Question for fellow CAB owners?

[makaio]

Do you pay an outrageous amount for auto insurance on your CAB? I just recieved my re-newal notice from my policy holder, and the price for the cab is more than my 3 other auto's combined . I called my provider and they told me it was because it was a CAB and it was red.

Oh yeah, it's $1200 a year, through Mercury with a whole list of discounts (good driver, multiple vehicles, multiple policies, etc..)

[Big Ed]

Because it's RED?!? Since when do insurance tables rely on color? That sounds like BS to me. Our insurance rates out here in MA are pretty steep, but here's what I pay: '86 Targa $900, '88 930 Cab $1050, '02 Saab 9-5 $975. If your cab is triple your other cars, you sir are being screwed (just as you suspected).

[carnut169]

I pay $600 for full coverage w/ increased limits ($100/500/100) + uninsured motorist. I am 33, married, living within the city limits of Atlanta & have a cleanish driving record. It is also 1 of 3 cars we insure... Seems like it would be hard to compare coverage as each person's situation will be unique.

[MrKJBlue]

Not much use to you, but in the UK I pay no more for the cab than I would for a coupe, which did surprise me some what.
Also there are reports out about certain colours having more accidents/ stolen more but i've never heard of it affecting a quote.

[eion]

I found that rates varied wildly between companies when I was shopping for insurance last summer... my quotes ranged between a little over $1500 a year and about $8000 a year for (more or less) identical coverage. I went with Progressive ($1550 a year) - the next cheapest I found was Geico, which was about twice as much. I'm 21 and have none of the discounts (other than a clean record), but I do have a high deductible (although I also have increased levels of coverage) and I live in the middle of nowhere. $1200 sounds high to me (considering your discounts, the fact that your car is older than mine, and I assume you're older than me).

I'd shop around, if I were you...

[ZAMIRZ]

Originally posted by Big Ed
Because it's RED?!? Since when do insurance tables rely on color? That sounds like BS to me. Our insurance rates out here in MA are pretty steep, but here's what I pay: '86 Targa $900, '88 930 Cab $1050, '02 Saab 9-5 $975. If your cab is triple your other cars, you sir are being screwed (just as you suspected).

I have yet to find an insurance company that doesn't discriminate against red cars and sometimes even yellow ones.

later,

amir (BTW, guys be happy, I used to pay $1800/6 months when I turned 16, thankfully it's come down to about half that for one year since then)

[Huey581]

I pay $ 855.00 dollars from Michigan Farm Bureau for my red 911 cab. I have an agreed value policy for $ 30,000 dollars. My agent came out and took pictures of the car in my garage for the coverage. Still looking
for cheaper insurance though!

[stomachmonkey]

Try living in New York, My 01 tahoe is $3600, my 94 (burn your retinas Caracas Red) 3000GT is $3400. The 84 911 is registered in FL, $900 for full coverage, in NY it would have been $3500.

Now in fairness I do not have the cleanest license and my wife tends to hit stuff but even with a spotless record the 911 is gonna run $1500.

Now the Red, color thing is valid. Insurance tables are built on frequency of claims based on driver age, vehicle, cylinders, number of doors, where you live, color etc...

If you took a Firechicken and an identically equipped Camaro the price may be different because one model may be involved in more accidents than the other, it's not the car but the demographic of the driver that will purchase a Firebird vs. a Camaro. Also the more popular a vehicle the greater chance the insurance is higher, the more of a particular vehicle that is on the road the higher probability that it will be involved in an accident. But because of the type of driver more Camaros may wreck than Camrys, the formula is pretty complex.

Anyway, back to the Red, Red cars tend to be purchased by enthusiastic drivers.
They are more easily spotted by police and the drivers may rack up more tickets.
In the black and white world Red has the same value as Black, so at dusk and especially at night when we do not see in color, (without the assitance of artificial light) Red cars become nearly invisible, the color may be a factor in increased frequency of accidents.

Scott

[Thomas Owen]

I have had State Farm insurance for years. During that time I have had 4 different 911's, all a different color. The latest is an '88 cab. The agency has never asked me for the color when adding another car.

