichever company offers you the lowest insurance rates. This really puts the fire under them, and is sure to create the most optimal pricing for you. Of course, be sure to carry through on your promise.
If it makes sense, you may want to consider getting a bundle package. Basically, see what it might cost to insure not only your car, but also your home, property, health and life insurance. This can save a person around 10% – 30% depending on the company you go with; and it does make paying your bills easier as well.
Oh, and one more tip, remember that the more info you provide upfront, the more accurate your quotes will be, and the more likely the insurance companies will be responsive to your inquiry. This is especially true when filling out a quote from multiple companies.
Continue...
July 29th, 2009

Imagine this! You are walking down the market place checking out the variety of rates for a box of apples. You scout the market on foot, personally checking with all vendors who have apple carts on display. The entire process takes you roughly about an hour as the market is spread out over a large area. You pass by those that quote a high rate and mentally check those that offer the sum that’s nearest to what you can pay. At the end of the exercise you zoom in to the vendor who offers the best quote for the best quality as well. And then you pick your lot. Something similar happens when you shop around for the best free quote in car insurance.
Let us first understand what insurance is. Answer: Insurance is basically an agreement you make with an insurance company to secure yourself or your belongings in case of any eventuality. The insurance is payable in cash, the amount which is pre-decided between the insurance company and the insured. The insured pays a premium to the insurance company regularly towards this insurance cover.
Car insurance is insuring the car that you or your family/ employees would drive. All car insurance companies provide quotes for your cars on request and you can get free quotes by spending some time looking around yourself. Unlike going about the car insurance market on foot as described, there are easier ways to obtain some good free quotes.
Obtaining free quotes for your car insurance is something like this. All vehicles by law are required to have insurance. If your car is not insured you cannot drive it. Therefore you need to get a car insurance done at the earliest.
Now, how do you go about getting your quotes?
In today’s internet savvy generation, car insurance quotes can be obtained free over the net. You can also find loads of information about numerous car insurance companies that operate in your district and those car insurance companies, which offer the best and free quotes as well. This helps cut any costs that may be associated in obtaining car insurance quotes from several car insurance agencies.
Let’s assume you need a car insurance free quote today. What do you do? Simple, as a first step you log on to the net and run a search for car insurance free quote in your district. This will throw up several web links. You have to click on them to read and understand what the car insurance agencies offer, their free quote requirements, their policy and procedures and such information.
When you are scouting around for the relevant car insurance free quote information you will need some specific information regarding your car. To start with you need to provide your personal contact information which would include name, contact numbers, email address, car driving license number and since when you have it etc.
Then you will need to fill in details about your car like the any current car insurance policies you are holding and their term. This section will probe your car history (any accidents, tickets or violations), the car make and model (4 Wheel drive or sedan), your specific use of the car (to work/ cross-country), and details like if the car has airbags, security alarm system etc etc.
You will also need to clearly mention in your quote requirements what is the coverage amount you need like a full cover or liability only. Also required by the car insurance companies is the bodily limit injury amount you are seeking. Once you submit these details related to car insurance, your quote will be on its way.
All you need to do is await a number of free quotes from several car insurance companies. Once you have shopped around among the best car insurance companies in your district to get the best free quote, select one. You have to try to get the maximum car insurance benefits for your free quote. If you find that you are not happy with the rates in the free quotes that the first lot of car insurance companies have sent you, there are ways to get even better free quotes.
Free quotes depend on the information you put in on the car insurance websites. You can reduce the premium amounts mentioned in the free quotes drastically if you do any of the following and mention the same in your free quote request. You park your car inside a garage. This eliminates damage and theft. You set a ‘break in warning alarm system in your car. You alone drive your car instead of several persons. You don’t have a history of self-caused accidents or violations. You don’t need a car hire clause when your car is taken by the insurance agency for any repairs and many such important points.
So you see, you can get fantastic free quotes from reputed car insurance agencies for your car without moving out of your home.
Continue...
July 23rd, 2009

