Running a second car

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

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I'm just musing and wondering what the issues are with having a second car (convertible) that only gets used say once a week, maybe less in winter, maybe bit more in summer?
Aside from the cost of the car, there's extra 'road tax' to pay, insurance on the second one, MOT, servicing etc. Maybe a sub 3000 miles a year deal or something would make it cheaper on the insurance cost?

Would there be any issues with just having it stood on the driveway for say a month, without being used? Or would it be best to disconnect battery? Any other issues related to lack of regular use?

As I havent got a garage, maybe a sturdy cover that can be put over it and "locked" into place on the drive would be an idea also?

Anything Ive not considered?

Cheers
 
Just do it and enjoy your mid-life crisis :thumbs:

The mileage deals, when I've looked at comparison sites mileage is sometime that I alter,
when comparing prices. it never seems to make a lot of difference,
until you get to really high mileages.

Some places offer a second car discount, on the grounds that you can only drive one at at time,
especially if you are the only driver.
(Just what I've noticed personally)
 
Hi ive done this many times and i am again in the process of doing it again,this time with a landrover as my main and a small hatchback as a backup for long journeys (48 mpg ) as aposed to 35 with a landrover,my insurance company mirrows my current insurance so i get full no claims discount which really helps for both cars thus keeping both cars on the road , the new tax set up will allow month to month road tax payments via direct debit which will also help forking out lump sums , if i do store one which i did in the past i used a barn for a MX5 were i put a car cover on ,deflated the tyres a touch and started it every so often ,i used a decent cover that you can buy just for your car ,but i bought one of those ratchet straps to secure as the fixings you get are a bit flimsy in wind when i had it on the drive ,if you are going for a classic convertible maybe limited mileage on classic insurance ,my last one was with a Mki spitfire with 5000k a year at around £150 fully comp...just needs a bit of research before you dive in but it can be done on the cheap
 
Sods law dictates that if you go for tax and insurance for 6 months (while storing securely off road for the other 6), the sun will come out as soon as the car goes into mothballs! Still wondering whether or not to get something smaller as a town car - just need to decide what!
 
Cobra said:
The mileage deals, when I've looked at comparison sites mileage is sometime that I alter,
when comparing prices. it never seems to make a lot of difference,
until you get to really high mileages.
Click to expand...
Changing the mileage like that on a standard policy does very little but a dedicated fixed mileage policy will be cheaper - these are more common for classic cars, motorhomes and other 'special' vehicles.
 
TopBanana said:
- these are more common for classic cars, motorhomes and other 'special' vehicles.
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Agreed.
I just assumed that Keith was going for a standard type policy and not a specialist or classic car type.
 
One trap I fell into for a few years because none of the insurances companies bothered to tell me :( was.... you can't use your no claims bonus on two cars... one only.. I found out by accident.. the insurance companies must have known and stored the info in case I made a claim i bet :(
 
before you go for specialist policies, take a look at the regular policies. I've just switched froma specialist to a 'normal' insurance company for the TVR, as it was 1/3rd the cost.

As for the vehicle, car covers are ok, but can rub against the paintwork, easier if you have a garage to put it in. I'd certainly recommend a battery conditioner (optimate type). Everything else is just cost (tax, insurance, etc).
 
Cheers all, wish I had a garage.

Den saying the insurance no claims is kept for both cars Kipax saying it isnt. Something I'd need to check out before going ahead with anything.

den said:
Hi ive done this many times and i am again in the process of doing it again,this time with a landrover as my main and a small hatchback as a backup for long journeys (48 mpg ) as aposed to 35 with a landrover,my insurance company mirrows my current insurance so i get full no claims discount which really helps for both cars thus keeping both cars on the road , the new tax set up will allow month to month road tax payments via direct debit which will also help forking out lump sums , if i do store one which i did in the past i used a barn for a MX5 were i put a car cover on ,deflated the tyres a touch and started it every so often ,i used a decent cover that you can buy just for your car ,but i bought one of those ratchet straps to secure as the fixings you get are a bit flimsy in wind when i had it on the drive ,if you are going for a classic convertible maybe limited mileage on classic insurance ,my last one was with a Mki spitfire with 5000k a year at around £150 fully comp...just needs a bit of research before you dive in but it can be done on the cheap
Click to expand...

Thanks den good info. Its an MX5 i was pondering. Hardly "classic" but about 10yo.

Cobra said:
Just do it and enjoy your mid-life crisis (y)
Click to expand...

If it was a mid life crisis it'd be a 1200 cc motorbike and Id be getting tattoos wouldnt I! And anyway its at mid-life when you find out you might be able to afford these things so why not. (apart from it s a daft idea that is)
 
DorsetDude said:
Den saying the insurance no claims is kept for both cars Kipax saying it isnt. Something I'd need to check out before going ahead with anything.
Click to expand...