[RickM]

There are obviously many variables that are considered by the Insurance companies. From location (sometimes to the street level) to the probability of theft or accident occurance. It's all driven by statistics and each company has their own method of sourcing these stats and developing a rating schedule. The rates may also be influenced by goverment regulations. Here in NJ the rates are the highest in the country and to make matters worse the majority of Insurance carriers are in the midst of or planning to pull out of the state. Pays to keep your record clean.

I have heard that color can influence cost but I've never experienced this type of surcharge. Recent studies correlating car color to negative incidents have been inconclusive (http://www.aaafoundation.org/resources/index.cfm?button=carcolor). Here's an excerpt from a recent article where Progressive Insurance Co was quoted.....


Think you'll pay more for insurance if your new car has stereo speakers and tinted windows?
How about the car's color, or whether it's equipped with a sunroof?

Not so, say the folks from Progressive insurance, who surveyed customers about what they think drives insurance rates up.

``The fact is that none of these directly affect auto insurance rates at most companies,'' the survey found. (Notice most...but not all)

So, what does boost rates? The weight of the vehicle, for one. Its body type - four-door vs. two- door - and whether it's a convertible.

The surveyors also asked people what they look for in a new car. More women than men were interested in safety features. Nearly twice as many men as women picked performance as the key feature.

Progressive also asked people what features would influence their purchase, and the answers were all over the map.

More drivers liked heated or cooled seats than run-flat tires. Others, obviously dedicated to the good life, picked a video entertainment system over side impact air bags.

Then there are the folks who said they'd really go for a vehicle that ``woke them up if they fell asleep behind the wheel.''

[lendaddy]

Michigan must be good, I am 28 and I pay $450 year for full coverage with $500 deductables on my 930(no mileage restrictions). It's silver, not that they asked.

[Joe Bob]

Time to go shopping for another company. 83 cab, 65 SC, F350 and a 94 Suburban....1200 a year...full coverage.

[tight as a bull's ass]

I live in MA...

I own a 1983 911SC cabriolet (guards red) and a 1970 911T (under 5K miles a year)....

Insurance for both cars = $970/yr through Commerce

[adscab]

I pay $2100 total for all 3 of my cars. That includes my 94 4x4 4runner as my daily driver, a 98 4x4 Lincoln Navigator as my wife's daily driver and a 90 C2 Cab as my weekend car. I am also taking advantage of all the discounts. As it breaks out, the Cab is $500. Try calling Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, they are based in San Diego but you must have a perfect driving record.

[stomachmonkey]

I remember being asked once or twice a long time ago but not in the last 10-15 years.

All of the companies I've ever had policies with that included collision have required an independent inspection inclusive of pictures. So they don't have to ask about the color they just look at the pictures.

But I would think that the color would affect the liability portion (which does not require an inspection) more?

So the conclusion that I come to is, I have absolutely no clue one way or the other. I have a headache now.

So makaio, I would shop it or consider moving to Michigan

Scott

[cellison]

State Farm: $420 / yr full coverage for my 88 cab. $30k agreed value. 4 cars insured + house + umbrella.
charles
88 white cab.

[makaio]

Looks like I'm going shopping for insurance. Thanks for the replies.

Mike Z, who is your insurance through?

[Joe Bob]

Safeco, they do my house too....

[dtfastbear]

Matt, I've had State Farm insurance in California for over 4 years now and my cab is not expensive at all... a couple hundred buck every six months. Also, I've gone over my policy with a VERY fine tooth comb and have not found any mention of incidents while "racing" or on "tracks" being excluded from my coverage.

I do have my other vehicle registered with State Farm, too, so that keeps the rates down.

Oh, and it's white!

Good luck,

Dean

[cellison]

Stipulations I have w/ State Farm are: Special interest vehicle, car is >10 yrs old, not primary car, garaged, member of a car club (PCA), used for club or "exhibition purposes" (very loosly worded), driven <7,500 miles/yr.
charles
88 cab