First Car, Suggestions and Advice Wanted

steveland?

Hey,
I'll be starting my College work experience in April and I want to get motoring some time before then.

A couple of years ago my parents gave me driving lessons for Christmas but I wasn't really interested since I wasn't even 18 at the time and knew if I did get driving I'd spend a year working and saving for insurance...

I'm 19 now, 20 in March, have had a provisional licence since February 2004, done a few lessons and plan on doing a fair few more in the next month or two.

I work 5 days a week on top of college so I have some money, none saved but about €200 a week coming in. I can't save because I go out far too much, my best bet is to get the parents to go guaranteur (sp?) on a loan and get my own car (can't get insured on my parents cars, Dad has a Merc and Mam has a 206 which would probably cost loads to get insured on) so I'll know I have to pay in, say €80 a week to it until I start my full time work in April and can pay in more

Anyways, to the point...

I want to get my loan and get any auld hunk of crap and attempt to get insured on it.

Does anyone have any suggestions on any car (preferably 1lt) that's not a hatchback (I dunno what it is, I can't stand hatchbacks) that I could pick up cheap 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand that would pass an NCT and allow me to get insured on and what would be the average for a 19 - 20 year old on a provisional would expect to pay insurance wise on a 1lt?

How much should I go to the bank looking for?

Any help and advice is much appreciated

ibanez

Not many 1ltr saloons as far as i know.Think your best bet is a Ford Fiesta.

steveland?

I wouldn't be too pushed on the hatchback/saloon issue tbh

Just want something to get me from point A to point B, and on weekends point C :v:

Looked on Quinn Direct for a quote, made up a 1lt Opel Corsa from 1990 and still got quoted over €3,500. Should I expect this with every car I check out?

Lord Nikon

Hope this helps.

If its your first insurance, i would recommend a hatchback. There's not a whole lot of 1 litre saloons(2 doors either side and a bit boot) out there.There are loads of hatches(2 or 4 doors with side with a smaller boot) out there.

If your living in the greater Dublin area, don't be afraid to see insurance quotes of 2grand minimum and up, for a 1 litre anything, due to your age and depending on your location. Some websites have online quote things which should give you an idea of what it's gonna cost you. www.123.ie is one I can think of.

With the NCT you are somewhat safe when buying an old car. Preferably, you should buy from a dealership, they usually always give a warranty, which gives you peace-of-mind if anything goes wrong. Only thing it that dealerships don't hold on to really old cars that are within a 2grand price range, you should really shop around though.

My advice to you would be this.
Have a look around at all cars, both hatchbacks and saloons and pick one you like. Ring a few insurance companies, and get some quotes, and find out what is best for your pocket.

Hope this helps you out, any more questions just post it here, and I'll try to answer.

Neuro

steveland?

Cheers for the helpful post neuromancer

I'm going to do some more lessons before I actually go looking for cars or getting my loan.

One more thing, I've heard if you put a letter in with your driving test application saying you need a full licence for work you'll get it faster. It worked for a mate I used to work with. My job spec has in big letters down the bottom saying "Full licence preffered but not required". If I put a letter in with my job spec do you think there's any chance of me getting a test before April? The job is miles away so a full licence and being able to drive on the motorway would be damn, damn handy.

Actually one more thing... ... if you're pulled over while driving with a provisional licence do the guards actually do anything? If I don't get my licence before work I'll be driving on my provisional (not on the motorway obviously) so just wondering what the story is with it

Lord Nikon

I sent a letter in also, and have heard of other people doing it too, whether it speeds up your application process is debatable. Yes, it's worth doing cause there is no harm in doing it and costs nothing also. Only downside to it is, is that they may give you a test date, that you couldn't make. Simple being, you are given someones cancelation. It works a treat, but if you are unexperienced/in work that day, your up the creek.

With regards to driving on a Provisional.
1st provisional - someone needs to be with you
2nd provisional - your okay on your own
3rd provisional - someone needs to be with you

This may seem strange, but it's the law. I drove for 4 years on a Provisional, and yes i got stopped at checkpoints, without someone beside me. Nothing was ever mentioned about have a full-licenced driver beside me. It's a bit of a grey area to be honest. You might get away with it, and then you may come across the hard-nosed copper, that I never got.

Anything else??

Just remembered. I was always on the M50 while on my provisional, i live near Maynooth, and the missus lives near Templeogue. Staying on the National roads was just silly, when 20 minutes on the M$ and then M50 was quicker. I never got stopped on either motorway. Also, from day one driving, until i got my Full-Licence, I NEVER took my L-Plates down.

steveland?

Nah that's about it

Cheers mate