It would seem to be a well known thing that insurance companies do NOT tell you when you do it.. but wont pay out of you claim.. theres probably a lot of people using there no claims on more than one car.. including den ? :(
 
DorsetDude said:
Den saying the insurance no claims is kept for both cars Kipax saying it isnt. Something I'd need to check out before going ahead with anything.
Click to expand...
I think that depends on the insurance company TBH.
I have had experience of both sides in the distant past


DorsetDude said:
If it was a mid life crisis it'd be a 1200 cc motorbike and Id be getting tattoos wouldnt I!
Click to expand...
I think it affects different people different ways :D

DorsetDude said:
And anyway its at mid-life when you find out you might be able to afford these things so why not. (apart from it s a daft idea that is)
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Absolutely, on both counts :thumbs:
 
Cobra said:
I think that depends on the insurance company TBH. I have had experience of both sides in the distant past
Click to expand...

Seriously would love to know which company allows it then.. would save me a few hundred quid.. can you share please ? ta :)
 
you might be able to get a second car discount, by mirroring your ncb and buying it as the wifes car, she gets a mirror of your ncb upto 4 years normally, then because your married a year later (now with 5 years) she could transfer it to your name, though they often have limits on the type of car, engine size and insurance rating.

basically a little clause to enable the wife, who now needs her own car to go out and about in and i think this is still possible if she has her own car. The Direct Line/Privilege did this as did Tesco (same company call centres)
 
KIPAX said:
Seriously would love to know which company allows it then.. would save me a few hundred quid.. can you share please ? ta :)
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God knows now, as I said it was years ago.
one was insuring a "company van" along side my for pleasure car.
I got that on the grounds that if I was working in the van,
I couldn't be driving my car.
I'm not sure about this but I have a feeling it was called "ACE" or something very similar.

The other was a "play car" that was only driven in the (for 6) summer months.
Different company and that was many years ago, also.
Its also possible, that as both these were so long ago, insurance companies have
changed their rules, as they have a want too ;)
 
and of course they are the multicar discount policys were you insure all cars under the same umbrella
 
When I found out your not allowed i changed the second car over to the wife.. they gave her 2 yrs free no claims and that was a yr ago and now she has a 3rd yr and prices are leveling back out.. Found out you can transfer your no claims bonus between people.. not sure if thats just per insurance company though... seems very strange that a driver who gets a no claims bonus because he hasnt crashed? can then give thos x yrs to another person..
 
npinks said:
and of course they are the multicar discount policys were you insure all cars under the same umbrella
Click to expand...

All the quotes I got (from the ones that will do it.. most seem not)... the quote ended up higher than going seperate..

minefield car insurance innit :)
 
minefield with snipers at every corner just waiting not to pay out on the slightest issue of non conformity :cautious:
 
KIPAX said:
Seriously would love to know which company allows it then.. would save me a few hundred quid.. can you share please ? ta :)
Click to expand...
I am with Hastings ,both cars covered with No claims (protected) was told i was allowed so many claims within some many years cant remember excactly,insurance is one thing i do research on ,i make sure what i ask for i am getting , i will add that for the classic car insurance i could not use my current discount on that insurance ,it was totaly seperate but for multicar both cars are covered and protected with me as the only driver .
 
DorsetDude said:
Cheers all, wish I had a garage.

Den saying the insurance no claims is kept for both cars Kipax saying it isnt. Something I'd need to check out before going ahead with anything.



Thanks den good info. Its an MX5 i was pondering. Hardly "classic" but about 10yo.

If it was a mid life crisis it'd be a 1200 cc motorbike and Id be getting tattoos wouldnt I! And anyway its at mid-life when you find out you might be able to afford these things so why not. (apart from it s a daft idea that is)
Click to expand...
The Mx5 i had was a JDM Mki 1989 with complete lowered springs (adjustable ) with a de catted Jackson racing exhaust and manifold , ,loads of other bits added at a very big cost but one of the most smiles for miles cars i have owned,forgot to add i did have this car on classic insurance with limited mileage ,idid have to submit a few pics of the modded car but if i remember it was only a couple of hundred quid for the year
 
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DorsetDude said:
Cheers all, wish I had a garage.

Den saying the insurance no claims is kept for both cars Kipax saying it isnt. Something I'd need to check out before going ahead with anything.

Thanks den good info. Its an MX5 i was pondering. Hardly "classic" but about 10yo.


If it was a mid life crisis it'd be a 1200 cc motorbike and Id be getting tattoos wouldnt I! And anyway its at mid-life when you find out you might be able to afford these things so why not. (apart from it s a daft idea that is)
Click to expand...