Those who own classic cars know the love, care and attention that go into taking care of these cars. Whether you drive it around or not, it is still a good idea to get classic car insurance that is made special for those who own classic cars. One of the reasons to get classic car insurance is because the classic cars are quite expensive thus it is more prone to thief compared to other types of cars. Since classic cars are more expensive and are exposed to higher risk of thief, getting a regular insurance coverage may not really be enough to protect your classic car.
To make sure that your classic car is fully protected, you should always buy adequate classic car insurance for your car. The good thing about a classic car insurance is that it allows to you ensure your vehicle based on its true value rather than stated value. Yes, getting classic car insurance may be a bit costly but if you really want to safeguard your car against theft, accidents and the likes, getting classic car insurance is a must.
About Classic Car Insurance
In America today, less that half of collector cars on the road are insured with classic car insurance. These policies have been available for a long time, but many people do not know about them. Most people have a regular insurance policy with high premiums and restrictive policies. You won’t get that with classic car insurance. Standard premiums can be at much as 500 percent higher. Why pay that much for such a limited amount of coverage?
There are a few different types of coverage that you have with classic car insurance. There is actual cash value that gives you the book value of the car on a claim, the state value that lets you state the value of the vehicle for coverage, and there is the agreed value that guarantees all of your money back in the event of a total loss. This is the only policy that will not depreciate over the years.
If you are wondering what is considered a collectible vehicle, it may be hard to define. There are many different types of cars that are collected these days, so to find out if your beauty is considered a collectible, you will want to contact a classic car insurance carrier in order to see if your car qualifies for this great insurance.
Finding the Very Best Classic Car Insurance
Before you start hunting for a classic car insurance company for your car, you need to find out first how much the true value of your car is. Getting the true value can sometime be tricky. Bear in mind that an insurance company will want to know how much insurance you want on your car so you need to know the true value of your car.
The value of classic cars can vary and it can be greatly increase based on its uniqueness, its model, its present condition, its age and its history. If your car has some really great history attached to it which can be verified, you can fetch a handsome price on that car. To determine how much is the true value of your classic car, bring your car to an appraiser who works with classic cars in your locality. The classic car appraiser should be able to give you the true value of your classic car.
After determining the market value which is the true value of your classic car, you may now start hunting for a classic car insurance company. First you should call those well known classic car insurance companies. Ask these classic car insurance companies for insurance quotes depending upon the true value of your classic car. When comparing insurance quotes from all these classic car insurance companies, pay close attention to the features of the policy and the cost. Make sure that the cost of the insurance is well justified. You do not really want to pay more money than you should on your car insurance.
Continue...
July 22nd, 2009

For many people, classic cars top the list of desirable transportation due to the styling and character that you just don’t find in today’s vehicles. Classic cars are often a huge object of pride for the owner, and a huge object of desire for would-be car thieves. Maintaining a classic car is no easy task and with the world turning more unpredictable by the day, it makes good sense indeed to protect your much-loved car with classic car insurance. These insurance plans provide an umbrella of coverage for your classic car and aid you in proper hassle-free running of your much-loved classic car.
Before explore classic car insurance in depth, let us understand what exactly constitutes a classic car and how it is different from a vintage car. A classic automobile is usually defined by its age with the minimum cap of 15 years. However, the accepted age for a classic car varies from twenty to forty years while vintage cars are those cars which are at least 60 years old at the time of insurance.
Maintaining a classic car is no piece of cake and often requires a lot of repairs and money before it can strut its stuff out on the roads. With so much put on the line, investing in a classic car insurance policy is a must. Regardless of the age of your classic vehicle, most car insurance companies require certain prerequisites to be fulfilled before you can avail a cheap classic car insurance quote.
One of the major requirements is that the vehicle should be in good or at least restored condition and should be kept in a fully enclosed facility. Furthermore, the driver should not be younger than 19 years old and the vehicle itself should be used primarily for exhibitions and club activities. Although an occasional drive here and there is permitted, most car insurance companies make sure that the car is not used primary means of transport.
Collector auto insurance is generally inexpensive owing to the fact that the car is to be used sparingly. However, the coverage offered is very car-specific and is highly dependent on the company and state policies. Some of the primary options available include garaging location, spare part replacement, comprehensive classic car insurance, and value coverage which reimburses the amount equivalent to the vehicle’s true market value.
One aspect that should be kept in mind when purchasing a classic car insurance policy is that most companies keep tabs on the total number of miles that you travel. This may vary from state to state but generally ranges from 1000 to about 5000 miles per year.
Keeping in mind the time and expense associated with having a collector car, a classic car insurance policy is probably just as important as any other aspect of owning such a vehicle. Since most classic car insurance coverage is relatively cheap and is highly specific, special care should be taken to obtain insurance quotes that fit your unique situation and classic car.
Continue...