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Andy Mackenzie

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Posts posted by Andy Mackenzie

  1. Herald 13/60 Headlight advice

    in Electrical System

    Posted

    Personally I like the domed ones.  I think the flat ones look wrong from the side.  

     

    Osram Nightbreakers seem very good as a bulb choice - although more recently they have put a slight blue tint in the glass envelope which you can just see in the reflector and which gives the headlamps a blue tint in the middle when they're off - OK on a blue car perhaps  ;)

  3. Any good options to insure my 18 year old on my Spitfire?

    in General

    Posted

    Just to fill in a bit more detail:-

     

    Bit of a hefty excess (£550 total when daughter's driving), she needs to be a classic club member, we have to wait a few weeks until she has a complete year of full licence, and she has to have access to another car and not be the main driver on the Spitty.  All fine for our setup but may not suit everybody.

     

    Peter Best really did go the extra mile (after a bit of persuasion as the initial reaction was that it wouldn't be possible) to sort this out.  I understand Peter himself got involved - very impressed.

  5. Any good options to insure my 18 year old on my Spitfire?

    in General

    Posted

    Boys -simmer down  :D

     

    The breakdown cover is incredible value I agree  Tempting Fate but only used it twice in 30 years - here we go...

     

    When gearbox broke close to home (on way to help set up Duxford)  I got a tow home from Mrs M - never again.  She couldn't see my trying to get her to slow down from the high vantage point of a Range Rover.  And every time I tried to keep the rope tight and keep my distance by slowing the Range Rover down with my poor little Spitty I expected the front to get pulled off!

     

    Should've used the breakdown cover but knew I'd not get to Duxford in time if I did.  Clean underpants before I set off again for Duxford and then the ignominy of being shoved in the modern parking!  Hey ho.

     

    Have since bought a spring damped solid tow-bar just in case.

     

    A

  7. Diff removal any special tools required

    in General

    Posted

    I'd add big arm muscles if you're doing this on axle stands.  Be ready for it to rock around on the trolley jack as it comes free, and access to that long bolt with a drift and hammer etc. is difficult.

     

    Putting it back and lining up the holes for the long bolt is worse!  My second least favourite job on these cars!

     

    But as Pete says, no special tools.

  10. Any good options to insure my 18 year old on my Spitfire?

    in General

    Posted

    Thanks for the input.

     

    Just to clarify, £1500 was to add her as a named driver on my policy.  I have a TSSC member's policy with Peter James - nice area, clean licence, no claims for 30+ years and an old fart as policyholder.  PJ tell me that my current underwriter wouldn't touch it for a named driver under 25.  PJ have one underwriter that will - which will cost £1500.  This is with 1 year's experience, clean licence and 1 year's NCB.  Mileage makes no difference.  This of course is the maximum low risk indicators any 18 year old could have.

     

    I'll shop around and try the modern/classic hybrid and see if we can get it to down to a more realistic level.

     

    It's a shame the classic underwriters have pulled up the drawbridge so sharply on young drivers.  By modern standards, these are hard cars to drive - so only the reasonably competent and very committed will bother.  I insured this same car at 18 out of earnings from a Saturday job - fat chance these days it would seem.

     

    I have an older daughter who I'll freely admit is not very good at driving and wants and needs as many modern safety nets as possible.  She is not interested in driving my classics, and I wouldn't want her to.  This next one down is a great little driver already, but on paper she is in the same category as all the the new drivers - good or bad.  Shame.

     

    The modern car is a Fiat 500 1.2  which is much quicker and heavier than the Spitfire, gives a much greater sense of "invincibility"  and will do a lot more damage to others if she gets it wrong.  It is also much cheaper to insure - crazy!

     

    I was hoping the underwriters would have developed a more nuanced approach by now after their panic attack at XR3is etc. becoming "classics".  Ah well, probably another younger driver lost to the hobby of older cars.  I will persevere for a bit, but am not expecting much success.

     

    Andy

  11. Any good options to insure my 18 year old on my Spitfire?

    in General

    Posted

    It's a MKIV with 1493cc engine.  She has a modern car (smaller engine, nearly twice the weight but considerably faster than the Spitfire :o) and is the policy-holder on that.  Just been quoted £1500 by Peter James, which rather rules it out.

     

    i was expecting as much, after the changes a few years back when they stopped insuring anyone under 25.  Has anyone found this cheaper?  Have any of our younger members found a good broker or underwriter for this type of risk?

     

    She'd like to to do a few local journeys in the Spit over the summer and I'm keen to encourage the interest, but clearly not being insured will be something of a disincentive!

     

    Thanks, 

     

    Andy

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