My daily commute is a ZZR1200, I have a TCR Cerbera as a fun car.
My wife has a MX-5 2.0 Sportstech, solid roof, replaced a 16 years old Mk1 Eunos with it
We have a Mazda 6 Sportsnav Tourer as the family car

I don't do needles.

The bike, TVR and Mazda 6 are all on separate insurance policies, depending on who was cheapest but I have no claims applied to all of them. I have checked with the insurance companies and it's not an issue.
TVR is insured with Privilege, £157 fully comp, no limited mileage, agreed value, protected no claims.

Would you believe a multicar policy was significantly more that individual ones...
 
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I run a z3 as my second fun car, currently garaged so I don't know about a cover.

Definitely need to look into something to maintain the battery - i trickle charge when I remember at the moment! Not been used much this year, I keep starting work on bits of it just before a sunny spell!

My insurance company asked me about how much no claims I have on my main car and were able to take that into account without using it.
 
Have had two cars for 30-odd years now, not the same two though.. :) Currently running a VW Golf TDI GT and a Mercedes SLK, each on their own policy about £200 each fully comp..
 
My cars all have their own insurance policies, each of which has built up its own no claims where appropriate. While an insurer may allow the no claims from one policy to be mirrored onto a second if you also insure that with them, this is not an industry standard. You definitely can't just apply the no claims from one car to two separate policies.

So, I have five years (or more) no claims on both my Audi A6 and my other car. The NCD for the Audi was built up on my VW T25, then transfered over to the Audi when I bought that. I still have the T25 but started using classic insurance on it as it's now over 25 years old. I've since stopped again as it was no cheaper than a conventional policy, but came with mileage limits.

If you're going to have an infrequently used vehicle, keep the battery charged. Modern cars tend to consume some current all the time, if they have an alarm for example.
 
MX5 insurance from Greenlight is very cheap on a limited mileage basis. I was running mine as a daily on such a policy since I don't actually do a lot of miles. MX5 brakes really don't like to be left standing, so make sure you keep on top of their maintenance and don't leave the handbrake on when parked up. I'd be doing a full on winterisation if it was me, drivebelts off, battery out fuel stabiliser in tank and fogging oil in the engine.
 
DorsetDude said:
I'm just musing and wondering what the issues are with having a second car (convertible) that only gets used say once a week, maybe less in winter, maybe bit more in summer?
Aside from the cost of the car, there's extra 'road tax' to pay, insurance on the second one, MOT, servicing etc. Maybe a sub 3000 miles a year deal or something would make it cheaper on the insurance cost?

Would there be any issues with just having it stood on the driveway for say a month, without being used? Or would it be best to disconnect battery? Any other issues related to lack of regular use?

As I havent got a garage, maybe a sturdy cover that can be put over it and "locked" into place on the drive would be an idea also?

Anything Ive not considered?

Cheers
Click to expand...


This is exactly what I do. I got sick of making compromises with cars. Obviously for commuting to work, shopping etc, I need something economical, with space to transport stuff, and pasengers, yet at weekend I wanted something fast, that sounds awesome, and looks fabulous. Tried all manner of stuff - the closest I ever got was a Mondeo ST200.. but at the end of the day, It's not fast, not economical, and is just a Mondeo. I drive the same roads to work every day, in heavy traffic.. it's not enjoyable, so why was I doing this?

I now drive a Micra to work and for shopping. Seats 4 in comfort, does 50mpg, and I can get shopping in the boot, and the seats fold down for anything bigger - and it's high roofline means you can get a surprising amount in there with the seats down. Then I bought a Mustang for the weekend. Despite a whopping great American V8, I actually use less fuel per week now, than I did when I had the ST200 as a single car... CONSIDERABLY less.
The Mustang only costs £200 to tax because there are no official CO2 figs, and I'm on a 4000 mile specialist policy - I pay less to insure the Mustang than I do the Micra!


Seriously.... if you love cars and driving, this is the only way to go. Have the car you want as a plaything, and just drive any old piece of crap during the week.

Some people just can't drive a crap car though... too much of an ego hit. Those people I feel sorry for though. Having a crap car and a nice car for weekends is the best thing I've ever done.

The other advantage is that the Mustang has only done about 18 months worth of motoring in 7 years. Also... it's perfect.. no scratches, dents, marks.. nothing. The Micra takes all the car park and shopping trolley damage, and all those scratches where people squeeze past with zips and buckles etc.


Don;t even think about it... just do it.. you won't regret it.

[edit]

I have no issues with lack of use. I make sure it has clean oil before hibernation. I've never had issues with tyre flat spotting ( I think that's a myth), and I just keep it plugged into a maintenance charger. I SORN the Mustang in October, and it isn't used until April usually. I'm not suggesting anyone else has to do that... I just never use it in the rain, and certainly not when there's salt on the roads, but even if you use it at weekends in winter, it will still outlast most other cars that are used daily.

Cobra said:
Just do it and enjoy your mid-life crisis (y)
Click to expand...

I know you're only kidding, but that does bug me. Do people not realise that most can't afford an expensive car as a mere plaything until later in life? If I was a wealthy brat I'd have been doing this since I was 17.
 
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Pookeyhead said:
I know you're only kidding, but that does bug me. Do people not realise that most can't afford an expensive car as a mere plaything until later in life? If I was a wealthy brat I'd have been doing this since I was 17.
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The difference is the level of fun car. I had a Capri or two for several years as a second/fun car, also a Mini van, racing subframes, 1330 tuned engine, good fun, cheap to run, slightly different level to what I have now though :)
 
What chargers do you guys use to keep the battery ok? It there something I can simply hook up and leave?
 
Pookeyhead said:
Do people not realise that most can't afford an expensive car as a mere plaything until later in life? If I was a wealthy brat I'd have been doing this since I was 17.
Click to expand...

When I was 21 I bought an Imp to use as my every day transport. When I was 22 I bought another Imp (actually a Singer Chamois, and it still had most of the wood trim) as my fun car. Total purchase cost of the two cars was £790!

The fun car wasn't much fun due to the amount of work it needed to get an MOT before I could actually use it! I finally scrapped it when I was 40 as it didn't have much floor left ...
 
Thanks for all the input guys, very helpful!

specialist policy sounds the way to go.
 
A ten year old "NB-series" Mazda MX5 is a better everyday motor-car than whatever load-carrier you have at the moment! :banana:

Back in the day, I enjoyed two [and unloaded one onto a TP member ;) ]

Except, while you'll be aware of the dangers of corrosion in the rear arches and sills, the real horror to look out for is the risk of corrosion in the front chassis rails! :(
 
Pookeyhead said:
I know you're only kidding, but that does bug me. Do people not realise that most can't afford an expensive car as a mere plaything until later in life? If I was a wealthy brat I'd have been doing this since I was 17.
Click to expand...

Precisely. I'm in the looking stages at the moment. The list of desirable cars is long and random. Everything from an MGB to a TVR Cerbera
 
Pookeyhead said:
I know you're only kidding, but that does bug me. Do people not realise that most can't afford an expensive car as a mere plaything until later in life? If I was a wealthy brat I'd have been doing this since I was 17.
Click to expand...

Oh, I think some people realise it. It has always been why the big risers in the old car market have always been cars sbout 20 or 30 years old ... the ones that were the dream machines of middle aged men when they were just too young to actually drive them! ;)
 
dod said:
Precisely. I'm in the looking stages at the moment. The list of desirable cars is long and random. Everything from an MGB to a TVR Cerbera
Click to expand...


I have owned a couple of MGB's, and they are really not that good. They rot very quickly, are very slow, and the only good thing about them IMO is the gearchange.
The TVR's are different, but watch out for electrical issues.
 
Yves Geza said:
Oh, I think some people realise it. It has always been why the big risers in the old car market have always been cars sbout 20 or 30 years old ... the ones that were the dream machines of middle aged men when they were just too young to actually drive them! ;)
Click to expand...
Oh dear, does that mean old French hatchbacks are likely to be going up in price soon? (e.g. Pug 205 1.9GTi) I never wanted one, but some of my contemporaries did.

dod said:
Everything from an MGB to a TVR Cerbera
Click to expand...
Add "AA membership" to your list if considering either of those, particularly the latter! Badly made kit cars from Blackpool. Fast? Very. Reliable? No.
 
dod said:
Precisely. I'm in the looking stages at the moment. The list of desirable cars is long and random. Everything from an MGB to a TVR Cerbera
Click to expand...

Well. If you have any questions about Cerberas.... :)
 
andy700 said:
I have owned a couple of MGB's, and they are really not that good. They rot very quickly, are very slow, and the only good thing about them IMO is the gearchange.
The TVR's are different, but watch out for electrical issues.
Click to expand...

Mgbs are reasonable cheap to fix, good club and are a good example of old, small British sports cars, but aren't really sporty.

Any Tvr electrical issues are usually down to dirty connectors, which affects any old vehicle. TVR cerbera the park switch on the wiper motor wears out every 10-15 years, a pain to change but cheap. A few have reported burnt pins on the door/window control box, but that's easily fixed, and there's a company that repair the boxes if needed.
 
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